Baotou

Baotou (Chinese: 包头市; pinyin: Bāotóu; Mongolian: Buɣutu qota) is the largest city by urban population in Inner Mongolia, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, its built-up (or metro) area made up of 5 urban districts is home to 2,070,801 people with a total population of over 2.65 million accounting for counties under its jurisdiction.[2] The city's namesake, literally translated to "place with deer", is of Mongolic origin or "Lucheng" (Chinese: 鹿城; pinyin: Lùchéng), meaning "City of Deer". Alternatively Baotou is known as the "City of Steel in Gobi" (草原钢城; Cǎoyuán Gāngchéng).

Baotou

包头市 • ᠪᠤᠭᠤᠲᠤᠬᠣᠲᠠ

Paotow
Prefecture-level city
Downtown Baotou
Location of Baotou City jurisdiction in Inner Mongolia
Baotou
Location of the city centre in Inner Mongolia
Baotou
Baotou (China)
Coordinates (Baotou municipal government): 40°37′17″N 109°57′12″E
CountryPeople's Republic of China
Autonomous regionInner Mongolia
County-level divisions10 Banners
Municipal seatJiuyuan District
Area
 • Prefecture-level city27,768 km2 (10,721 sq mi)
 • Urban
 (2017)[1]
885.00 km2 (341.70 sq mi)
 • Districts[1]2,965.0 km2 (1,144.8 sq mi)
Elevation
1,065 m (3,494 ft)
Population
 (2010 census)
 • Prefecture-level city2,650,364
 • Density95/km2 (250/sq mi)
 • Urban
 (2017)[1]
1,908,600
 • Urban density2,200/km2 (5,600/sq mi)
 • Districts[1]
2,867,000
 • Major ethnic groups
Time zoneUTC+08:00 (China Standard)
Postal code
014000
Area code(s)472
ISO 3166 codeCN-NM-02
License plate prefixes蒙B
Local DialectJin (Baotou dialect); Northeastern Mandarin; Southern Mongolian
Websitewww.baotou.gov.cn
Baotou
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese包头
Traditional Chinese包頭
PostalPaotow
Mongolian name
Mongolian CyrillicБугaт хот
Mongolian scriptᠪᠤᠭᠤᠲᠤ ᠬᠣᠲᠠ

History
The Deer monument in central Baotou City, Inner Mongolia

Ancient times

The area now known as Baotou was inhabited since ancient times by nomads, some of whose descendants would later be categorized as Mongols. Near the end of the Han Dynasty—206 BC–220 AD—Lü Bu, a particularly noteworthy warrior, was born in today's Jiuyuan District of Baotou.

Foundation of the town

Compared to the capital of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot, Baotou's construction as a city came relatively late, being incorporated as a town in 1809. The city's site was chosen because it was in an arable region of the Yellow River's Great Bend.

Early 20th century

The Gelaohui secret society and the Hui Muslim General Ma Fuxiang came to an agreement in 1922, in which Ma Fuxiang agreed to allow the Gelaohui to extort protection money from wool merchants in Baotou.[3]

A railway from Beijing was constructed in 1923, and the city began spurring some industrial sites. A German-Chinese joint-venture in 1934 constructed the Baotou Airport and opened a weekly route connecting Baotou with Ningxia and Lanzhou.

When young Owen Lattimore visited Baotou in 1925, it was still "a little husk of a town in a great hollow shell of mud ramparts, where two busy streets made a traders' quarter", but already an important railhead. Qinghai and Gansu wool and hides were brought down the Yellow River by raft and boat from Lanzhou to Baotou, and shipped from Baotou by rail to the east (in particular, to Tianjin for export). The river traffic was one-way only, however, as the fast current made sailing up the Yellow River impractical. To travel from Baotou back to Lanzhou or Yinchuan, one would use a cart and camel road. There were also caravan roads from Baotou to Ordos and the Alxa League.[4]

Second Sino-Japanese War

Baotou was under Japanese control from 1937 until 1945.

Chinese civil war

On September 19, 1949, after the September 19 Rebellion, Baotou fell under Communist control. The People's Government was formed in February 1950.

Late 20th century

In the early Communist years Baotou served as an industrial centre, with a significant portion of its economy coming from its steel production. The Iron and Steel Base in Baotou is one of the "156 projects", which were constructed with the help of Soviet Union to develop China's national economy in the 1950s and 1960s, and it continues this reputation until this day.

1996 earthquake
Main article: 1996 Baotou earthquake

On the 3rd of May, 1996, at 03:32AM UTC (11:32AM local time), an earthquake of MS 6.4 occurred. Since the epicenter of the earthquake was located close to the city,[5] Baotou was very damaged by the earthquake: 26 people were killed, 453 injured and 196,633 lost their homes. The electrical infrastructure of the city was also damaged, and soil liquefaction occurred around the swamps of the Yellow River.

The earthquake, which destroyed many old houses, led to the reconstruction of Baotou. In 2002, the Baotou Municipal Government was awarded by UN-HABITAT for the improvements in shelter and the urban environments.[6][7]

Economy

Baotou is the largest economy of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,[8] with a GDP value of 340.95 billion RMB in 2012, representing a 12.6% rise over the previous year, accounting for approximately 21.3% of the province's total.[9]

Baotou Xingsheng Economic & Technological Development Zone is an industrial zone in Baotou. The mines in Bayan Obo are the greatest source of rare-earth metals globally. In 2005, they accounted for 45% of the total production on earth.[10]

As noted, in the early Communist years Baotou served as an industrial centre, with a significant portion of its economy coming from its industry around metals, mostly steel. The Iron and Steel Base of Bautou was constructed with the help of the Soviet Union to help China in developing its economy; It is one of those 156 projects that the Soviets helped building for that purpose in the 1950s and 1960s.

Demographics
Badekar Monastery

Ethnic groups in Baotou, 2000 census.

Ethnicity Population Percentage
Han Chinese 2,122,737 94.16%
Mongol 67,209 2.98%
Hui Chinese 36,234 1.61%
Manchu 22,826 1.01%
Korean 848 0.04%

Prominent locations
  • The 39,000 capacity Baotou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium[11](包头奥林匹克体育中心) is the main sports venue in the city and is used mostly for football matches.
Saihantalah Grasslands Park, central Baotou
  • Saihantalah Grasslands Park (赛汗塔拉城中草原) or Ecological Reserve is a large urban park in central Baotou, in the Qingshan district. The 5.5 km square park is home to thirty wild animals and birds species and is reputedly one of the largest urban parks in China. It is a popular recreational location and attracts 2 million visitors a year.
  • The largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Inner Mongolia, Badekar Monastery is located in Shiguai District.[12]
  • The Baotou Tailings Dam or Weikuang Dam is a tailings dam about 20 kilometres outside the main city of Baotou. It is owned by Baotou Steel and contains the waste from rare earth mineral refineries. In 2015, BBC journalist Tim Maughan wrote that the dam was a "toxic lake" and the area like "hell on earth." He said he was unable to tell where the refineries ended and the city began. He compared the city to images in the movie Tron, where "the side streets are filled with drunk, vomiting refinery workers that spill from bars and barbecue joints."[13] In 2016, serious contamination of farming land in the dam's immediate vicinity was formally identified by Chinese researchers.[14] The rare earth minerals are mined in Bayan Obo Mining District, about 120 kilometres from Baotou and are used in the manufacture of many modern electronics, including smartphones, TVs and wind turbines.

Transportation

Geography and climate

Baotou is located in the west of Inner Mongolia, located at the junction of two economic zones: the Bohai Economic Rim and the Upper Yellow River Natural Resources Enrichment Zone (黄河上游资源富集区). Its administrative area borders Mongolia's Dornogovi Province to the north, while the Yellow River, which flows for 214 kilometres (133 mi) in the prefecture,[15] is south of the urban area itself. The Tumochuan Plateau (土默川平原), Hetao Plateau, and Yin Mountains cross the urban area and central part of the prefecture. Baotou City ranges in latitude from 41° 20' to 42° 40' N and in longitude from 109° 50' to 111° 25' E.

Baotou features a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk), marked by long, cold and very dry winters, hot, somewhat humid summers, and strong winds, especially in spring. Temperatures often fall below −15 °C (5 °F) in winter and rise above 30 °C (86 °F) in summer. The annual precipitation is approximately 300 millimetres (11.8 in), with more than half of it falling in July and August alone. Due to the aridity and elevation, temperature differences between day and night can be large, especially in spring. In 2002, there were 12 instances of dust storms.[15]


Climate data for Baotou (1971−2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 7.4
(45.3)		 15.9
(60.6)		 20.4
(68.7)		 34.4
(93.9)		 35.9
(96.6)		 36.7
(98.1)		 39.2
(102.6)		 37.6
(99.7)		 35.0
(95.0)		 27.5
(81.5)		 19.3
(66.7)		 10.1
(50.2)		 39.2
(102.6)
Average high °C (°F) −4.1
(24.6)		 0.4
(32.7)		 7.6
(45.7)		 16.9
(62.4)		 23.9
(75.0)		 28.2
(82.8)		 29.6
(85.3)		 27.1
(80.8)		 22.1
(71.8)		 14.8
(58.6)		 5.2
(41.4)		 −2.3
(27.9)		 14.1
(57.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) −11.1
(12.0)		 −6.8
(19.8)		 0.7
(33.3)		 9.5
(49.1)		 16.7
(62.1)		 21.4
(70.5)		 23.2
(73.8)		 21.0
(69.8)		 15.0
(59.0)		 7.3
(45.1)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 −9.0
(15.8)		 7.2
(44.9)
Average low °C (°F) −16.8
(1.8)		 −12.7
(9.1)		 −5.6
(21.9)		 2.0
(35.6)		 8.7
(47.7)		 13.6
(56.5)		 17.1
(62.8)		 15.3
(59.5)		 8.7
(47.7)		 1.3
(34.3)		 −7.2
(19.0)		 −14.3
(6.3)		 0.8
(33.5)
Record low °C (°F) −31.4
(−24.5)		 −28.8
(−19.8)		 −20.4
(−4.7)		 −10.4
(13.3)		 −3.0
(26.6)		 3.2
(37.8)		 10.5
(50.9)		 4.9
(40.8)		 −2.0
(28.4)		 −11.8
(10.8)		 −20.8
(−5.4)		 −25.6
(−14.1)		 −31.4
(−24.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 2.1
(0.08)		 3.8
(0.15)		 8.3
(0.33)		 8.1
(0.32)		 17.3
(0.68)		 28.0
(1.10)		 81.3
(3.20)		 87.7
(3.45)		 38.7
(1.52)		 17.1
(0.67)		 3.8
(0.15)		 1.4
(0.06)		 297.6
(11.71)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 1.4 2.2 2.9 3.0 4.7 7.0 10.5 10.7 6.9 3.8 1.7 1.5 56.3
Source: Weather China

Administrative divisions

Baotou is divided into 10 county-level divisions, including 7 districts, 1 county and 2 banners.

Map
# Name Mongolian Hanzi Hanyu Pinyin Population
(2010 Census[16])		 Area (km²) Density
(/km²)
1 Hondlon District ᠬᠥᠨᠳᠡᠯᠡᠨ ᠲᠣᠭᠣᠷᠢᠭ
(Köndelen toɣoriɣ)		 昆都仑区 Kūndūlún Qū 726,838 301 2,415
2 Donghe District ᠳᠦᠩᠾᠧ ᠲᠣᠭᠣᠷᠢᠭ
(Düŋhė toɣoriɣ)		 东河区 Dōnghé Qū 512,045 470 1,089
3 Qingshan District ᠴᠢᠩᠱᠠᠨ ᠲᠣᠭᠣᠷᠢᠭ
(Čiŋšan toɣoriɣ)		 青山区 Qīngshān Qū 600,284 396 1,516
4 Xiguit District ᠰᠢᠭᠤᠶᠢᠲᠤ ᠲᠣᠭᠣᠷᠢᠭ
(Siɣuyitu toɣoriɣ)		 石拐区 Shíguǎi Qū 35,803 761 47
5 Bayan'obo Mining District ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠨ ᠣᠪᠣᠭ᠋᠎ᠠ ᠠᠭᠤᠷᠬᠠᠢ ᠶᠢᠨ ᠲᠣᠭᠣᠷᠢᠭ
(Bayan Oboɣ-a Aɣurqai-yin toɣoriɣ)		 白云鄂博矿区 Báiyún Èbó Kuàngqū 26,050 303 86
6 Jiuyuan District ᠵᠢᠦᠶᠤᠸᠠᠨ ᠲᠣᠭᠣᠷᠢᠭ
(Jiü yuvan toɣoriɣ)		 九原区 Jiǔyuán Qū 195,831 734 267
8 Guyang County ᠭᠦᠶᠠᠩ ᠰᠢᠶᠠᠨ
(Güyaŋ siyan)		 固阳县 Gùyáng Xiàn 175,574 5,025 35
9 Tumed Right Banner
(Tumed Barun Banner)		 ᠲᠦᠮᠡᠳ ᠪᠠᠷᠠᠭᠤᠨ ᠬᠣᠰᠢᠭᠤ
(Tümed Baraɣun qosiɣu)		 土默特右旗 Tǔmòtè Yòu Qí 276,453 2,368 116.7
10 Darhan Muminggan United Banner
(Darhan Muminggan Holbot Banner)		 ᠳᠠᠷᠬᠠᠨ ᠮᠤᠤᠮᠢᠩᠭ᠋ᠠᠨ ᠬᠣᠯᠪᠣᠭᠠᠲᠤ ᠬᠣᠰᠢᠭᠤ
(Darqan Muumiŋɣan Qolboɣatu qosiɣu)		 达尔罕茂明安
联合旗		 Dá'ěrhǎn Màomíng'ān
Liánhé Qí		 101,486 17,410 5.8
  • Northern Weapons Park
  • Trip home for lunch, area rebuilt after the earthquake
  • Aobao Shrine
  • Bridge over the Yellow River
  • Baotou chariot and Yurt
  • Main airport road, Baotou
  • Students at Baotou Foreign Languages School playing soccer in the snow

References
  1. Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, ed. (2019). China Urban Construction Statistical Yearbook 2017. Beijing: China Statistics Press. p. 48. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  2. "China: Inner Mongolia (Prefectures, Leagues, Cities, Districts, Banners and Counties) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  3. Millward, James A. "THE CHINESE BORDER WOOL TRADE OF 1880-1937": 38. Retrieved 10 July 2014. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. Owen Lattimore, The Desert to Turkestan, 1928. Pages 7-8.
  5. of the epicenter of the 1996 earthquake
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2018-01-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. http://ww2.unhabitat.org/whd/2002/documents/whd_pressrelease_2.doc%5B%5D
  8. "Baotou (Inner Mongolia) City Information". HKTDC. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  9. "Archived copy" 2012年包头市GDP突破3400亿元. 正北方网. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-01-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. Chengyu Wu (2007). "Bayan Obo Controversy: Carbonatites versus Iron Oxide-Cu-Au-(REE-U)". Resource Geology. 58 (4): 348–354. doi:10.1111/j.1751-3928.2008.00069.x.
  11. Daum 카페. cafe.daum.net. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  12. Yao 姚, Guixuan 桂轩; Di 翟, Wen 文 (1988). 五当召及其在内蒙古历史上的地位 [Wudang Temple and its position in Inner Mongolia's history]. Yinshan Academic Journal (in Chinese) (1).
  13. Maughan, Tim. "The dystopian lake filled by the world´s tech lust". BBC. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  14. Baochuan Li; Nanping Wang; Jianhua Wan; Shengqing Xiong; Hongtao Liu; Shijun Li; Rong Zhao. "In-situ gamma-ray survey of rare-earth tailings dams - A case study in Baotou and Bayan Obo Districts, China" (PDF). Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 151 (2016). Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  15. 地理气候 (in Chinese). Baotou People's Government. Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
  16. China - Neimenggu Zizhiqu (Nei Monggol / Inner Mongolia), GeoHive, 1996-2014
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