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Guizhou

Guizhou is an inland province in Southwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to the south, Yunnan to the west, Sichuan to the northwest, the municipality of Chongqing to the north, and Hunan to the east. The Guizhou Province has a Humid subtropical climate. It covers a total area of 176,200 square kilometers and consists of 6 prefecture-level cities and 3 autonomous prefectures. The population of Guizhou stands at 38.5 million, ranking 18th among the provinces in China.

The Dian Kingdom, which inhabited the present-day area of Guizhou, was annexed by the Han dynasty in 106 BC. Guizhou was formally made a province in 1413 during the Ming dynasty. After the overthrow of the Qing in 1911 and following the Chinese Civil War, the Chinese Communist Party took refuge in Guizhou during the Long March between 1934 and 1935. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong promoted the relocation of heavy industry into inland provinces such as Guizhou, to better protect them from potential foreign attacks.

Located in the hinterland of the southwestern inland region, Guizhou is a transportation hub in the southwest area and an important part of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. It is the country's first national-level comprehensive pilot zone for big data, a world-renowned mountain tourism destination and a major mountain tourism province, a national ecological civilization pilot zone, and an inland open economic pilot zone.

The representative historical culture is "Qian Gui culture"(黔贵文化). In addition, Guizhou is also one of the birthplaces of ancient Chinese humans and ancient Chinese culture, with humans living and multiplying on this land about half a million to six hundred thousand years ago.

Guizhou is rich in natural, cultural and environmental resources. Its natural industry includes timber and forestry, and the energy and mining industries constitute an important part of its economy. Notwithstanding, Guizhou is considered a relatively undeveloped province, with the fourth-lowest GDP per capita in China as of 2020. However, it is also one of China's fastest-growing economies. The Chinese government is looking to develop Guizhou as a data hub.

Guizhou is a mountainous province, with its higher altitudes in the west and centre. It lies at the eastern end of the Yungui Plateau. Demographically, it is one of China's most diverse provinces. Minority groups account for more than 37% of the population, including sizable populations of the Miao, Bouyei, Dong, Tujia and Yi peoples, all of whom speak languages distinct from Chinese. The main language spoken in Guizhou is Southwestern Mandarin, a variety of Mandarin.

Name
The area was first organized as an administrative region of a Chinese empire under the Tang, when it was named Juzhou, pronounced Kjú-jyuw in the Middle Chinese of the period. During the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty, the character (ju, "carpenter's square") was changed to the more refined  (gui, "precious or expensive"). The region formally became a province in 1413, with an eponymous capital then also called "Guizhou" but now known as Guiyang.

History
Evidence of settlement by humans during the Middle Palaeolithic is indicated by stone artefacts, including Levallois pieces, found during archaeological excavations at Guanyindong Cave. These artefacts have been dated to approximately 170,000–80,000 years ago using optically stimulated luminescence methods.

From around 1046 BC to the emergence of the State of Qin, northwest Guizhou was part of the State of Shu. During the Warring States period, the Chinese state of Chu conquered the area, and control later passed to the Dian Kingdom. During the Chinese Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), to which the Dian was tributary, Guizhou was home to the Yelang collection of tribes, which largely governed themselves before the Han consolidated control in the southwest and established the Lingnan province. During the Three Kingdoms period, parts of Guizhou were governed by the Shu Han state based in Sichuan, followed by Cao Wei (220–266) and the Jin dynasty (266–420).

During the 8th and 9th centuries in the Tang dynasty, Chinese soldiers moved into Guizhou (Kweichow) and married native women. Their descendants are known as Lǎohànrén (老汉人), in contrast to new Chinese who populated Guizhou at later times. They still speak an archaic dialect. Many immigrants to Guizhou were descended from these soldiers in garrisons who married these pre-Chinese women.

Kublai Khan and Möngke Khan conquered the Chinese southwest in the process of defeating the Song during the Mongol invasion of China, and the newly established Yuan dynasty (1279–1368) saw the importation of Chinese Muslim administrators and settlers from Bukhara in Central Asia.

It was during the following Ming dynasty, which was once again led by Han Chinese, that Guizhou was formally made a province in 1413. The Ming established many garrisons in Guizhou from which to pacify the Yao and Miao minorities during the Miao Rebellions. Chinese-style agriculture flourished with the expertise of farmers from Sichuan, Hunan and its surrounding provinces into Guizhou. Wu Sangui was responsible for the ousting the Ming in Guizhou and Yunnan during the Manchu conquest of China. During the governorship-general of the Qing dynasty's nobleman Ortai, the tusi system of indirect governance of the southwest was abolished, prompting rebellions from disenfranchised chieftains and the further centralization of government. After the Second Opium War, criminal triads set up shop in Guangxi and Guizhou to sell British opium. For a time, Taiping Rebels took control of Guizhou, but they were ultimately suppressed by the Qing. Concurrently, Han Chinese soldiers moved into the Taijiang region of Guizhou, married Miao women, and their children were brought up as Miao.

More unsuccessful Miao rebellions occurred during the Qing, in 1735, from 1795–1806 and from 1854–1873. After the overthrow of the Qing in 1911 and following Chinese Civil War, the Communists took refuge in Guizhou during the Long March (1934–1935). While the province was formally ruled by the warlord Wang Jialie, the Zunyi Conference in Guizhou established Mao Zedong as the leader of the Communist Party. As the Second Sino-Japanese War pushed China's Nationalist Government to its southwest base of Chongqing, transportation infrastructure improved as Guizhou was linked with the Burma Road. After the end of the War, a 1949 Revolution swept Mao into power, who promoted the relocation of heavy industry into inland provinces such as Guizhou, to better protect them from Soviet and American attacks. The 1957 influenza pandemic started in Guizhou and killed a million people around the world. After the Chinese economic reform began in 1978, geographical factors led Guizhou to become the poorest province in China, with a GDP growth average of 9 percent from 1978 to 1993.

District Planning
Regional history

In the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937), Guizhou established 6 administrative supervision areas, each in charge of several counties. In the 30th year (1941), Guiyang City was established. By the 37th year (1948), Guizhou had 1 direct jurisdiction area, 6 administrative supervision areas, and 78 counties (cities) under its administration.

On November 15, 1949, the Second Field Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army liberated Guiyang; on December 26, the People's Government of Guizhou Province was established. In the early period after liberation, the province had 1 directly managed city, 8 special areas, and 1 special area city, totaling 79 counties.

In April 1956, the Guiyang, Zhenyuan, and Duyun special areas were abolished, and the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture and the Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture were established, with their administrative centers in Kaili (the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture was established in Zhenyuan on July 23 of the same year and later moved to Kaili in 1958). In 1956, two villages from Qijiang County(綦江县), Sichuan Province, were transferred to Xishui County(习水县), Guizhou Province.

In 1960, the Langdai County(朗岱县) in Anshun Special Area was abolished and Liuzhi City was established, which was later changed back to Liuzhi County.

In 1965, the city status of Duyun was restored, serving as the capital of the Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture.

In 1966, on the basis of Liuzhi County(六枝县) in the former Anshun Special Area, Shuicheng County(水城县) in the Bijie Special Area,and Pan County in the Xingyi Special Area, Liuzhi Industrial and Mining Area, Shuicheng Industrial and Mining Area, and Pan County Industrial and Mining Area were established.

In 1970, the Wanshan Special District was established, under the jurisdiction of Tongren Special Area. The Liuzhi, Pan County, and Shuicheng industrial and mining areas and their original counties were merged into Liuzhi Special District, Pan County Special District, and Shuicheng Special Distric

In December 1978, the Liupanshui Special Area was abolished and the prefecture-level city of Liupanshui was established, governing three special districts, with the municipal government located in Shuicheng Special District, becoming the second prefecture-level city in Guizhou Province.

In September 1981, the Xingyi Special Area was abolished and the Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture was established, with its administrative center in Xingyi.

In 1983, Kaili County in the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture was abolished and the county-level Kaili City was established, serving as the capital of the autonomous prefecture.

In 1987, the Shuicheng Special District in Liupanshui City was abolished and Shuicheng County and Zhongshan District were established, with the Liupanshui municipal government moving to Zhongshan District; on August 21, Tongren County was abolished and Tongren City was established; on November 6, with the approval of the State Council, Xingyi County was abolished and Xingyi City was established.

In 1990, Chishui County in the Zunyi Special Area was abolished and the county-level Chishui City was established. Anshun City and Anshun County were merged to serve as the administrative center of Anshun Special Area.

In 1992, the Pan County Special District in Liupanshui City was abolished and Pan County was established. Qingzhen County in the Anshun Special Area was abolished and the county-level Qingzhen City was established, still under the jurisdiction of Anshun Special Area.

In 1994, Renhuai County in the Zunyi Special Area was abolished and the county-level Renhuai City was established. Bijie County in the Bijie Special Area was abolished and the county-level Bijie City was established, serving as the administrative center of Bijie Special Area.

In 1996, Qingzhen City, Xiuwen County, Kaiyang County, and Xifeng County, originally belonging to the Anshun Special Area, were transferred to the jurisdiction of Guiyang City.

In 1997, the Zunyi Special Area was abolished and the prefecture-level city of Zunyi was established, with the original county-level Zunyi City being changed to Honghuagang District. In 2000, the Anshun Special Area was abolished and the prefecture-level city of Anshun was established, with the original county-level Anshun City being changed to Xixiu District.

In 2003, parts of the Honghuagang District in Zunyi City were divided to establish the Huichuan District of Zunyi City.

In 2011, the Tongren Special Area was abolished and the prefecture-level city of Tongren was established, with the original county-level Tongren City being changed to Bijiang District, and the original Wanshan Special District being changed to Wanshan District. Tongren City governs 2 districts and 8 counties. In the same year, the Bijie Special Area was abolished and the prefecture-level city of Bijie was established. The original county-level Bijie City was changed to Qixingguan District.

In 2013, a pilot model of provincial direct management of counties was implemented, with the county-level Renhuai City, originally belonging to Zunyi City, and Weining County, originally belonging to Bijie City, being designated as pilot counties for provincial direct management.

On January 6, 2014, the State Council agreed to establish the Guizhou Gui'an New District. In the same year, Pingba County in Anshun City was abolished and Pingba District of Anshun City was established.

In 2016, Zunyi County in Zunyi City was abolished and the district-level Bozhou District was established.

In April 2017, the Ministry of Civil Affairs agreed to abolish Pan County in Liupanshui City and establish the county-level Panzhou City, managed by Liupanshui City.

In August 2018, with the approval of the State Council, Xingren County in the Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture was abolished and the county-level Xingren City was established.

In July 2020, Shuicheng County in Liupanshui City was abolished and the district-level Shuicheng District was established.

In March 2021, with the approval of the State Council, the Ministry of Civil Affairs agreed to abolish Qianxi County and establish the county-level Qianxi City.

Topography and landforms
Guizhou Province is located on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, between longitudes 103°36′ to 109°35′ east and latitudes 24°37′ to 29°13′ north. The average altitude is around 1100 meters. It borders Hunan to the east, Guangxi to the south, Yunnan to the west, and Sichuan and Chongqing to the north. It stretches approximately 595 kilometers from east to west and about 509 kilometers from north to south. The total area of Guizhou Province is 176,167 square kilometers, accounting for 1.8% of the total area of China. The easternmost point is in Di Lake Township, Tianzhu County, Qiandongnan Prefecture. The westernmost point is in Yulong Township(玉龙乡), Weining County, Bijie City. The southernmost point is in Luowan Township(洛万乡), Xingyi City, Qianxinan Prefecture. The northernmost point is in Yangxi Town(阳溪镇), Daozhen County, Zunyi City.

Guizhou is a mountainous province, although its higher altitudes are in the west and centre. It lies at the eastern end of the Yungui Plateau. At 2900 m above sea level, Jiucaiping is Guizhou's highest point.

Guizhou Plateau is predominantly mountainous, and its topography can be generally divided into three basic types: plateau mountains, hills, and basins(盆地), with 92.5% of the area being mountains and hills. There are numerous mountain ranges within the province, with overlapping ridges and peaks stretching across the landscape. In the north, there is the Dalou Mountain, which runs diagonally from the west to the northeast, with the important pass Loushan Pass at an altitude of 1444 meters; in the central and southern part, Miaoling Mountain(苗岭) Range stretches across, with its main peak, Leigong Mountain(雷公山), at 2178 meters; in the northeastern part, there is the Wuling Mountain Range, which winds into Guizhou from Hunan, with its main peak, Fanjing Mountain, at 2572 meters; in the west, there is the towering Wumeng Mountain(乌蒙山), with the highest point in Guizhou being Jiucaiping(韭菜坪) in Zhushi Township(珠市乡), Hezhang County, at an altitude of 2900.6 meters.

Climate
Guizhou has a humid subtropical climate. There are few seasonal changes. Its annual average temperature is roughly 10 to 20°C, with January temperatures ranging from 1 to 10°C and July temperatures ranging from 17 to 28°C. with annual rainfall ranging from 1000 to 1400 millimeters; the frost-free period lasts between 250 to 300 days. There is no severe cold in winter and no extreme heat in summer, with the coldest month of January averaging 4-6 degrees Celsius, and the hottest month of July averaging 15-23 degrees Celsius. The unique climatic characteristics make Guizhou an ideal place for leisure travel and summer retreats. Precipitation is abundant, with a distinct rainy season, many cloudy days, and less sunshine, with the number of cloudy days generally exceeding 150 days throughout the year, and the annual relative humidity above 70%. Influenced by atmospheric circulation and terrain, Guizhou's climate is diverse, with the saying. Additionally, the climate is unstable, with a variety of disastrous weather conditions such as droughts, autumn winds, freezing, and hail, which can have a significant impact on agricultural production.

Like in China's other southwest provinces, rural areas of Guizhou suffered severe drought during spring 2010. Beginning on 3 April 2010, China's premier Wen Jiabao went on a three-day inspection tour in the southwest drought-affected province of Guizhou, where he met villagers and called on agricultural scientists to develop drought-resistant technologies for the area.

Because of its lesser development compared to many other provinces in China, Guizhou's environment is well-preserved. As of at least 2023, its environment and favorable climate have been assets in attracting the new, increasingly digital, economy.

Hydrology
Guizhou Province's rivers are located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and Pearl River basins, with 69 counties falling within the scope of the Yangtze River protective forest conservation area, making it an important ecological barrier for the upper reaches of both the Yangtze and Pearl Rivers. The water system of the province flows from the west and center towards the north, east, and south according to the terrain. Miao Ridge serves as the watershed between the Yangtze and Pearl River basins; to the north lies the Yangtze River basin, covering an area of 115,747 square kilometers, accounting for 65.7% of the province's total land area, with major rivers including: Wu River, Chishui River, Qingshuijiang, Hongzhou River(洪州河), Wuyang River, Jinjiang, Songtao River(松桃河)， Songkan River(松坎河), Niulan River(牛栏江), Hengjiang(横江), etc.; to the south of Miao Ridge lies the Pearl River basin, covering an area of 60,420 square kilometers, accounting for 34.3% of the province's total land area, with major rivers including: Nanpan River, Beipan River, Hongshui River, Duliu River, Dagou River(打狗河), etc. Guizhou has a large number of rivers with continuous flow, and there are 984 rivers with a length of more than 10 kilometers.

Water resources
Guizhou Province has a large number of rivers, with 984 rivers that are over 10 kilometers long. In 2002, the runoff volume of Guizhou's rivers reached 114.52 billion cubic meters. The mountainous characteristics of Guizhou's rivers are evident, with most rivers having broad valleys and gentle water flow in the upper reaches, with small water volume; the middle reaches have alternating tight and open valleys with rapid water flow; the lower reaches have deep and narrow valleys, with large water volume and abundant hydropower resources. The potential of hydropower resources is 18.745 million kilowatts, ranking sixth in China, of which 16.833 million kilowatts are exploitable, accounting for 4.4% of China's total, with many concentrated river sections with large water level drops, and favorable development conditions.

Land resources
Guizhou Province's land resources are predominantly mountainous and hilly, with relatively few plains. The mountainous area is 108,740 square kilometers, accounting for 61.7% of the total land area of Guizhou Province. The hilly area is 54,197 square kilometers, accounting for 31.1% of the total land area of Guizhou Province. The area of mountainous flatlands is 13,230 square kilometers, only accounting for 7.5% of the total land area of Guizhou Province. There is a limited amount of land resources available for agricultural development. Due to the increasing population and the growth of non-agricultural land use, the area of arable land is continuously decreasing. By the end of 2002, the actual area of arable land in Guizhou Province was 1.7694 million hectares, a reduction of 62,900 hectares compared to 2001. The per capita area of arable land is less than 0.05 hectares, which is significantly lower than the national average of China. The proportion of arable land with thick soil layers, high fertility, and good water conditions is low.

Biological resources
The border mountains of Guizhou, Guangxi, and Hunan have been identified as one of the eight plant diversity hotspots in China. Guizhou Province is home to 9,982 species of vascular plants (including subspecies and varieties, the same below)， The main ecosystem types include evergreen broad-leaved forest, coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest, and montane elfin forest. more than 700 of which are edible, and over 2,000 that are used for greening, beautification, and for pollution resistance and environmental improvement. Plant species endemic to this region include Abies ziyuanensis, Cathaya argyrophylla, and Keteleeria pubescens，Davidia involucrata, Guizhou Cycas. The province is also rich in wildlife resources, with 1,053 species of vertebrates, including 141 mammals, 509 birds, 104 reptiles, 74 amphibians, and 225 fish species. In broad terms, the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau is one of the vertebrate diversity hotspots of China. At the level of counties, Xingyi is one of nine Chinese vertebrate (excluding birds) diversity hotspots. Animals only known from Guizhou include Leishan moustache toad, Kuankuoshui salamander, Shuicheng salamander, Guizhou salamander, and Zhijin warty newt.

Caohai Lake with its surroundings is a wetland that is an important overwintering site for many birds. It is a National Nature Reserve and an Important Bird Area identified by BirdLife International. Guizhou is one of the four major medicinal material-producing areas in China. The province boasts 4,419 species of medicinal plants and 301 medicinal animals. It is famous for its 50 "authentic medicinal materials" known both domestically and internationally. Over 350 types of Chinese medicinal resources have been developed and utilized, with Gastrodia elata, Eucommia ulmoides, Coptis chinensis, Evodia rutaecarpa, and Dendrobium being the five famous medicinal materials of Guizhou.

Mineral resources
Guizhou Province is rich in mineral resources and is a major province for mineral resources. More than 110 types of minerals have been discovered, among which 76 types have identified reserves. Several have proven reserves that rank at the forefront nationwide. Those ranking first include mercury, barite, fertilizer sandstone, metallurgical sandstone, decorative diabase, and brick and tile sandstone, etc. Those ranking second include phosphorus, bauxite, rare earths, etc.; those ranking third include magnesium, manganese, gallium, etc. In addition, coal, antimony, gold, pyrite, and other minerals hold significant positions in China. Coal reserves are substantial, with a complete range of coal types and excellent coal quality, with proven reserves at the end of 2002 being 49.227 billion tons; bauxite proven reserves are 424 million tons; phosphate rock reserves are 2.695 billion tons, accounting for over 40% of the national total; barite reserves account for one-third of the country's total; gold reserves rank twelfth in the nation, making it an emerging base for gold production in China.

Scientific research
Major scientific research facilities in Guizhou include:

 * The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), the world's largest radio telescope
 * The Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Administrative divisions
Guizhou is divided into nine prefecture-level divisions: six prefecture-level cities and three autonomous prefectures:

These nine prefecture-level divisions are in turn subdivided into 88 county-level divisions (14 districts, 7 county-level cities, 55 counties, and 11 autonomous counties and one special district).

Economy
As of the mid-19th century, Guizhou exported mercury, gold, iron, lead, tobacco, incense and drugs.

Its natural industry includes timber and forestry. Guizhou is also the third largest producer of tobacco in China, and home to the well-known brand Guizhou Tobacco. Other important industries in the province include energy (electricity generation) - a large portion of which is exported to Guangdong and other provinces - and mining, especially in coal, limestone, arsenic, gypsum, and oil shale. Guizhou's total output of coal was 118 million tons in 2008, a 7% growth from the previous year. Guizhou's export of power to Guangdong equaled 12% of Guangdong's total power consumption. Over the next 5 years Guizhou hopes to increase this by as much as 50%.

Historically, Guizhou was a poorer province with lagging development. The digital economy has grown significantly since 2015 and as of at least 2023 continues to develop Guizhou's growing reputation as a center for big data in China.

Transportation

In 2017, Sun Zhigang, the governor of Guizhou, announced plans to build 10000 km of highways, 600 km of inland waterways, 4000 km of high-speed rail lines, and 17 airports in three years, in an effort to boost tourism in the province. Guizhou has continued to develop transportation infrastructure (as well as other infrastructure such as electric, water, and broadband infrastructure) to support the growing big data-related sections of the economy.

Rail
Guizhou's rail network consists primarily of a cross formed by the Sichuan–Guizhou, Guangxi–Guizhou and Shanghai–Kunming railways, which intersect at the provincial capital, Guiyang, near the center of the province. The Liupanshui–Baiguo, Pan County West and Weishe–Hongguo railways form a rail corridor along Guizhou's western border with Yunnan. This corridor connects the Neijiang–Kunming railway, which dips into northwestern Guizhou at Weining, with the Nanning–Kunming railway, which skirts the southwestern corner of Guizhou at Xingyi.

As of 2018, Shanghai–Kunming and Guiyang–Guangzhou high-speed railways are operational. Chengdu–Guiyang high-speed railway is under construction.

Demographics
In 1832, the population was estimated at five million.

Guizhou is demographically one of China's most diverse provinces. Minority groups account for more than 37% of the population and they include Miao (including Gha-Mu and A-Hmao), Yao, Yi, Qiang, Dong, Zhuang, Bouyei, Bai, Tujia, Gelao and Sui. 55.5% of the province area is designated as autonomous regions for ethnic minorities. Guizhou is the province with the highest fertility rate in China, standing at 2.19 (urban: 1.31; rural: 2.42).

Religion
The predominant religions in Guizhou are Chinese folk religions, Taoist traditions and Chinese Buddhism. According to surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009, 31.18% of the population believes and is involved in ancestor veneration, while 0.99% of the population identifies as Christian, decreasing from 1.13% in 2004.

The reports did not give figures for other types of religion; 67.83% of the population may be either irreligious or involved in worship of nature deities, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, folk religious sects, and small minorities of Muslims. There are significant ethnic minority populations (the Miao and the Buyei) who traditionally follow their autochthonous religions.

Cuisine
Guizhou is the home of the well-known Chinese liquor Moutai, as well as Lao Gan Ma.

Tourism
The province has many covered bridges, called Wind and Rain Bridges. These were built by the Dong people.

The southeastern corner of the province is known for its unique Dong minority culture. Towns such as Rongjiang, Liping, Diping and Zhaoxing are scattered amongst the hills along the border with Guangxi.

Three recommended forms
The World Bank's "Strategic Environmental Assessment Study: Tourism Development in the Province of Guizhou, China" (May 25, 2007) points to three different forms of tourism that should be fostered and developed in Guizhou: Nature-based, heritage-based and rural. Heritage-based tourism provides ethnic minority groups with an opportunity to preserve their unique heritage while still making a living.

Colleges and universities

 * Guizhou University (Guiyang)
 * Guizhou Normal University (Guiyang)
 * Guiyang Medical University (Guiyang)
 * Guizhou Nationalities University (Guiyang)
 * Guizhou Institute of Technology (Guiyang)
 * Zunyi Medical College (Zunyi)
 * Moutai University (Zunyi)
 * Tongren University（Tongren）
 * Kaili University(Kaili)

Media

 * Guizhou Daily

Notable people

 * Shi Jinmo (1881–1969), founder of medical colleges
 * Sun Yafang (1955-), engineer, business executive and former Chairwoman of Huawei from 1999 to 2018
 * Chuan He (1972-), biologist
 * Huang Xiaoyun (1998-), singer and actress
 * Zhou Shen (1992-), singer

title: Guizhou


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Heilongjiang

Heilongjiang is a province in northeast China. It is the northernmost and easternmost province of the country and contains China's northernmost point (in Mohe City along the Amur) and easternmost point (at the junction of the Amur and Ussuri rivers).

The province is bordered by Jilin to the south and Inner Mongolia to the west. It also shares a border with Russia (Amur Oblast, Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Khabarovsk Krai, Primorsky Krai and Zabaykalsky Krai) to the north and east. The capital and the largest city of the province is Harbin. Among Chinese provincial-level administrative divisions, Heilongjiang is the sixth-largest by total area, the 15th-most populous, and the second-poorest by GDP per capita after only Gansu province.

The province takes its name from the Amur River which marks the border between the People's Republic of China and Russia.

Heilongjiang has significant agricultural production, and raw materials, such as timber, oil and coal.

Etymology
The province takes its name from the Amur River, whose name in Mandarin is Heilongjiang ("black dragon river").

History

Ancient Chinese records and other sources state that Heilongjiang was inhabited by people such as the Sushen, Buyeo, the Mohe, and the Khitan. Mongolic Donghu people lived in Inner Mongolia and the western part of Heilongjiang. Some names are Manchu or Mongolian. The eastern portion of Heilongjiang was ruled by the Bohai Kingdom between the 7th and 10th centuries, followed by the Khitan Liao dynasty. The Jurchen Jin dynasty (1115–1234) that subsequently ruled much of north China arose within the borders of modern Heilongjiang.

Heilongjiang as an administrative entity was created in 1683, during the Kangxi era of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, from the northwestern part of the Jilin province. This Heilongjiang Province only included the western part of today's Heilongjiang Province, and was under the supervision of the General of Heilongjiang (Sahaliyan Ula i Jiyanggiyūn) (the title is also translated as the Military Governor of Heilongjiang; jiyanggiyūn is the Manchu reading of the Chinese word 將軍 jiāngjūn; "military leader, general" and is cognate with Japanese shōgun), whose power extended, according to the Treaty of Nerchinsk, as far north as the Stanovoy Mountains. The eastern part of what's today Heilongjiang remained under the supervision of the General of Jilin (Girin i Jiyanggiyūn), whose power reached the Sea of Japan. These areas deep in Manchuria were closed off to Han Chinese migration.

The original seat of the Military Governor of Heilongjiang, as established in 1683, was in Heilongjiang City (also known as Aigun or Heihe, or, in Manchu, Saghalien Ula), located on the Amur River. However, already in 1690 the seat of the governor was transferred to Nenjiang (Mergen) on the Nen River, and, in 1699, further south to Qiqihar. According to modern historians, the moves may have been driven by supply considerations: Nenjiang and Qiqihar are connected by a convenient waterway (Nen River) with southern Manchuria, whereas accessing Aigun (Heihe) would require either sailing all the way down the Sungari River until its confluence with the Amur and then up the Amur to Heihe, or using a portage over the Lesser Xing'an Mountains between the Nen River valley and the Amur valley. An additional advantage of Qiqihar may have been its location at the junction of a northbound road (to Nenjiang) and a westbound one (to Mongolia), enabling its garrison to defend both against the Russians and the Ölöt Mongols.

Little Qing Military presence existed north of Aigun. According to the 18th- and early-20th-century European sources and the reports of the Russians in the 1850s, the farthest Qing "advance guard" post was at Ulusu-Modon (Ulussu-Mudan) ( Wūlǔsūmùdān), near the Amur River's famous S-shaped meander. (The post was on the left (north) bank of the river, lost to the Russians in 1860.)

In 1858 and 1860, the Qing government was forced to give up all land beyond the Amur and Ussuri Rivers to the Russian Empire, cutting off the Qing Empire from the Sea of Japan and giving Heilongjiang its present northern and eastern borders. At the same time, Manchuria was opened to Han Chinese migration by the Qing government. By the early twentieth century, due to the Chuang Guandong, the Han Chinese had become the dominant ethnic group in the region.

In 1931, Japanese forces invaded Heilongjiang. In 1932, the Japanese completed their conquest of the province, which became part of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo.

In 1945, Japanese forces in Manchuria were defeated by the Soviet Army. During the Chinese Civil War, Soviet forces aided the Chinese communists. Heilongjiang became the first province to be completely controlled by the communists and Harbin the first major city to be controlled by them.

At the beginning of communist rule, Heilongjiang included only the western portion of the present-day province, and had its capital at Qiqihar. The remaining area was the province of Songjiang; its capital was Harbin. In 1954, these two provinces were merged into present-day Heilongjiang. During the Cultural Revolution, Heilongjiang was also expanded to include Hulunbuir League and some other areas previously in Inner Mongolia; this has since mostly been reversed.

Geography
Heilongjiang is a land of varied topographies. Much of the province is dominated by mountain ranges such as the Greater Khingan Range and Lesser Khingan Range, Zhangguangcai Mountains, Laoye Mountains, and Wanda Mountains. The highest peak is Datudingzi Mountain at 1690 m, located on the border with Jilin province. The Greater Khingan Range contains China's largest remaining virgin forest and is an important area for China's forestry industry.

The east and southwest of the province, which are relatively flat and low in altitude, feature the Muling River, the Naoli River, the Songhua River, the Nen River, and the Mudan River, all tributaries of the Amur, while the northern border forms part of the Amur valley. Xingkai Lake (or Khanka Lake) is found on the border with Russia's Primorsky Krai.

Climate
A humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa or Dwb) predominates in the province, though areas in the far north are subarctic (Köppen Dwc). Winters are long and bitter, with an average of −31 to −15 °C in January, and summers are short and warm to very warm with an average of 18 to 23 °C in July. The annual average rainfall is 400 to 700 mm, concentrated heavily in summer. Clear weather is prevalent throughout the year, and in the spring, the Songnen Plain and the Sanjiang Plain provide abundant sources of wind energy.

The province's largest cities include Harbin, Qiqihar, Mudanjiang, Jiamusi, Daqing, Jixi, Shuangyashan, Hegang, Qitaihe, Yichun, and Heihe.

Roads
Heilongjiang boasts an extensive road network. As of October 2020, it has 165989 km of expressways, highways and other roads. The Beijing - Harbin Expressway is the most significant expressway corridor to the province, which begins at the Heilongjiang - Jilin border and ends within the Harbin Ring Expressway. The Harbin - Tongjiang Expressway runs northeast and it links far-flung counties within the jurisdiction of Harbin, Jiamusi and other major counties in Northeast Heilongjiang. Near the end of Harbin - Tongjiang Expressway, Jiansanjiang–Heixiazi Island Expressway branches off the main expressway at Jiansanjiang and connects many state-owned farms at the far east of the province before ending near the Sino-Russian border. The Suifenhe - Manzhouli Expressway is another major corridor, it runs southeast to northwest and connects some of the most significant population centers of the province, including Mudanjiang, Harbin, Daqing and Qiqihar, before ending at the Heilongjiang - Inner Mongolia border. The Hegang - Dalian Expressway runs between Hegang and the Heilongjiang - Jilin border in East Heilongjiang, is another major expressway that facilitates the transportation of lumber and coal.

Railways
There are 60 railway lines of around 5,300 km including a section of the Eurasian Land Bridge. The Harbin–Dalian high-speed railway, completed in 2012, stretches from Harbin, Heilongjiang's capital, to Dalian in Liaoning province via Changchun and Shenyang comprising 23 stops. It is expected to transport 37 million passengers per year by 2020 and 51 million by 2030.

Airports
Major airports include Harbin Taiping International Airport, Qiqihar Airport, Mudanjiang Airport, Jiamusi Airport and Heihe Airport. Harbin International Airport is capable of handling six million passengers every year and connects to over 70 domestic and international cities.

Tongjiang-Nizhneleninskoye railway bridge
The Tongjiang-Nizhneleninskoye railway bridge was proposed in 2007 by Valery Solomonovich Gurevich, the vice-chairman of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in Russia. The railway bridge over the Amur River will connect Tongjiang with Nizhneleninskoye, a village in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast.

The Chinese portion of the bridge was finished in July 2016. In December 2016, work began on the Russian portion of the bridge. Completion of structural link between the two sides of the bridge was completed in March 2019. Opening to rail traffic has been repeatedly delayed, with the December 2019 estimate being "the end of 2020", and then 3rd quarter of 2021.

Administrative divisions
Heilongjiang is divided into thirteen prefecture-level divisions: twelve prefecture-level cities (including a sub-provincial city) and one prefecture:

(Additional information regarding the last prefecture can be found at Greater Khingan.)

These 13 prefecture-level divisions are subdivided into 128 county-level divisions (65 districts, 20 county-level cities, 42 counties, and one autonomous county). Those are in turn divided into 1,284 township-level divisions (473 towns, 400 townships, 58 ethnic townships, and 353 subdistricts).

Politics

List of secretaries of the Chinese Communist Party Heilongjiang Committee:
 * 1) Zhang Qilong (张启龙; 1949–1950)
 * 2) Zhao Dezun (赵德尊; 1950–1953)
 * 3) Feng Jixin (冯纪新; 1953–1954)
 * 4) Ouyang Qin (欧阳钦; 1954–1965)
 * 5) Pan Fusheng (潘复生; 1965–1971)
 * 6) Wang Jiadao (汪家道; 1971–1974)
 * 7) Liu Guangtao (刘光涛; 1977)
 * 8) Yang Yichen (杨易辰; 1977–1983)
 * 9) Li Li'an (李力安; 1983–1985)
 * 10) Sun Weiben (孙维本; 1985–1994)
 * 11) Yue Qifeng (岳岐峰; 1994–1997)
 * 12) Xu Youfang (徐有芳; 1997–2003)
 * 13) Song Fatang (宋法棠; 2003–2005)
 * 14) Qian Yunlu (钱运录; 2005–2008)
 * 15) Ji Bingxuan (吉炳轩; 2008–2013)
 * 16) Wang Xiankui (王宪魁; March 2013 – April 2017)
 * 17) Zhang Qingwei (张庆伟; April 2017 – October 2021)
 * 18) Xu Qin (许勤; October 2021 - present)

List of governors:
 * 1) Yu Yifu (于毅夫; 1949–1952)
 * 2) Zhao Dezun (赵德尊; 1952–1953)
 * 3) Chen Lei (陈雷; 1953–1954)
 * 4) Han Guang (韩光; 1954–1956)
 * 5) Ouyang Qin (欧阳钦; 1956–1958)
 * 6) Li Fanwu (李范五; 1958–1966)
 * 7) Pan Fusheng (潘复生; 1967–1971)
 * 8) Wang Jiadao (汪家道; 1971–1974)
 * 9) Liu Guangtao (刘光涛; February 1977 – December 1977)
 * 10) Yang Yichen (杨易辰; December 1977 – 1979)
 * 11) Chen Lei (陈雷; 1979–1985)
 * 12) Hou Jie (侯捷; 1985–1989)
 * 13) Shao Qihui (邵奇惠; 1989–1994)
 * 14) Tian Fengshan (田凤山; 1994–2000)
 * 15) Song Fatang (宋法棠; 2000–2003)
 * 16) Zhang Zuoji (张左己; 2003 – December 2007)
 * 17) Li Zhanshu (栗战书; December 2007 – August 2010)
 * 18) Wang Xiankui (王宪魁; August 2010 – March 2013)
 * 19) Lu Hao (陆昊; March 2013 – March 2018)
 * 20) Wang Wentao (王文涛; March 2018 – December 2020)
 * 21) Hu Changsheng (胡昌升; February 2021 – December 2022)
 * 22) Liang Huiling (梁惠玲; December 2022 – present)

Economy
In 2022, Heilongjiang's GDP was 1.59 trillion RMB ($236 billion in GDP nominal), with a per capita GDP of CN¥51,906 (US$7,717 in nominal). Its primary, secondary, and tertiary industries contributed ¥360 billion (22.7%), ¥465 billion (29.2%), and ¥764 billion (48%) to GDP, respectively.

Heilongjiang's GDP has been rising steadily since 2003, growing 37% from 2003 to 2007. The value of the private economy reached RMB234 billion in 2006 and accounted for 37.6 percent of the GDP. In that year, the tax revenue from private enterprises hit RMB20.5 billion.

Private enterprises in Heilongjiang led the overall economic growth of the province. Many leading private enterprises have begun to emerge. The province's three major private enterprises, namely the Heilongjiang Sunflower Medicine Ltd, Qitaihe Yidaxin Coal Co., and Heilongjiang Yiyang Group, each contributed more than RMB100 million in tax revenue in 2007.

During the first decade of this century, many private investors were involved in large construction projects in Heilongjiang. In 2006, 928 large projects absorbed private capital of RMB5 million each, and 101 projects attracted RMB100 million each within the province. In line with the central government's policy to revitalize the Northeast, Heilongjiang also restructured its six pillar industries, namely equipment manufacturing, petrochemicals, food processing, energy, pharmaceuticals, and forest and timber processing.

Agriculture
Heilongjiang is home to China's largest plantations of rice, corn and soybeans, with a total of 14.37 e6ha of grain plantation area, including 4 e6ha of rice plantation and 5.5 e6ha of corn. Heilongjiang has vast tracts of black soil (chernozem), one of the most fertile soil types. Since the early 20th century, cultivation in the black soil belt has expanded by almost 100-fold, and after the 1960s agriculture in the region transformed to modern agriculture with heavy mechanization and an increase of fertilizer use. Heilongjiang is one of the Asia's leading production areas for japonica rice, known for high quality brand rice varieties. The introduction of cold-resistant varieties, favorable policies and climate change have all contributed to a significant increase in rice production in recent years. Commercial crops grown include beets, flax, sunflowers.

Heilongjiang is also an important source of lumber for China. Pine, especially the Korean pine and larch are the most important forms of lumber produced in Heilongjiang. Forests are mostly found in the Greater Khingan Mountains and Lesser Khingan Mountains, which are also home to protected animal species such as the Siberian tiger, the red-crowned crane, and the lynx.

Herding in Heilongjiang is centered upon horses and cattle; the province has the largest number of milk cows and the highest production of milk among all the province-level divisions of China.

Industry
Heilongjiang is part of northeast China, the country's traditional industrial base. Industry is focused upon coal, petroleum, lumber, machinery, and food. Due to its location, Heilongjiang is also an important gateway for trade with Russia. Since a wave of privatization led to the closure of uncompetitive factories in the 1990s, Manchuria has suffered from stagnation. As a result, the government has started the Revitalize Northeast China campaign to deal with this problem, promoting the private sectors as the preferred method of economic reform.

Petroleum is of great importance in Heilongjiang, and the Daqing oilfields are an important source of petroleum for China. Coal, gold, and graphite are other important minerals to be found in Heilongjiang. Heilongjiang also has great potential for wind power, with potential capacity for 134 gigawatts of power production.

Development zones

 * Daqing New & Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone
 * Daqing New & Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was constructed in April 1992 and was then approved as a national high-tech zone by the State Council later that year. Its initial zone area is 208.54 km2, and it recently expanded the area by 32.45 km2.

 * Heihe Border Economic Cooperation Area
 * Harbin Economic and Technological Development Zone
 * Harbin New & Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone
 * Harbin High-tech Zone was set up in 1988 and was approved by the State Council as a national development zone in 1991. It has a total area of 34 km2 in the centralized parks, subdivided into Nangang, Haping Road and Yingbin Road Centralized Parks. The Nangang Centralized Park is designated for the incubation of high-tech projects and research and development base of enterprises as well as tertiary industries such as finance, insurance, services, catering, tourism, culture, recreation and entertainment, where the headquarters of major well-known companies and their branches in Harbin are located; the Haping Road Centralized Park is a comprehensive industrial basis for the investment projects of automobile and automobile parts manufacturing, medicines, foodstuffs, electronics, textile; the Yingbin Road Centralized Park is mainly for high-tech incubation projects, high-tech industrial development.

 * Sino-Russia Dongning-Piurtaphca Trade Zone
 * Sino-Russia Dongning-Piurtaphca Trade Zone was approved by the State Council in 2000 and was completed in 2005. The zone has a planned area of 275.4 hectares. The Chinese part of the zone has a 22-hectare trade center with four subsidiary areas, A, B, C, and D, in which more than 6,000 stalls are already set up, mainly dealing with clothes, household appliances, food, construction materials, etc.

 * Suifenhe Border Economic Cooperation Area
 * Suifenhe Border Economic Cooperation District (Suifenhe BECD) is located in the north of Suifenhe City, and borders Russia to the east. Suifenhe BECD is the largest among the three state-level border-trade zones of Heilongjiang, in terms of investor numbers. Suifenhe BECD has a convenient transport network. The Binzhou-Suifenhe Railway, which connects the Russian Far East Railway, is an important port for export. The railway distance between Suifenhe and Harbin is 548 km. Buguranikinai, the corresponding Russian port city, is 21 km away.

Demographics

Heilongjiang's population is estimated to be 30.9 million in 2022, down from its peak at 38.3 million in 2010. , the population is 65.7% urban and 34.3% rural.

The majority of Heilongjiang's population is Han Chinese, while other ethnic minorities include the Manchus, Koreans, Mongols, Hui, Xibe, and Hezhen.

Excludes members of the People's Liberation Army in active service. Source:

Religion

Most of Heilongjiang's residents are either non-religious or practice Chinese folk religions, including Taoism. Manchu shamanism is practiced by many Manchu people. Chinese Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism have an important presence in the province.

Culture
Heilongjiang's culture is part of a culture of Northeast China that is relatively homogeneous across this region, known in Mandarin Chinese as "Dongbei" (the northeast).

Media

Heilongjiang Television and Harbin Economy Radio serve as broadcasters.

Tourism

Harbin, the provincial capital, is a city of contrasts, with Chinese, Russian, and eclectic worldwide influences clearly apparent. Bukui Mosque, a national heritage site, is the largest glazed-tile building in the province. Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant churches as well as synagogues dot the city.

The long, cold winter is the backdrop for its famed ice sculpture exhibitions. In 2007 already the 8th Ice and Snow World opened to visitors in Harbin. More than 2,000 ice sculptures were on display at the annual event.

Wudalianchi Lakes are a series of five lakes formed between 1719 and 1721 when volcanic eruption shaped one section of a tributary of the Amur into five interconnected lakes. The second lake in particular is renowned for its irregular geological sights. Lake Jingbo, in Ning'an County, is a section of the Mudan River that has been narrowed and shaped by volcanic eruption into a series of sights, including the Diaoshuilou Falls.

The province has a zoological park called "Harbin Siberian Tiger Park".

Colleges and universities
Partial list of universities:
 * Daqing Staff and Workers University
 * Harbin Institute of Technology
 * Harbin Engineering University
 * Harbin Medical University
 * Harbin Normal University
 * Harbin University of Science and Technology
 * Heilongjiang August First Land Reclamation University
 * Heilongjiang Commercial University
 * Heilongjiang University
 * Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine
 * Heilongjiang International University
 * Heilongjiang Institute of Technology
 * Northeast Agricultural University
 * Northeast Forestry University
 * Northeast Petroleum University
 * Qiqihar University

Sports
Heilongjiang is in the forefront of promoting winter sports and winter-featured sports industry in China. For example, it is promoting bandy as an Olympic sport.

Events and leagues

 * 2009 Winter Universiade
 * 2018 Bandy World Championship, Division B
 * Asia League Ice Hockey

Notable people

 * Meng Nan, singer-songwriter
 * Zhang Shan Qi, racing driver
 * Song Yadong, UFC Fighter
 * Mao Buyi, singer-songwriter

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Heilongjiang


text:
Jiangxi

Jiangxi is an inland province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiujiang. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze river in the north into hillier areas in the south and east, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to the northwest.

The name "Jiangxi" is derived from the circuit administrated under the Tang dynasty in 733, Jiangnanxidao. The abbreviation for Jiangxi is "", for the Gan River which runs across from the south to the north and flows into the Yangtze River. Jiangxi is also alternately called Ganpo Dadi which literally means the "Great Land of Gan and Po".

After the fall of the Qing dynasty, Jiangxi became one of the earliest bases for the Communists and many peasants were recruited to join the growing people's revolution. The Nanchang Uprising took place in Jiangxi on August 1, 1927, during the Chinese Civil War. Later the Communist leadership hid in the mountains of southern and western Jiangxi, hiding from the Kuomintang's attempts to eradicate them. In 1931, the Chinese Soviet Republic's government was established in Ruijin, which is sometimes called the "Former Red Capital", or just the "Red Capital". In 1935, after complete encirclement by the Nationalist forces, the Communists broke through and began the Long March to Yan'an.

The southern half of Jiangxi is hilly and mountainous, with ranges and valleys interspersed; notable mountains and mountain ranges include Mount Lu, the Jinggang Mountains and Mount Sanqing. The northern half is comparatively lower in altitude. The Gan River flows through the province.

Although the majority of Jiangxi's population is Han Chinese, Jiangxi is linguistically diverse. It is considered the center of Gan Chinese; Hakka Chinese, is also spoken to some degree. Jiangxi is rich in mineral resources, leading the provinces of China in deposits of copper, tungsten, gold, silver, uranium, thorium, tantalum, niobium and lithium.

History
Jiangxi is centered on the Gan River valley, which historically provided the main north–south transport route of south China. The corridor along the Gan River is one of the few easily traveled routes through the otherwise mountainous and rugged terrain of the south-eastern mountains. This open corridor was the primary route for trade and communication between the North China Plain and the Yangtze River valley in the north and the territory of modern Guangdong province in the south. As a result, Jiangxi has been strategically important throughout much of China's history.

Jiangxi was outside the sphere of influence of early Chinese civilization during the Shang dynasty (16th to 11th centuries BC). It is likely that peoples collectively known as the Baiyue inhabited the region. During the Spring and Autumn period, the northern part of modern Jiangxi formed the western frontier of the state of Wu. After Wu was conquered by the state of Yue (a power based in modern northern Zhejiang) in 473 BC, the state of Chu (based in modern Hubei) took over northern Jiangxi and there may have been some Yue influence in the south. Chu subjugated Yue in 333 BC. In 223 BC, when Qin conquered Chu, a majority of the Jiangxi area was recorded to be put under Jiujiang Commandery situated in Shouchun (壽春). However the commandery was ineffective and ended shortly when Qin falls.

Yuzhang Commandery (豫章, Gan: Ì-zong) was established in Jiangxi at the beginning of the Han dynasty, possibly before the death of Xiang Yu in 202 BC, and it's also the very first commandery set up by Chinese dynasty in Jiangxi. It was named after the Yuzhang River (豫章江, Gan: Ì-zong Kong), the original name of Gan River. "Gan" has become the abbreviation of the province. In 201, eight counties were added to the original seven of Qin, and three more were established in later years. Throughout most of the Han dynasty the commandery's eighteen counties covered most of the modern province of Jiangxi. The county seats of Nanchang, Gan, Yudu, Luling among others were located at the sites of modern major cities. Other counties, however, have been moved or abolished in later centuries.

Under the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty, Yuzhang Commandery was assigned to Yangzhou Province, as part of a trend to establish provinces (zhou) all across China. In 291 AD, during the Western Jin dynasty, Jiangxi became its own Zhou called Jiangzhou (江州, Gan: Kong-chiu). During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Jiangxi was under the control of the southern dynasties, and the number of zhou slowly grew.

During the Sui dynasty, there were seven commanderies and twenty-four counties in Jiangxi. During the Tang dynasty, another commandery and fourteen counties were added. Commanderies were then abolished, becoming zhou (henceforth translated as "prefectures" rather than "provinces").

Circuits were established during the Tang dynasty as a new top-level administrative division. At first Jiangxi was part of the Jiangnan Circuit (lit. "Circuit south of the Yangtze"). In 733, this circuit was divided into western and eastern halves. Jiangxi was found in the western half, which was called Jiangnanxi Circuit (lit. "Western circuits south of the Yangtze"). This is the source of the modern name "Jiangxi".

The Tang dynasty collapsed in 907, heralding the division of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Jiangxi first belonged to Wu (吳, Gan: Ng), then to Southern Tang (南唐, Gan: Nām-thóng). Both states were based in modern-day Nanjing, further down the Yangtze River.

During the Song dynasty, Jiangnanxi Circuit was reestablished with nine prefectures and four army districts (with sixty-eight districts).

During the Yuan dynasty, the circuit was divided into thirteen different circuits, and Jiangxi Province was established for the first time. This province also included the majority of modern Guangdong. Jiangxi acquired (more or less) its modern borders during the Ming dynasty after Guangdong was separated out. There has been little change to the borders of Jiangxi since.

After the fall of the Qing dynasty, Jiangxi became one of the earliest bases for the Communists and many peasants were recruited to join the growing people's revolution. The Nanchang Uprising took place in Jiangxi on August 1, 1927, during the Chinese Civil War. Later the Communist leadership hid in the mountains of southern and western Jiangxi, hiding from the Kuomintang's attempts to eradicate them. In 1931, the Chinese Soviet Republic's government was established in Ruijin, which is sometimes called the "Former Red Capital" (红色故都, Gan: Fūng-set Kū-tu), or just the "Red Capital". In 1935, after complete encirclement by the Nationalist forces, the Communists broke through and began the Long March to Yan'an.

From 1930 to 1934, the National Government carried out five military campaigns against the Jiangxi Soviet area. Its brutal two-party battles and cleansing (including the internal cleansing of the Red Army and the cleaning of the post-war government) caused a large number of deaths or escapes, causing the population of Jiangxi to drop by 40%, until only 13.8 million people were left in 1936.

In 1936, after the opening of the Yuehan Railway in Hunan, Jiangxi lost its important position regarding north–south traffic. In 1937, the east-west Zhegan Railway was opened to traffic, which changed the original traffic patterns in Jiangxi to a large extent. The Jiujiang Port (九江港) began to decline in importance.

Following the Doolittle Raid during World War II, most of the B-25 American crews that came down in China eventually made it to safety with the help of Chinese civilians and soldiers. The Chinese people who helped them, however, paid dearly for sheltering the Americans. The Imperial Japanese Army began the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign to intimidate the Chinese from helping downed American airmen. The Japanese killed an estimated 250,000 civilians of China while searching for Doolittle's men.

Jiangxi came under the full control of the CCP upon the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The Republican provincial government was evacuated to Taichung in Taiwan Province before dissolving itself that same year.

Geography

Mountains surround Jiangxi on three sides, with the Mufu Mountains, Jiuling Mountains, and Luoxiao Mountains on the west; Huaiyu Mountains and Wuyi Mountains on the east; and the Jiulian Mountains (九连山) and Dayu Mountains in the south. The southern half of the province is hilly with ranges and valleys interspersed; while the northern half is flatter and lower in altitude. The highest point in Jiangxi is Mount Huanggang (黄岗山) in the Wuyi Mountains, on the border with Fujian. It has an altitude of 2157 m.

The Gan River dominates the province, flowing through the entire length of the province from south to north. It enters Lake Poyang in the north, the largest freshwater lake of China; that lake in turn empties into the Yangtze River, which forms part of the northern border of Jiangxi. Important reservoirs include the Xiushui Tuolin Reservoir in the northwest of the province on the Xiushui River, and the Wan'an Reservoir(zh) in the upper section of the Gan.

Jiangxi has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa under the Köppen climate classification), with short, cool, damp winters, and very hot, humid summers. Average temperatures are about 3 to 9 °C in January and 27 to 30 °C in July. Annual precipitation is 1200 to 1900 mm, much of it falling in the heavy rains occurring in late spring and summer.

Nanchang, the provincial capital and the most densely populated city, is one of the largest Chinese metropolises. Nanchang is the hub of Jiangxi civilization throughout its history, which plays a leading role in the commercial, intellectual and industrial and political fields. Ganzhou is the largest subdivision of Jiangxi.

Major cities in Jiangxi include:
 * Nanchang
 * Jiujiang

Administrative divisions
Jiangxi is divided into eleven prefecture-level divisions: all prefecture-level cities:

These prefecture-level cities are in turn subdivided into 100 county-level divisions (27 districts, 12 county-level cities, and 61 counties). Those in turn are divided into 1566 township-level divisions (830 towns, 560 townships, 8 ethnic townships, and 168 subdistricts).

See List of administrative divisions of Jiangxi for a complete list of county-level divisions.

Politics
The Politics of Jiangxi is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in mainland China.

The Governor of Jiangxi is the highest-ranking official in the People's Government of Jiangxi. However, in the province's dual party-government governing system, the Governor has less power than the Jiangxi Chinese Communist Party Provincial Committee Secretary, colloquially termed the "Jiangxi CCP Party Chief".

Economy
Rice is the dominant crop in Jiangxi. Cash crops commonly grown include cotton and rapeseed. Jiangxi is the leading producer of kumquats in China, particularly Suichuan County.

Jiangxi is rich in mineral resources, leading the provinces of China in deposits of copper, tungsten, gold, silver, uranium, thorium, tantalum, niobium, among others. Noted centers of mining include Dexing (copper) and Dayu County (tungsten).

It is located in extreme proximity to some of the richest provinces of China (Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian), which are sometimes blamed for taking away talent and capital from Jiangxi.

Jiangxi has the lowest wages and third lowest property prices in all of China., As of 2016 Jiangxi's nominal GDP was CNY 1.84 trillion or US$276.48 billion, and a per capita of CNY 40,400 or US$6,082.

Economic and technological development zones
Nanchang National Export Expressing Zone is located in Nanchang Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, it was approved by the State Council on May 8, 2006, and passed the national acceptance inspection on Sep 7th, 2007. It has a planning area of 1 km2 and now has built 0.31 km2. It enjoys simple and convenient customs clearances, and special preferential policies both for Nanchang National Export Expressing Zone and NCHDZ. Nanchang National High-tech Industrial Development Zone (NCHDZ for short hereafter) is the only national grade high-tech zoned in Jiangxi, it was established in Mar. 1991. The zone covers an area of 231 km2, in which 32 km2 have been completed. NCHDZ possesses unique nature condition and sound industry foundation of accepting electronics industry. NCHDZ has brought 25% industrial added value and 50% industrial benefit and tax to Nanchang city by using only 0.4% land area.
 * Nanchang Export Processing Zone
 * Nanchang National High-tech Industrial Development Zone
 * Nanchang Economic and Technological Development Zone
 * Jiujiang Free Trade (Tariff-free) Zone
 * Jiujiang National Economical and Technological Development Zone
 * Jiujiang Gongqingcheng National High-tech Industrial Development Zone

Demographics
The population of Jiangxi is approximately 39.66 million. 99.73% of that is Han Chinese, predominantly Gan and Hakka. Ganzhou, Jiangxi's largest city, has an especially large number of Hakka. Ethnic minorities include She.

Jiangxi and Henan both have the most unbalanced gender ratios of all Chinese provinces. Based on a 2009 British Medical Journal study, the ratio is over 140 boys for every 100 girls in the 1–4 age group.

In 2019 the most-common surname in Jiangxi was Liú (刘), the only province where this was the case. Overall Liu is the fourth-most common surname in the country.

Religion
The predominant religions in Jiangxi are Chinese folk religions, Taoist traditions and Chinese Buddhism. According to surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009, 24.05% of the population believes and is involved in ancestor veneration, while 2.31% of the population identifies as Christian.

The reports didn't give figures for other types of religion; 73.64% of the population may be either irreligious or involved in worship of nature deities, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, folk religious sects.

Culture

Jiangxi is the main area of concentration of the Gan varieties of Chinese, spoken over most of the northern two-thirds of the province. Examples include the Nanchang dialect, Yichun dialect and Ji'an dialect. The southern one-third of the province speaks Hakka. There are also Mandarin, Huizhou, and Wu dialects spoken along the northern border.

Ganju (Jiangxi opera) is the type of Chinese opera performed in Jiangxi.

Although little known outside of the province, Jiangxi cuisine is rich and distinctive. Flavors are some of the strongest in China, with heavy use of chili peppers and especially pickled and fermented products.

Jingdezhen is widely regarded as the producer of the best porcelain in China.

Jiangxi also was a historical center of Chan Buddhism.

Prominent examples of Hakka architecture can be found in Jiangxi.

Transportation
As of January 2015, Jiangxi had two Yangtze River crossings, both in Jiujiang.

Rail
The Beijing–Kowloon Railway and Shanghai–Kunming Railway crisscross the province and intersect at Nanchang, which also has a high-speed rail link to Jiujiang. In addition, Jiangxi is connected by rail to Anhui Province via the Anhui–Jiangxi and Tongling–Jiujiang Railways; to Hubei via the Wuhan–Jiujiang Railway; and to Fujian via the Yingtan–Xiamen, Hengfeng–Nanping, Ganzhou–Longyan and Xiangtang–Putian Railways.

Tourism
There are several famous mountains in Jiangxi Province, including Mount Lu in Jiujiang, Mount jinggang at the border of Jiangxi province and Hunan province, Mount Sanqing in Yushan county.

Near the northern port city of Jiujiang lies the well-known resort area of Mount Lu. Also near the city is the Donglin Temple, an important Buddhist temple in china.

Near the small city of Yingtan is the resort area of Longhushan, which purports to be the birthplace of Taoism and hence has great symbolic value to Taoists. The region has many temples, cave complexes, mountains and villages.

The Mount Lu National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

Kuling located on the top of Mount Lu is a summer resort developed by European in the 19th century. There were 3000 European living in Kuling, Mount Lu, Jiujiang in summer time in 1920 s.

In 2007, Jiangxi (specifically the Mount Lu West Sea, located in Jiujiang) was the filming location for the fifteenth series of the American TV show Survivor.

Flora and fauna
The mountainous terrain and large forest coverage of Jiangxi has made it historically one of the more wild places of central China. South China tigers have been seen as recently as fifteen or twenty years ago and projects are underway to document evidence of existing tigers, if there are any. Several mountain areas along the northern border with Hunan and Hubei are potential sites for "wilderness" preserves specifically for protecting or even reintroducing tigers.

Other wildlife, though not plentiful, are more numerous in Jiangxi than in many other developed areas of China. Numerous species of birds are common, especially around the marshes of Lake Poyang in the north. Though protected, mammals such as muntjac, wild boar, civet cats, and pangolins, are still common enough that they'll even occasionally be seen in markets for sale as game meat, or possibly even in a forest.

The late Paleocene mesonychid, Jiangxia chaotoensis was found in the province, and named after it.

Colleges and universities
List of colleges and universities in Jiangxi:
 * University of Jiujiang
 * Jiangxi College of Foreign Studies (江西外语外贸职业学院)
 * East China University of Technology
 * East China Jiaotong University
 * Jiangxi Agricultural University
 * Jiangxi Institute of Education
 * Jiangxi Normal University
 * Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University
 * Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics
 * Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute
 * Jinggangshan University
 * Nanchang Institute of Technology
 * Nanchang Hangkong University
 * Nanchang University
 * Xinyu University
 * Yichun University

Sister provinces

 * Bay of Plenty Region, New Zealand
 * 🇯🇵 Okayama Prefecture, Japan
 * 🇵🇭 Bohol, Philippines
 * 🇩🇪 Hesse, Germany
 * 🇺🇸 Kentucky, United States
 * 🇧🇷 Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
 * 🇲🇾 Sabah, Malaysia

title: Jiangxi


text:
Qinghai

Qinghai is an inland province in Northwestern China. It is the largest province of China (excluding autonomous regions) by area and has the third smallest population. Its capital and largest city is Xining.

Qinghai borders Gansu on the northeast, Xinjiang on the northwest, Sichuan on the southeast and the Tibet Autonomous Region on the southwest. Qinghai province was established in 1928 during the period of the Republic of China, and until 1949 was ruled by Chinese Muslim warlords known as the Ma clique. The Chinese name "Qinghai" is after Qinghai Lake, the largest lake in China. The lake is known as Tso ngon in Tibetan, and as Kokonor Lake in English, derived from the Mongol Oirat name for Qinghai Lake. Both Tso ngon and Kokonor are names found in historic documents to describe the region.

Located mostly on the Tibetan Plateau, the province is inhabited by a number of peoples including the Han (concentrated in the provincial capital of Xining, nearby Haidong, and Haixi), Tibetans, Hui, Mongols, Monguors, and Salars. According to the 2021 census reports, Tibetans constitute a fifth of the population of Qinghai and the Hui compose roughly a sixth of the population. There are over 37 recognized ethnic groups among Qinghai's population of 5.6 million, with national minorities making up a total of 49.5% of the population.

The area of Qinghai came under the control of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty around 1724, after their defeat of Khoshut Mongols who previously controlled most of the area. After the Xinhai Revolution and the ensuing fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912, Qinghai came under Chinese Muslim warlord Ma Qi's control until the Northern Expedition by the Republic of China consolidated central control in 1928. In the same year, the province of Qinghai was established by the Nationalist Government, with Xining as its capital.

History
During the Bronze Age, Qinghai was home to a diverse group of nomadic tribes closely related to other Central Asians who traditionally made a living in agriculture and husbandry, the Kayue culture. The eastern part of the area of Qinghai was under the control of the Han dynasty about 2,000 years ago. It was a battleground during the Tang and subsequent Central Plain dynasties when they fought against successive Tibetan tribes.

In the middle of 3rd century CE, nomadic people related to the Mongolic Xianbei migrated to pasture lands around the Qinghai Lake (Koko Nur) and established the Tuyuhun Kingdom.

In the 7th century, the Tuyuhun Kingdom was attacked by both the Tibetan Empire and the Tang dynasty as both sought control over the Silk Road trade routes. Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo was victorious, and settled the area around Tso ngon (Lake Go, or Kokonor Lake). Military conflicts had severely weakened the Tuyuhun kingdom and it was incorporated into the Tibetan Empire. The Tibetan Empire continued expanding beyond Tso ngon during Trisong Detsen's and Ralpacan's reigns, and the empire controlled vast areas north and east of Tso ngon until 848, which included Xi'an.

During the fragmentation of the Tibetan Empire, a series of local polities emerged under the political jostling of Western Xia to the north and Song dynasty to the east -- from the military-rule of Guiyi Circuit, to a Tibetan tribal confederacy, and eventually the Tibetan theocratic kingdom of Tsongkha. The Song dynasty eventual defeated the Kokonor kingdom Tsongkha in the 1070s. During the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty's administrative rule of Tibet, the region comprised the headwaters of the Ma chu (Machu River, Yellow River) and the Yalong (Yangtze) rivers and was known as Amdo, but apportioned to different administrative divisions than Tibet proper.

Most of Qinghai was, for a short time in the aftermath of the Yuan dynasty's overthrow, under the control of early Ming dynasty, but later gradually lost to the Khoshut Khanate founded by the Oirats. The Xunhua Salar Autonomous County is where most Salar people live in Qinghai. The Salars migrated to Qinghai from Samarkand in 1370. The chief of the four upper clans around this time was Han Pao-yuan and Ming granted him office of centurion, it was at this time the people of his four clans took Han as their surname. The other chief Han Shan-pa of the four lower Salar clans got the same office from Ming, and his clans were the ones who took Ma as their surname.

From 1640 to 1724, a big part of the area that is now Qinghai was under Khoshut Mongol control, but in 1724 it was conquered by the armies of the Qing dynasty. Xining, the capital of modern Qinghai province, began to function as the administrative center, although the city itself was then part of Gansu province within the "Tibetan frontier district". In 1724, 13-Article for the Effective Governing of Qinghai (Chinese:青海善后事宜十三条) was proposed by Nian Gengyao and adopted by the Central Government to gain full control of Qinghai.

Under the Qing dynasty, the governor was a viceroy of the Emperor, but local ethnic groups enjoyed significant autonomy. Many chiefs retained their traditional authority, participating in local administrations. The Dungan Revolt (1862–1877) devastated the Hui Muslim population of Shaanxi, shifting the Hui center of population to Gansu and Qinghai. Another Dungan Revolt broke out in Qinghai in 1895 when various Muslim ethnic groups in Qinghai and Gansu rebelled against the Qing. Following the overthrow of the Qing dynasty in 1911, the region came under Chinese Muslim warlord Ma Qi control until the Northern Expedition by the Republic of China consolidated central control in 1928.

In July–August 1912, General Ma Fuxiang was "Acting Chief Executive Officer of Kokonur" (de facto Governor of the region that later became Qinghai). In 1928, Qinghai province was created. The Muslim warlord and General Ma Qi became military governor of Qinghai, followed by his brother Ma Lin and then Ma Qi's son Ma Bufang. In 1932 Tibet invaded Qinghai, attempting to capture southern parts of Qinghai province, following contention in Yushu, Qinghai, over a monastery in 1932. The army of Ma Bufang defeated the Tibetan armies. Governor of Qinghai Ma Bufang was described as a socialist by American journalist John Roderick and friendly compared to the other Ma Clique warlords. Ma Bufang was reported to be good humoured and jovial in contrast to the brutal reign of Ma Hongkui. Most of eastern China was ravaged by the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War, by contrast, Qinghai was relatively untouched.

Ma Bufang increased the prominence of the Hui and Salar people in Qinghai's politics by heavily recruiting to his army from the counties in which those ethnic groups predominated. General Ma started a state run and controlled industrialization project, directly creating educational, medical, agricultural, and sanitation projects, run or assisted by the state. The state provided money for food and uniforms in all schools, state run or private. Roads and a theater were constructed. The state controlled all the press, no freedom was allowed for independent journalists.

As the 1949 Chinese revolution approached Qinghai, Ma Bufang abandoned his post and flew to Hong Kong, traveling abroad but never returning to China. On January 1, 1950, the Qinghai Province People's Government was declared, owing its allegiance to the new People's Republic of China. Aside from some minor adjustments to suit the geography, the PRC maintained the province's territorial integrity. Resistance to Communist rule continued in the form of the Huis' Kuomintang Islamic insurgency (1950–58), spreading past traditionally Hui areas to the ethnic-Tibetan south. Although the Hui composed 15.6% of Qinghai's population in 1949, making the province the second-largest concentration of Hui after Ningxia, the state denied the Hui ethnic autonomous townships and counties that their numbers warranted under Chinese law until the 1980s.

Geography
Qinghai is located on the northeastern part of the Tibetan Plateau. By area, it is the largest province in the People's Republic of China (excluding the autonomous regions).

The Yellow River originates in the southern part of the province, while the Yangtze and Mekong have their sources in the southwestern part. Qinghai is separated by the Riyue Mountain into pastoral and agricultural zones in the west and east.

The Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve is located in Qinghai and contains the headwaters of the Yellow River, Yangtze River, and Mekong River. The reserve was established to protect the headwaters of these three rivers and consists of 18 subareas, each containing three zones which are managed with differing degrees of strictness.

Qinghai Lake is the largest salt water lake in China, and the second largest in the world. Other large lakes are Lake Hala in the Qilian mountains, lakes Gyaring and Ngoring in the headwater region of the Yellow River, Lake Donggi Cona, and many saline and salt lakes in the western part of the province.

The Qaidam basin lies in the northwest part of the province at an altitude between 3000 and 5000 meters above sea level. About a third of this resource rich basin is desert.

Climate
The average elevation of Qinghai is approximately 3000 m. Mountain ranges include the Tanggula Mountains and Kunlun Mountains, with the highest point being Bukadaban Feng at 6860 m. Due to the high altitude, Qinghai has quite cold winters (harsh in the highest elevations), mild summers, and a large diurnal temperature variation. Its mean annual temperature is approximately −5 to 8 °C, with January temperatures ranging from −18 to −7 °C and July temperatures ranging from 15 to 21 °C. It is also prone to heavy winds as well as sandstorms from February to April. Significant rainfall occurs mainly in summer, while precipitation is very low in winter and spring, and is generally low enough to keep much of the province semi-arid or arid.

Politics
The Politics of Qinghai Province in the People's Republic of China are structured in a one party-government system like all other governing institutions in mainland China.

The Governor of Qinghai (青海省省长) is the highest-ranking official in the People's Government of Qinghai. However, in the province's dual party-government governing system, the Governor has less power than the Qinghai Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary (青海省委书记), colloquially termed the "Qinghai Party Chief".

Administrative divisions
Because the Han form Qinghai's ethnic majority and because none of its many ethnic minorities have clear dominance over the rest, the province is not administered as an autonomous region. Instead, the province has many ethnic autonomous areas at the district and county levels. Qinghai is administratively divided into eight prefecture-level divisions: two prefecture-level cities and six autonomous prefectures:

The eight prefecture-level divisions of Qinghai are subdivided into 44 county-level divisions (6 districts, 4 county-level cities, 27 counties and 7 autonomous counties).

Ethnicity
There are over 37 recognized ethnic groups among Qinghai's population of 5.6 million, with Han population standing at 50.5% of the total population and national minorities making up 49.5% of the population. In 2010, Tibetan population stood at 20.7%, Hui 16%, Tu (Monguor) 4%, with also some groups of Mongol, and Salar, all of those groups being the most populous in the province. Han Chinese predominate in the cities of Xining, Haidong, Delingha and Golmud, and elsewhere in the northeast. The Hui are concentrated in Xining, Haidong, Minhe County, Hualong County, and Datong County. The Tu people predominate in Huzhu County and the Salars in Xunhua County; Tibetans and Mongols are sparsely distributed across the rural western part of the province. Of the Muslim ethnic groups in China, Qinghai has communities of Hui, Salar, Dongxiang, and Bao'an. The Hui dominate the wholesale business in Qinghai.

Religion
The predominant religions in Qinghai are Chinese folk religions (including Taoist traditions and Confucianism) and Chinese Buddhism among the Han Chinese. The large Tibetan population practices Tibetan schools of Buddhism or traditional Tibetan Bön religion, while the Hui Chinese practice Islam. Christianity is the religion of 0.76% of the province's population according to the Chinese General Social Survey of 2004. According to a survey of 2010, 17.51% of the population of Qinghai follow Islam.

From September 1848, the city was the seat of a short-lived Latin Catholic Apostolic Vicariate (pre-diocesan missionary jurisdiction) of Kokonur (alias Khouhkou-noor, Kokonoor), but it was suppressed in 1861. No incumbent(s) recorded.

Culture
Qinghai has been influenced by interactions "between Mongol and Tibetan culture, north to south, and Han Chinese and Inner Asia Muslim culture, east to west". The languages of Qinghai have for centuries formed a Sprachbund, with Zhongyuan Mandarin, Amdo Tibetan, Salar, Yugur, and Monguor borrowing from and influencing one another. In mainstream Chinese culture, Qinghai is most associated with the Tale of King Mu, Son of Heaven. According to this legend, King Mu of Zhou (r. 976–922 BCE) pursued hostile Quanrong nomads to eastern Qinghai, where the goddess Xi Wangmu threw the king a banquet in the Kunlun Mountains.

The main religions in Qinghai are Tibetan Buddhism, Islam and Chinese Folk Religions. The Dongguan Mosque has been continuously operating since 1380. Measures of education in Qinghai are low, particularly among the ethnic minorities. The yak, which is native to Qinghai, is widely used in the province for transportation and its meat. The Mongols of Qinghai celebrate the Naadam festival on the Qaidam Basin every year.

Economy
Qinghai's economy is amongst the smallest in China. Its nominal GDP in 2022 was just RMB 361 billion (US$50 billion) and contributes to about 0.30% of the entire country's economy. Per capita GDP was RMB 60,724 (US$9,028) (nominal), the 24th in China.

Its heavy industry includes iron and steel production, located near its capital city of Xining. Oil and natural gas from the Qaidam Basin have also been an important contributor to the economy. Salt works operate at many of the province's numerous salt lakes.

Outside of the provincial capital, Xining, most of Qinghai remains underdeveloped. Qinghai ranks second lowest in China in terms of highway length, and will require a significant expansion of its infrastructure to capitalize on the economic potential of its rich natural resources.

Economic and technological development zone
Xining Economic & Technological Development Zone (XETDZ) was approved as state-level development zone in July 2000. It has a planned area of 4.4 km2. XETDZ lies in the east of Xining, 5 km from the city centre. Xining is located in the east of the province at the upper reaches of the Huangshui River, one of the Yellow River's branches. The city is surrounded by mountains with an average elevation of 2261 m, the highest at 4393 m. XETDZ is the first of its kind at the national level on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is established to fulfill the nation's strategy of developing the west.

XETDZ enjoys a convenient transportation system, connected by the Xining-Lanzhou expressway and running through by two main roads, the broadest in the city. It is 4 km from the railway station, 15 km from Xi'ning Airport—a grade 4D airport with 14 airlines to cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu and Xi'an. Xining is Qinghai province's passage to the outside world, a transportation hub with more than ten highways, over 100 roads and two railways, Lanzhou-Qinghai and Qinghai-Tibet Railways in and out of the city.

It focuses on the development of following industries: chemicals based on salt lake resources, nonferrous metals, and petroleum and natural gas processing; special medicine, foods and bio-chemicals using local plateau animals and plants; new products involving ecological and environmental protection, high technology, new materials as well as information technology; and services such as logistics, banking, real estate, tourism, hotel, catering, agency and international trade.

Tourism
Many tourist attractions center on Xining, the provincial seat of Qinghai.

During the hot summer months, many tourists from the hot southern and eastern parts of China travel to Xining, as the climate of Xining in July and August is quite mild and comfortable, making the city an ideal summer retreat.

Qinghai Lake is another tourist attraction, albeit further from Xining than Kumbum Monastery (Ta'er Si). The lake is the largest saltwater lake in China, and is also located on the "Roof of the World", the Tibetan Plateau. The lake itself lies at 3,600 m elevation. The surrounding area is made up of rolling grasslands and populated by ethnic Tibetans. Most pre-arranged tours stop at Bird Island. An international bicycle race takes place annually from Xining to Qinghai Lake.

Transportation
The Lanqing Railway, running between Lanzhou, Gansu and Xining, the province's capital, was completed in 1959 and is the major transportation route in and out of the province. A continuation of the line, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway via Golmud and western Qinghai, has become one of the most ambitious projects in PRC history. It was completed in October 2005 and now links Tibet with the rest of China through Qinghai.

Construction on the Golmud–Dunhuang Railway, in the province's northwestern part, started in 2012.

Six National Highways run through the province.

Xining Caojiabao International Airport provides service to Beijing, Lanzhou, Golmud and Delingha. Smaller regional airports, Delingha Airport, Golog Maqin Airport, Huatugou Airport, Qilian Airport and Yushu Batang Airport, serve the province's smaller communities; plans exist for the construction of three more by 2020.

Telecommunications
Since the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology began its "Access to Telephones Project", Qinghai has invested 640 million yuan to provide telephone access to 3860 out its 4133 administrative villages. At the end of 2006, 299 towns had received Internet access. However, 6.6 percent of villages in the region still have no access to the telephone. These villages are mainly scattered in Qingnan Area, with 90 percent of them located in Yushu and Guoluo. The average altitude of these areas exceeds 3600 meters, and the poor natural conditions hamper the establishment of telecommunication facilities in the region.

Satellite phones have been provided to 186 remote villages in Qinghai Province as of September 14, 2007. The areas benefited were Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Qinghai has recently been provided with satellite telephone access. In June 2007, China Satcom carried out an in-depth survey in Yushu and Guoluo, and made a special satellite phones for these areas. Two phones were provided to each village for free, and calls were charged at the rate of 0.2 RMB (about a quarter of a US cent at that time) per minute for both local and national calls, with the extra charges assumed by China Satcom. No monthly rent was charged on the satellite phone. International calls were also available.

Colleges and universities

 * Qinghai University (青海大学)
 * Qinghai Normal University (青海师范大学)
 * Qinghai University for Nationalities (青海民族大学)
 * Qinghai Medical College (青海医学院)
 * Qinghai Radio & Television University (青海广播电视大学)

General sources

 * Economic profile for Qinghai at HKTDC

title: Qinghai


text:
Cucumber soup

Cucumber soup is a traditional Polish and Lithuanian soup (Zupa ogórkowa, ). It is made from sour, salted cucumbers and potato. Occasionally, rice is substituted for the potatoes.

Cucumber soup is also any soup using cucumbers as a primary ingredient, and is present in various cuisines. The two major varieties are fresh cucumber soup and pickled cucumber soup.

A similar soup is also common in Russia and Ukraine, where it is known as rassolnik. There is another cucumber based soup known as tarator in Bulgaria, which is served cold.

Fresh cucumber soups
Some fresh cucumber soups are just a blend of ingredients (cucumber, spices, other vegetables or fruits, etc.) served cold, others are cooked, possibly in some kind of broth, and served either hot or chilled.

title: Cucumber soup