Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou Province of Southwest China. It is located in the centre of the Province, situated on the east of the Yunnan/Guizhou Plateau, and on the north bank of the Nanming River, a branch of the Wu River. The city has an elevation of about 1,100 meters. It has an area of 8,034 square kilometers. Its population is 4,324,561 at the 2010 census whom 3,037,159 live in the built up area made of 7 urban districts. The city was first constructed as early as 1283 AD during the Yuan Dynasty. It was originally called Shunyua), meaning obeying the Yuan (the Mongol rulers). Originally the area was populated by non-Chinese. The Sui Dynasty (AD 581-618) had a commandery there, and the Tang dynasty (618-907) a prefecture.