From the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC) to the Warring States Period (476BC-221BC), Guangyuan was the capital of Ju Kingdom. The Chinese named it 'Lizhou' in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), because it is the birthplace of the only female emperor in Chinese history, Empress Wu Zetian. The name of the city was changed from Lizhou to Guangyuan during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and it is still been used as the name of the district where the city government is seated. Guangyuan is the point of convergence for the Micang Mountains, the Longmen Mountain and the low mountainous area in northern Sichuan Basin. To the north the area is mountainous, while the south is hilly with a lower altitude. The city enjoys a subtropical humid monsoon climate with four distinct seasons and moderate weather.