Guazhou County

Guazhou County (Chinese: 瓜州县; pinyin: Guāzhōu Xiàn), formerly (until 2006) Anxi County (安西县; Ānxī Xiàn), is a county in the northwest of Gansu province, the People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Jiuquan City.

Guazhou County

瓜州县
County
Guazhou (pink) within Jiuquan prefecture (yellow) within Gansu (grey)
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceGansu
Prefecture-level cityJiuquan
SeatYuanquan Town
Area
 • Total24,100 km2 (9,300 sq mi)
Population
 (2018)
 • Total128,133
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code
736100

History
Ancient city of Suoyang

Emperor Wudi (140-87 BCE) had the Great Wall extended northwestward all the way to the Gate of Jade (Yumen Pass), the westernmost garrison town near Dunhuang. He then set up a system of garrisons all along this part of the Great Wall and put its headquarters in a town called Anxi (“Tranquil West”) and where the northern and southern Silk Routes historically diverged."[1]

Administrative divisions

Guazhou County is divided to 9 towns, 1 ethnic town, 2 townships, 3 ethnic townships and 1 other.[2]

Towns
  • Yuanquan(渊泉镇)
  • Liuyuan(柳园镇)
  • Sandaogou(三道沟镇)
  • Nancha(南岔镇)
  • Suoyang(锁阳城镇)
  • Guazhou(瓜州镇)
  • Xihu(西湖镇)
  • Hedong(河东镇)
  • Shuangta(双塔镇)
Ethnic towns
  • Yaozhanzi Dongxiang Town(腰站子东乡族镇)
Townships
  • Bulongji Township(布隆吉乡)
  • Lianghu Township(梁湖乡)
Ethnic townships
  • Qidun Huizu Dongxiang Township(七墩回族东乡族乡)
  • Guangzhi Tibetan Township(广至藏族乡)
  • Shahe Hui Township (沙河回族乡)
Others
  • State-owned Xiaowan Farm (国营小宛农场)

Economy

The county's location is ideally suited for wind farms, earning the nickname "world's wind warehouse".[3] From the east the wind blows through a high, narrow valley formed by the Qilian and Beishan mountains, reaching 8.3 metres per second and energy density of 703 watts per cubic metre.[3]

A local windfarm.

Transport

The mainline Lanxin Railway and branch line Dunhuang Railway intersect at Liugou Railway Station in the county. Xiaowan and Guazhou are the two other stations on the Dunhuang Railway located in the county.

There are two national highways running through the country, China National Highway 215 (Hongliuyuan) and China National Highway 312 (Hongliuyuan).

See also

Footnotes
  1. Liu (2010), p. 10.
  2. "统计用区划代码 www.stats.gov.cn" (in Chinese). XZQH. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  3. "Wind power growth in China's deserts ignored financial risks". The Guardian. May 14, 2010.

References
  • Liu, Xinru (2010). The Silk Road in World History. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-533810-2.


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