Shuozhou
Encyclopedia
Shuozhou is a city in the north of Shanxi
Province in North China
, located on the upper reaches of the Fen River
. As of 2004, its population is approximately 1.25 million, and the city has an area of approximately 5,737 square kilometres. Administratively, Shuozhou is a prefecture-level city
, with its city seat in Shuocheng District
. The Dayun Expressway
(Datong
—Yuncheng) passes through it, and it has 5 specialized train lines.
and other ores such as iron
, bauxite
, mica
, manganese
, and graphite
. Other economic sectors include agriculture
, chemical industry
, ceramic
s, and fishing
.
On March 19, 2005, a mine explosion occurred at the Xishui coal mine, rocking nearby Kangjiayao coal mine, and killing at least 65 miners. It is reported that the mine had resumed operation illegally after having been ordered to suspend work because of safety problems.Reckless mining has sent millions of tons of coal dust into the air, contaminating both ground and underground water, and transforming natural eco-systems.
Destroyed Mountain@党家庙,
Polluted water
, built in 1056 during the Liao Dynasty, is one of the main sites of the region. It was built entirely of wood, without using nails, and serves as a museum of calligraphy
. There are also some paleolithic
ruins, and ancient gravesites from the Yi people
.
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
Province in North China
North China
thumb|250px|Northern [[People's Republic of China]] region.Northern China or North China is a geographical region of China. The heartland of North China is the North China Plain....
, located on the upper reaches of the Fen River
Fen River
The Fen River drains the center of Shanxi Province, China. It rises in the Guancen Mountains of Ningwu County in northeast Shanxi, flows southeast into the basin of Taiyuan, and then south through the central valley of Shanxi before turning west to join the Yellow River west of Hejin. The Fen and...
. As of 2004, its population is approximately 1.25 million, and the city has an area of approximately 5,737 square kilometres. Administratively, Shuozhou is a prefecture-level city
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...
, with its city seat in Shuocheng District
Shuocheng District
Shuocheng District is a district of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Shuozhou city.-References:*...
. The Dayun Expressway
Dayun Expressway
Dayun Expressway is the largest expressway structure in China's Shanxi province.It enters Shanxi as the Xuanda Expressway until approaching Datong , becoming the Dayun Expressway afterwards. It ultimately ends at Rongcheng .The expressway passes through Datong, Shuozhou, Taiyuan, Lüliang,...
(Datong
Datong
Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province of North China, located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of...
—Yuncheng) passes through it, and it has 5 specialized train lines.
Administrative divisions
| Map | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2003 est.) | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
| 1 | Shuocheng District Shuocheng District Shuocheng District is a district of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Shuozhou city.-References:*... |
朔城区 | Shuòchéng Qū | 380,000 | 1,793 | 212 |
| 2 | Pinglu District Pinglu District Pinglu District is a district of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Shuozhou city.-References:*... |
平鲁区 | Pínglǔ Qū | 190,000 | 2,314 | 82 |
| 3 | Shanyin County Shanyin County Shanyin County is a district of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Shuozhou city.-References:*... |
山阴县 | Shānyīn Xiàn | 220,000 | 1,652 | 133 |
| 4 | Ying County Ying County Ying County is a district of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Shuozhou city.-References:*... |
应县 | Yìng Xiàn | 270,000 | 1,708 | 158 |
| 5 | Youyu County Youyu County Youyu County is a district of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Shuozhou city.-Climate:-References:* *... |
右玉县 | Yòuyù Xiàn | 100,000 | 1,965 | 51 |
| 6 | Huairen County Huairen County Huairen County is a district of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Shuozhou city.-References:*... |
怀仁县 | Huáirén Xiàn | 250,000 | 1,230 | 203 |
Economy
It is a centre of industry, and its notable industries are primarily mining of coalCoal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
and other ores such as iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, bauxite
Bauxite
Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2...
, mica
Mica
The mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage. All are monoclinic, with a tendency towards pseudohexagonal crystals, and are similar in chemical composition...
, manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
, and graphite
Graphite
The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
. Other economic sectors include agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, chemical industry
Chemical industry
The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, it converts raw materials into more than 70,000 different products.-Products:...
, ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
s, and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
.
On March 19, 2005, a mine explosion occurred at the Xishui coal mine, rocking nearby Kangjiayao coal mine, and killing at least 65 miners. It is reported that the mine had resumed operation illegally after having been ordered to suspend work because of safety problems.Reckless mining has sent millions of tons of coal dust into the air, contaminating both ground and underground water, and transforming natural eco-systems.
Destroyed Mountain@党家庙,
Polluted water
Tourism
Western tourists rarely come to this area of China, but there are some attractions. The Yingxian TowerPagoda of Fogong Temple
The Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple of Ying County, Shanxi province, China, is a wooden Chinese pagoda built in 1056, during the Khitan-led Liao Dynasty. The pagoda was built by Emperor Daozong of Liao at the site of his grandmother's family home...
, built in 1056 during the Liao Dynasty, is one of the main sites of the region. It was built entirely of wood, without using nails, and serves as a museum of calligraphy
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
. There are also some paleolithic
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
ruins, and ancient gravesites from the Yi people
Yi people
The Yi or Lolo people are an ethnic group in China, Vietnam, and Thailand. Numbering 8 million, they are the seventh largest of the 55 ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China...
.