Dingxi
Encyclopedia
Dingxi is a prefecture-level city
in China
's Gansu
province.
, giving it the nickname the "eastern gateway". The Wei River
, a tributary of the Yellow River
flows through the district and provides it with the majority of its water. Dingxi is semi-arid, with little precipitation. Even though sunlight here can be intense, temperatures are generally cool. The surrounding terrain is mostly loess
hills and ravines in the north and highlands in the south. The area is 20,300 km².
sites from various cultures are found throughout the area.
(also called Sichuan Pepper
or prickly ash fruit), walnuts, wild apricots, and other fruit are some of Dingxi's famous dried exports.
Prefecture-level city
A prefectural level city , prefectural city or prefectural level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. Prefectural level cities form the second level of the administrative...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
's Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
province.
Geography and climate
Dingxi City is located in central Gansu province, 98 km east of LanzhouLanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....
, giving it the nickname the "eastern gateway". The Wei River
Wei River
The Wei River is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization....
, a tributary of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
flows through the district and provides it with the majority of its water. Dingxi is semi-arid, with little precipitation. Even though sunlight here can be intense, temperatures are generally cool. The surrounding terrain is mostly loess
Loess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
hills and ravines in the north and highlands in the south. The area is 20,300 km².
History
Dingxi was important in the development of some of China's earliest cultures, specifically along the Wei River, one of the Yellow River's biggest tributaries. Numerous NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
sites from various cultures are found throughout the area.
Administration
Dingxi has 1 urban district, 6 counties, and 119 towns with a total population of 2,960,000.| Map | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2004 est.) | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
| 1 | Anding District Anding District The Anding District is an administrative district in Gansu, the People's Republic of China. It is one of 17 districts of Gansu. It is part of the Dingxi prefecture, with the city of the same name being the prefecture seat.-References:... |
安定区 | Āndìng Qū | 460,000 | 3,638 | 126 |
| 2 | Tongwei County Tongwei County Tongwei County is an administrative district in Gansu, the People's Republic of China. It is one of 58 counties of Gansu. It is part of the Dingxi prefecture, with the city of the same name being the prefecture seat... |
通渭县 | Tōngwèi Xiàn | 450,000 | 2,905 | 155 |
| 3 | Lintao County Lintao County Lintao County is administratively under the control of Dingxi, Gansu province. In ancient times, Lintao was centered around present day Min County.-Geography:... |
临洮县 | Líntáo Xiàn | 530,000 | 2,851 | 186 |
| 4 | Zhang County Zhang County Zhang County is an administrative district in Gansu, the People's Republic of China. It is one of 58 counties of Gansu. It is part of the Dingxi prefecture, with the city of the same name being the prefecture seat. Its postal code is 748300, and its population in 1999 was 186,100... |
漳县 | Zhāng Xiàn | 190,000 | 2,164 | 88 |
| 5 | Min County Min County Min County is administratively under the control of Dingxi, Gansu province. In ancient times, it was known as Lintao County.- Transport :*China National Highway 212... |
岷县 | Mín Xiàn | 450,000 | 3,578 | 126 |
| 6 | Weiyuan County | 渭源县 | Wèiyuán Xiàn | 340,000 | 2,065 | 165 |
| 7 | Longxi County Longxi County -Administration:Longxi has 9 towns and 8 Townships. The county seat is Gongchang.Towns:*Gongchang *Wenfeng *Shouyang *Caizi *Fuxing *Tong'anyi *Yuntian *Biyan *Mahe Townships:*Weiyang *Hongwei... |
陇西县 | Lǒngxī Xiàn | 490,000 | 2,408 | 203 |
Economy
Agriculture and natural resource based industries are the key to Dingxi's economy. There are more than 300 different kinds of Chinese medicinal plants and herbs found in the area. Dingxi's Anding County is China's number one grower of yams. ZanthoxylumZanthoxylum
Zanthoxylum is a genus of about 250 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs in the citrus or rue family, Rutaceae, native to warm temperate and subtropical areas worldwide. Common names include Prickly-ash and Hercules' Club.The fruit of several species are used to make the spice...
(also called Sichuan Pepper
Sichuan Pepper
Sichuan pepper is the outer pod of the tiny fruit of a number of species in the genus Zanthoxylum , widely grown and consumed in Asia as a spice. Despite the name, it is not related to black pepper or to chili peppers...
or prickly ash fruit), walnuts, wild apricots, and other fruit are some of Dingxi's famous dried exports.