Pingyao’s climate, soil, vegetation, landforms, and dietary characteristics

Pingyao’s natural climate: Pingyao is located inland and has a temperate continental monsoon climate. Four distinct seasons. Winter is windy and rainless, drought is more obvious in spring, and rainfall is concentrated in summer and autumn, making it relatively humid. Sunny weather all year round. The total annual sunshine hours are 2422.1 hours, and the sunshine percentage is 59%. The annual average temperature is 10.6℃, and the annual average precipitation is 415.5 mm.

Pingyao’s landform: The southeastern part of the county is surrounded by mountains, the central part is undulating hills, and the northwest is a vast plain. The terrain is high in the southeast and low in the northwest, in a ladder shape. Mountains, hills, and plains each account for roughly one-third of the total area. The southeastern mountainous area is densely forested and covered with grassy slopes, suitable for both forestry and grazing; the southern mountainous area is rich in coal, iron, manganese, gypsum, refractory clay, limestone and other minerals. With an altitude of 735-1955 meters, the county is about 44.5 kilometers wide from north to south and 53.7 kilometers long from east to west. The county area is 1260 square kilometers. It is between 111°56′～112°33′ east longitude and 36°56′～37°21′ north latitude.

Pingyao’s soil: The soil type is cinnamon soil. The chemical decomposition of minerals is strong, the soil is rich in nutrients, the soil profile is light and thin, and it is a light brown soil with weak viscosity.

Pingyao's vegetation: Pingyao County's biological resources are relatively diverse. Natural vegetation includes grass, shrubs, sparse forests and coniferous forests. Artificial vegetation includes coniferous forests, economic forests, crops, etc.

Pingyao’s food characteristics: mainly Shanxi local characteristics, mostly all kinds of pasta, with moderate taste. The representative delicacies include "Baba Banquet, Changyam, cooked meat, Pingyao Wantuo, case cakes, Pingyao dough sculptures, "Changshengyuan" rice wine, "Refined pasta, smoked meat, Pingyao beef and Wantuoyan.