Under the Ming and Qing, the town and its hinterland was known as Xuzhou Commandery (t 敘州府, s 叙州府, p Xùzhōufǔ), which was variously romanized as Suifu,[4] Suifoo,[citation needed] Xufu, and Suchow.

The surrounding region is rich in agricultural resources, growing rice, barley, oil seeds, sesame, and tea.

According to an August 2005 article in a securities weekly, the Wuliangye Group is 72% state-owned and provides 70% of the revenues of Yibin City, a major regional center at the head of the Yangtze in southeastern Sichuan.

[12] Unsuccessful efforts to diversify its business, poor transparency and a murky ownership pictures are among the company's problems today.

The region's natural waterways provide transportation links with the surrounding area, and Yibin is also connected to Chongqing and Chengdu by rail and express highway.

Yibin Wuliangye Airport offers flights to Beijing, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Hangzhou, Kunming, Lhasa, Sanya, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Xi'an, and Yichang.

Cuiping Mountain Park (翠屏山公园; Cuìpíng Shān Gōngyuán), located west of the confluence of those two rivers, provides views of downtown Yibin.