Wuwei is a prefecture-level city in northwest central Gansu province. In the north it borders Inner Mongolia, in the southwest, Qinghai. It is centrally located in between three western capital cities, Lanzhou, Xining, and Yinchuan, making it an important business and transportation hub for the region. Because it is positioned along the Hexi Corridor, historically the only route from central China to western China and the rest of Central Asia, many major railroads and national highways pass through Wuwei, nowadays.
History
In ancient times, Wuwei was called Liangzhou and is the eastern terminus of the Hexi Corridor. People began settling here about 5,000 years ago. It was a key link for the Northern Silk Road, and a number of important archaeological finds were uncovered from Wuwei, including ancient copper carts with stone animals. The motifs and types of objects in the Wuwei graves, as well as their earthenware, lacquer, and bronze composition, constitute typical examples of the Han Chinese burial style that can be found all over China. Other graves found along the Hexi Corridor show Xiongnu and other minority influence, which are used to trace regimes such as the Northern Liang. It became an important provincial capital during the Former Han Dynasty as the Hou Hanshu makes clear:
"In the third year , Meng Tuo, the Inspector of Liangzhou, sent the Assistant Officer Ren She, commanding five hundred soldiers from Dunhuang. He, with the Wuji Major Cao Kuan, and Chief Clerk of the Western Regions, Zhang Yan, brought troops from Yanqi, Qiuci, and the Nearer and Further Kingdoms of Jushi, altogether numbering more than 30,000, to punish Shule. They attacked the town of Zhenzhong but, having stayed for more than forty days without being able to subdue it, they withdrew. Following this, the kings of Shule killed one another repeatedly and, for its part, the Imperial Government was unable to prevent it."
Wuwei's geography is dominated by three plateaus, the Loess, Tibetan, and Mongolian. Elevation can be generalized as, the south is higher than the north, with an elevation ranging from above sea-level. Its area is. Average annual temperature is. The climate is cold arid with precipitation between. Evaporation is from, creating a net loss of water each year. There are 2200–3000 sunlight hours each year and from 85–165 frost free days. Summer temperatures can be in excess of, in the shade are by no means unheard of. Southwest of Wuwei, there is a thick Tianzhu Formation made of clastics intercalated with sandy shale and shale. Minerals deposits occurring in the vicinity of Wuwei include graphite, iron, titanium, and limestone. A species of stone loach, Triplophysa wuweiensis, is named after Wuwei where it was first discovered.
Population 1,815,054. Urban: 509,600 with 38 ethnic groups represented including Han, Hui, Mongol, Tu, Tibetan, etc.
Economy
Consistent sunlight and fertile soil make agriculture one of Wuwei's biggest industries. Other important industries are textiles, metallurgy, and construction materials. Melons, vegetables, wine and livestock are all major agricultural products. Organic farming is a trend with more land being set aside for “green farming” each year. Land use can be broken down into the following:
