Jiuquan

Jiuquan is a big city in China.

It sits in a dry land. The winters are long and cold. The summers are hot.

The sky stays sunny most of the year. This helps people launch rockets into space. A long time ago, it was a place for trade. People even grew rhubarb there. It is a very special place.

Jiuquan is a large city in China. It sits in the Gansu Province. It is in the far northwest part of the province. The city is near many other places. To the east is Zhangye City. To the south is Qinghai. To the west is Xinjiang. The land is a cold desert. This means the winters are long and cold. The summers are hot and dry.

Many years ago, Jiuquan was an important place for trade. It sat along the Silk Road. This was a famous path for travelers. The city was also a great place for rhubarb. Rhubarb is a plant used in cooking.

The weather is very sunny here. It gets a lot of bright sunshine each year. Because it is so sunny and dry, it is a good place for space work. A big space launch center is nearby. It is in the Inner Mongolia region. In 2003, a person named Yang Liwei flew into space from there. He was the first Chinese astronaut. This made him a hero in China.

Jiuquan is a large city in the far northwest of Gansu Province, China. It sits in a wide area that borders many different places. To the east, you will find Zhangye City. To the south lies Qinghai, and to the west is Xinjiang. To the north, the land meets Inner Mongolia and Mongolia. The city is very wide from east to west. Most of the built-up areas are found in the Suzhou District.

The weather in Jiuquan is a cold desert climate. This means the winters are long and cold. The summers are hot and somewhat dry. The temperature changes a lot between day and night. There is also a lot of bright sunshine here. The city gets about 3,031 hours of sunshine every year. Because the air is dry and the sky is often clear, it is a great place for space work.

This area has a very long history. It was founded in 111 BC as an outpost. It sat near the Yumen Pass along the Silk Road. This was a famous path for trade and travel. The name Jiuquan comes from a legend about a general named Huo Qubing. He was said to have poured precious alcohol into a local creek. He did this to share the taste with his troops after a victory.

Many different groups have controlled this land over time. The Tibetan Empire occupied it in 763. Later, the Ganzhou Uyghur Kingdom held the area. In 1028, it was taken by Xixia. During the Yuan Dynasty, it was part of Gansu Province. The city was also a major center for the rhubarb trade. Rhubarb is a plant that people grow and trade.

Today, Jiuquan is connected to many places by rails and roads. The Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway runs through the area. There are also plans to build the Golmud–Dunhuang Railway. This will connect Dunhuang to the Qinghai–Tibet railway. The city is also near a major space launch center. This center is in the neighboring Inner Mongolia region. In 2003, the first Chinese human spaceflight launched from there. This made Yang Liwei a national hero as China's first astronaut.

Jiuquan is a prefecture-level city located in the northwesternmost part of Gansu Province in the People's Republic of China. It occupies a vast territory that stretches across a wide area. While the city covers much ground, most of the built-up urban areas are concentrated in the Suzhou District. The city serves as an important administrative and historical hub in this remote region. It is situated in a location that connects different parts of China and its neighbors.

The geography of Jiuquan is defined by its many borders. To the east, it meets Zhangye City. To the south, it borders the province of Qinghai. To the west, it sits next to Xinjiang. The northern boundaries are even more diverse, touching Ejin Banner in Inner Mongolia, as well as the country of Mongolia. This position makes it a central point in a large, varied landscape. The administrative area spans specific coordinates of latitude and longitude, covering a massive east-to-west width.

The climate in Jiuquan is classified as a cold desert climate, known scientifically as Köppen BWk. This means the region experiences long, cold winters and hot, somewhat dry summers. Temperature changes are quite extreme throughout the year. In January, the monthly average temperature is -7.5°C, while in July, it rises to 25.1°C. The annual mean temperature is 8.2°C. There is also a large diurnal temperature variation, which is the difference between daily highs and lows. The area is very sunny, receiving 3,031 hours of bright sunshine annually.

Jiuquan has a history that dates back over two thousand years. It was founded in 111 BC as an outpost called Fulu. It was located in the Hexi Corridor near the Yumen Pass along the Silk Road. This ancient trade route was vital for connecting different civilizations. Over time, the city changed names many times. It became Suzhou after becoming the seat of Su Prefecture during the Sui dynasty. Later, it was known as Jiuquan Commandery under the Tang dynasty. The name Jiuquan means "alcohol spring." This comes from a legend about the Han general Huo Qubing. He reportedly poured a vat of precious alcohol into a local creek to celebrate a victory with his troops.

Many different powers have controlled this territory through the centuries. In 763, the Tibetan Empire occupied the area. After the empire fell, the Ganzhou Uyghur Kingdom took control. In 1028, the region was seized by Xixia. During the Yuan Dynasty, Suzhou Lu was established under Gansu Province. At times, it even served as the capital of the province. The city was also a major center for the rhubarb trade. During the Ming dynasty, it was the site where the Portuguese Jesuit Bento de Góis died in 1607. His exploration helped prove that Cathay and China were the same country.

Today, Jiuquan is divided into several administrative parts. It consists of one district, two counties, two autonomous counties, and two country-level cities. These include the Suzhou District, Yumen City, Dunhuang City, Jinta County, Guazhou County, Subei Mongol Autonomous County, and Aksai Kazakh Autonomous County. The population was recorded at different levels across these areas in the 2010 census. For example, the Suzhou District had 428,346 people. In contrast, the Aksai Kazakh Autonomous County had 10,545 people. This shows how people are spread out across the large landscape.

Transportation in the region is supported by major roads and railways. China National Highway 312 provides road access. The Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway, or Lanxin Railway, is a major rail link. This railway has several branches, such as one running from Guazhou County to Dunhuang. There are even plans for the Golmud–Dunhuang Railway to connect to the Qinghai–Tibet railway. The city is also served by Jiuquan Airport and Dunhuang Airport. These connections help move people and goods through the desert.

One of the most significant modern uses for the region is space exploration. Because the weather is sunny and the humidity is low, Jiuquan is near a major space launch site. This is the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Although it is near the city, the center is actually located in the neighboring Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It was built in 1958. On October 15, 2003, the first Chinese human spaceflight, Shenzhou 5, launched from this site. This mission made Yang Liwei China's first astronaut and a national hero.