Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Yun-nan Fu
YUN-NAN FU, the capital of the Chinese province of Yun-nan, is situated in 25° 6′ N. lat. and 102° 52′ E. long. Originally the district surrounding Yun-nan Fu was known as the “land of the southern barbarians.” The city, which under different dynasties has borne different names, is situated on a plain, and is surrounded by well-fortified walls, 6 miles in circuit. Marco Polo describes it, under the name of Yachi, as “a very great and noble city, in which are numerous merchants and craftsmen. The people are of sundry kinds, for there are not only Saracens and idolaters but also a few Nestorian Christians. They have wheat and rice in plenty. . . . Their money is. . . certain white porcelain shells that are found in the sea.” For many years Mahommedans have been very numerous in the city and neighbourhood; and in 1855 a Mahommedan rising took place within the city. Yun-nan Fu has a prosperous and busy aspect: the shops are large and well supplied with native silken goods, saddlery, &c., while English cotton, Russian cloths, and raw cotton from Burmah constitute the main foreign merchandise. Employment for large numbers of workpeople is found in the copper factories. A local mint at Yun-nan Fu issued annually 101,000,000 cash before the outbreak of the rebellion in 1855. The population of the city is estimated at about 200,000.
