Zhaotong (Chinese: 昭通) is a prefecture-level city located in the northeast corner of Yunnan province of Southwest China.
The prefecture, almost exclusively agricultural, is one of the poorest in China, which led the authorities to encourage young people to migrate to eastern and southern parts of China to find work. For the year 2003, the number of emigrants was 650,000.
The government wanted the number to increase by 50,000 in 2004.
Influenced by the low latitude and moderate elevation, Zhaotong has a temperate subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb), with cool, dry winters, and warm, humid summers. Temperatures frequently drop below freezing at night in winter, though the days warm up to around 10 °C (50 °F). Conversely, in summer, average highs rise to 25 °C (77 °F). A great majority of the year's rainfall occurs from May to September.