YÜANLING, DIOCESE of. - In the western part of Hunan province (central China).
Apostolic Prefecture, under the name of Shenchow, on 13 March 1925, with 16 civil subprefectures of the Apostolic Vicariate of Changteh; Apostolic Vicariate on 28 March 1934; on 10 Dec. 1934 it received its present name of Y., and on 11 Apr. 1936 it was raised to a diocese suffragan to Changsha. From the beginning it has been entrusted to the Passionists of the Province of S. Paolo della Croce in the United States.
Area: 29,886 sq. km., with approx. 4,500,000 inhabitants, of whom 3,279 are Catholics; 34 priests; 10 nuns (3 Chinese); 3 hospitals, 10 dispensaries, 5 orphanages, 31 schools. The evangelization of Y. began in the very first years of the 20th century: in 1902 at Shenchow and Soulić; in 1912 the Christian community of Shenki was founded, the following year that of Süpu, and in 1917 that of Jungsunfu. At the time of the erection of Y., there were approx. 2,000 Catholics, distributed among 27 Christian communities.