[2] Located roughly between the provincial capitals Chengdu, Lanzhou, Xi'an and Chongqing municipality, it is considered the northern gateway to Sichuan.

Formerly known as Lizhou (利州, or Li prefecture), Guangyuan was the birthplace of Wu Zetian, the only woman in Chinese history to rule directly as emperor.

[5] Guangyuan's economy is based on a diverse array of heavy industry, as well as mining and agriculture.

[citation needed] Plant 821, a former large plutonium producing reactor, now used to process nuclear waste, is located near Guangyuan.

[7] Located roughly between the provincial capitals Chengdu, Chongqing, Lanzhou, Xi'an, Guangyuan is an important traffic hub in northern Sichuan.