Administrative division of this area in history initiated during the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-24AD), when the emperor launched the exploitation of southwestern border area. Wenshan stands in the southeast of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau backed by the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in the northwest. Mountainous region occupies nearly ninety-five percent of the prefecture's territory. The total area under cultivation only accounts for a proportion of seven percent. The prefecture enjoys a plateau monsoon climate at low altitude having distributions of six climatic types, ranging from the north subtropical zone to the middle temperate zone. It has clear dry and humid seasons. May to October is the rainy season gathering over eighty percent of wenshan's rainfall throughout the year. May to September is the beast season to visit Wenshan, but umbrella and one or two wraps are necessary in case the weather changes.