Baise

Baise (Chinese: 百色; local pronunciation: paːk˧˥ ɬɐk˥) is the westernmost prefecture-level city of Guangxi, China bordering Vietnam as well as the provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan.

Geography and climate

Baise is located in western-northwestern Guangxi bordering Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (Guizhou) to the north, Qujing and Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan to the west, the Vietnamese provinces of Hà Giang and Cao Bằng to the south and southwest, and the Guangxi cities of Hechi to the northeast/east, Nanning to the east, and Chongzuo to the southeast. It is centrally located between three provincial capitals: Nanning, Kunming, and Guiyang. Its area is 36,252 km² (13,997 sq mi) and is more than 55% forested.

Baise has a monsoon-influenced, humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa), with short, mild, and dry winters, and long, very hot and humid summers. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 13.4 °C (56.1 °F) in January to 28.4 °C (83.1 °F) in July, for an annual mean of 21.98 °C (71.6 °F). Rainfall is low compared to more easterly locations in Guangxi, averaging around 1,070 mm (42 in) per annum, a majority of which occurs from June to August. There are 1,706 hours of bright sunshine annually. Significant temperature variation exists in the prefecture; the western parts, with an average elevation surpassing 500 m (1,640 ft), lie along the southeastern fringes of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, and hold a climate similar to that of central Yunnan, with much more moderate summer temperatures. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 25% in January and February to 49% in August, the city receives 1,706 hours of bright sunshine annually.