Zhangye
| Zhangye 张掖 |
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| — Prefecture-level city — | |
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张掖市
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| Coordinates: 38°36′N 100°27′E / 38.600°N 100.450°E | |
| Country | People's Republic of China |
| Province | Gansu |
| Area | |
| • Total | 42,000 km2 (16,000 sq mi) |
| Population (2010)[1] | |
| • Total | 1,199,515 |
| Time zone | China standard time (UTC+8) |
| Postal code | |
| Website | zhangye.gov.cn |
Zhangye (simplified Chinese: 张掖; traditional Chinese: 張掖; pinyin: Zhāngyè) is a prefecture-level city in northwest-central Gansu province, People's Republic of China, bordering Inner Mongolia to the north and Qinghai to the south.
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History [edit]
Zhangye is in the center of the Hexi Corridor. The area was the frontier for much of China's history, forming a natural passage to the Central Asian portion of the empire. In fact, the name Zhangye (lit. "to extend the arm") is an abbreviation of 张国臂掖，以通西域 (lit. To extend the arm of the country, through to the Western Realm. During the Western Han dynasty, Chinese armies were often engaged against the Xiongnu in this area. It was also an important section of the Silk Road. The fearsome Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan is said to have been born in the Dafo temple, also the site of the longest reclining wooden Buddha in China.
The city was formerly known as Ganzhou (甘州), a name retained both in the municipal region seat Ganzhou District and the Gan of the province of Gansu. In The Travels of Marco Polo, Marco Polo describes spending a year in a city called Campichu, which has been identified with Ganzhou (Zhangye).[2]
Geography and climate [edit]
Zhangye is located in far western Gansu province. In the north it borders Inner Mongolia and in the south Qinghai. It has a large area of 42,000 km² and is blessed with numerous streams, abundant sunlight and fertile soil, making it an important agricultural centre for Gansu and all of China.
| Climate data for Zhangye (1971−2000) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 0.1 (32.2) |
3.6 (38.5) |
10.0 (50) |
17.9 (64.2) |
23.5 (74.3) |
27.2 (81) |
29.3 (84.7) |
28.2 (82.8) |
23.2 (73.8) |
16.3 (61.3) |
8.0 (46.4) |
1.7 (35.1) |
15.75 (60.36) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −16.2 (2.8) |
−12.2 (10) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
2.2 (36) |
7.8 (46) |
11.6 (52.9) |
14.2 (57.6) |
13.3 (55.9) |
7.8 (46) |
0.1 (32.2) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
−13.7 (7.3) |
0.27 (32.48) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 1.4 (0.055) |
1.2 (0.047) |
3.8 (0.15) |
4.8 (0.189) |
11.7 (0.461) |
24.1 (0.949) |
29.6 (1.165) |
29.2 (1.15) |
16.6 (0.654) |
4.6 (0.181) |
2.0 (0.079) |
1.4 (0.055) |
130.4 (5.135) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 2.4 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 4.4 | 7.4 | 9.4 | 8.3 | 5.4 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 51.6 |
| Source: Weather China | |||||||||||||
Noted Geographic Features [edit]
Located in the Nantaizi village of Nijiaying town, in Linzhe county of Zhangye, Gansu province is the China Danxia, a series of mountains laced with layers of reddish sandstone. A unique type of petromorphic geomorphology found only in China, these landforms were included on the list of World Heritage sites at the 34th meeting of the World Heritage Committee on August 1, 2010.
Administration [edit]
Zhangye has 1 urban district, 4 counties, 1 autonomous county, 97 towns, and 977 villages.
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| # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2010) |
Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
| 1 | Ganzhou District | 甘州区 | Gānzhōu Qū | 507,433 | 4,240 | 120 |
| 2 | Minle County | 民乐县 | Mínlè Xiàn | 219,356 | 3,687 | 59 |
| 3 | Linze County | 临泽县 | Línzé Xiàn | 134,328 | 2,777 | 48 |
| 4 | Gaotai County | 高台县 | Gāotái Xiàn | 143,446 | 4,312 | 33 |
| 5 | Shandan County | 山丹县 | Shāndān Xiàn | 161,299 | 5,402 | 30 |
| 6 | Sunan Yugur Autonomous County | 肃南裕固族自治县 | Sùnán Yùgùzú Zìzhìxiàn |
33,653 | 20,456 | 2 |
Demographics [edit]
Zhangye has a total population of 1,199,515, only 260,000 being urban residents. There are 26 ethnic minorities other than Han represented including many Hui, Yugur and Tibetans.
Transport [edit]
Zhangye is served by China National Highways numbers G30 Expressway, 227 and 312.
Zhangye Railway Station is on the Lanzhou–Xinjiang Railway, located to the north east of the city. A high speed railway station is being constructed on the south west side of the city and will be called Zhangye South Railway Station on the Lanzhou–Ürümqi High-Speed Railway.
Zhangye Ganzhou Airport, a combined civilian-military airport, opened in October 2011 with flights to Lanzhou and Xi'an.
Economy [edit]
The 2002 GDP was 7.566 billion RMB, almost 9% growth over the previous year. Annual urban income was 5960 RMB,10.4% growth from the previous year and rural income was 3092 RMB, up 5%.
Sport [edit]
Zhangye has hosted a round of the Chinese Rally Championship (CRC) since 2011. Held on specially constructed roads across the deserts north and to the south of the city. The event attracts over 100 entries regularly, including international foreign drivers. A stadium for side-by-side super special stages has also been constructed.
References [edit]
- ^ Main data bulletin of the sixth national census in 2010, 2011-05-09(Chinese)
- ^ The Travels of Marco Polo, by Marco Polo , translated by Henry Yule. Book 1, Chapter 45.
External links [edit]
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