Tianshui
Encyclopedia
Tianshui is the second largest city in Gansu
province in northwest China
. Its population is approximately 3,500,000.
Tianshui lies along the route of the ancient Northern Silk Road
at the Wei River
, through which much of trade occurred between China and the west. Nearby are the Maijishan Grottoes
filled with thousands of Buddhist sculptures, represented by figures as Sakyamuni and Avalokitesvara, produced in as early as the Wei Dynasty and as late as the Song Dynasty by Buddhist monks who first came here via the North Silk Road and, later on, by local Buddhists, for worship purposes.
The Qin state
, later to become the founding dynasty
of the Chinese empire
, grew out from this area, and the Qin
name itself is believed to have originated, in part, from there Qin tombs have been excavated from Fangmatan near Tianshui, including one 2200 year old map of Guixian County.
Tianshui is a diocese
of the Roman Catholic church
, currently vacant.
-influenced, four-season, cool semi-arid climate (Koppen
BSk), with seasons of comparatively equal length. Winters are cold but dry, with an average January temperature of −2.0 °C, while summers are warm and somewhat humid, with an average July temperature of 22.8 °C (73 °F). Much of the annual rainfall occurs from June to September, and the annual mean temperature is 11 °C (51.8 °F).
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 in northwest 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...
. Its population is approximately 3,500,000.
Tianshui lies along the route of the ancient Northern Silk Road
Northern Silk Road
The Northern Silk Road is a prehistoric trackway in northern China originating in the early capital of Xi'an and extending north of the Taklamakan Desert to reach the ancient kingdoms of Parthia, Bactria and eventually Persia and Rome. It is the northern-most branch of several Silk Roads providing...
at 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....
, through which much of trade occurred between China and the west. Nearby are the Maijishan Grottoes
Maijishan Grottoes
The Maijishan Grottoes are a series of 194 caves cut in the side of the hill of Majishan in Tianshui, Gansu Province, northwest China. This example of rock cut architecture contains over 7,200 Buddhist sculptures and over 1,000 square meters of murals...
filled with thousands of Buddhist sculptures, represented by figures as Sakyamuni and Avalokitesvara, produced in as early as the Wei Dynasty and as late as the Song Dynasty by Buddhist monks who first came here via the North Silk Road and, later on, by local Buddhists, for worship purposes.
The Qin state
Qin (state)
The State of Qin was a Chinese feudal state that existed during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods of Chinese history...
, later to become the founding dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
of the Chinese empire
Early Imperial China
Early Imperial China begins in the Iron Age with the unification of China by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC. It ended five centuries of feudal warfare, similar to that of Western Europe, that plagued the Eastern Zhou dynasty. The short-lived Qin introduced centralized government under the absolute...
, grew out from this area, and the Qin
Qin
-Chinese dynasties and states:*Qin , a state of China during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty*Qin Dynasty , which followed Qin's unification of China in 221 BC and ended in 206 BC*Da Qin , Roman Empire, 202 BC to AD 220...
name itself is believed to have originated, in part, from there Qin tombs have been excavated from Fangmatan near Tianshui, including one 2200 year old map of Guixian County.
Tianshui is a diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the Roman Catholic church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, currently vacant.
Subdivisions
| Map | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2004 est.) |
Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
| 1 | Qinzhou District Qinzhou District Qinzhou 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 Tianshui prefecture, with the city of the same name being the prefecture seat.... |
秦州区 | Qínzhōu Qū | 650,000 | 2,442 | 266 |
| 2 | Maiji District Maiji District The Maiji District is a district of the prefecture-level city of Tianshui in Gansu Province, China.-See also:* List of administrative divisions of Gansu... |
麦积区 | Màijī Qū | 580,000 | 3,452 | 188 |
| 3 | Qingshui County Qingshui County Qingshui 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 Tianshui prefecture, with the city of the same name being the county seat. Its postal code is 741400, and in 1999 its population was 299,718 people.... |
清水县 | Qīngshuǐ Xiàn | 310,000 | 2,003 | 155 |
| 4 | Qin'an County Qin'an County Qin'an County is an administrative district in Gansu, the People's Republic of China. It is one of 58 counties in Gansu, and administratively under Tianshui prefecture, with the city of the same name being the prefecture seat. Its postal code is 741600, and in 1999 its population was 567,553 people... |
秦安县 | Qín'ān Xiàn | 600,000 | 1,601 | 375 |
| 5 | Gangu County Gangu County Gangu 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 Tianshui prefecture, with the city of the same name being the prefecture seat. Its postal code is 741200, and in 1999 its population was 570,318 people.... |
甘谷县 | Gāngǔ Xiàn | 600,000 | 1,572 | 382 |
| 6 | Wushan County Wushan County Wushan County |county]] located in Chongqing municipality. It occupies roughly and has a population of about 600,000.The county seat is located at the western entrance to the Wu Gorge in the Three Gorges region of China... |
武山县 | Wǔshān Xiàn | 440,000 | 2,011 | 219 |
| 7 | Zhangjiachuan Hui Autonomous County | 张家川回族自治县 | Zhāngjiāchuān Huízú Zìzhìxiàn |
320,000 | 1,311 | 244 |
Geography
Tianshui has a monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
-influenced, four-season, cool semi-arid climate (Koppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk), with seasons of comparatively equal length. Winters are cold but dry, with an average January temperature of −2.0 °C, while summers are warm and somewhat humid, with an average July temperature of 22.8 °C (73 °F). Much of the annual rainfall occurs from June to September, and the annual mean temperature is 11 °C (51.8 °F).