Huocheng County
霍城县
قورغاس ناھىيىسى
قورعاس اۋدانى
Location of Huocheng County (pink) in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture (yellow) and Xinjiang (light grey)
Location of Huocheng County (pink) in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture (yellow) and Xinjiang (light grey)
Coordinates: 44°00′36″N 80°48′28″E / 44.01000°N 80.80778°E / 44.01000; 80.80778
CountryChina
Autonomous regionXinjiang
Autonomous prefectureIli Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture
Township-level divisions5 towns
3 townships
2 ethnic townships
County seatShuiding (水定镇)
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Huocheng County
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese霍城县
Traditional Chinese霍城縣
Alternative Chinese name
Simplified Chinese霍尔果斯县
Uyghur name
Uyghurقورغاس ناھىيىسى

Huocheng County (Chinese: 霍城县), as the official romanized name, is also transliterated from Uyghur as Korgas County (Uyghur: قورغاس ناھىيىسى; in Kazakh: قورعاس اۋدانى; Chinese: 霍尔果斯县). It is situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and falls under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. The county is located between Yining and the border city of Khorgas, covering an area of 5,466 km2 (2,110 sq mi), with a population of 360,000 (2004 estimate). There are twenty-nine ethnic groups residing in the county, including the Han and Uyghur nationalities.

To the north of Huocheng County is Wenquan County, while the Ili River lies to the south. Its Western side is bordered by Khorgas City, and Yining is located approximately 45 km (28 mi) to the east.

History

Within Huocheng County, lies the significant ruined site of ancient Almaliq. Additionally, the mausoleum of the first khan of Moghulistan, Tughlugh Timur, is also located within the county.

During the 1760s, nine fortresses were constructed in the Ili River Basin, and four of them were situated within the modern Huocheng County. Huiyuan served as the headquarters of the General of Ili, making it the military and administrative center of Xinjiang until the 1860s.

Suiding County (绥定县) was established in 1888, with Suiding as the county seat. In 1914, the western area of Shuiding County was organized into Khorgas County, later abbreviated to Huocheng County, with Gongchen (Khorgas) as county seat. In 1965 Suiding was renamed Shuiding. In 1966, Shuiding County merged into Huocheng County with Shuiding as the county seat of the new Huocheng County. In 2014, Khorgas became a county-level city separate from Huocheng County.

Administrative divisions

Tughlugh Timur Mausoleum (zh), some 30 km northwest of the county seat

The county includes 6 towns, 2 townships, and 1 ethnic township.

Name Simplified Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Uyghur (UEY) Uyghur Latin (ULY) Number of communities Population (thousand) Land area (km2)
Towns
Shuiding Town
(Süydüng Town)
水定镇 Shuǐdìng Zhèn سۈيدۈڭ بازىرى süydüng baziri 13 3 14.9
Qingshuihe Town
(Chingsixoza Town)
清水河镇 Qīngshuǐhé Zhèn چىڭسىخوزا بازىرى chingsixoza baziri 15 46.7 185.2
Lucaogou Town
(Losigung Town)
芦草沟镇 Lúcǎogōu Zhèn لۇسىگۇڭ بازىرى lusigung baziri 11 35.4 346
Huiyuan Town
(Küre Town)
惠远镇 Huìyuǎn Zhèn كۈرە بازىرى küre baziri 4 21.4 138.6
Sarbulaq Town 萨尔布拉克镇 Sà'ěrbùlākè Zhèn ساربۇلاق بازىرى sarbulaq baziri 11 28.2 431.7
Lengger Town 兰干镇 Lángàn Zhèn لەڭگەر بازىرى lengger baziri 13 3 14.9
Townships
Sendoxoza Township
(Sandaohe Township)
三道河乡 Sāndàohé Xiāng سەندوخوزا يېزىسى sendoxoza yëzisi 3 9.3 78.7
Dashigu Township
(Daxigou Township)
大西沟乡 Dàxīgōu Xiāng داشىگۇ يېزىسى dashigu yëzisi 7 10.8 252.7
Ethic Township
Sendoxoza Township
(Sandaohe Township)
三宫乡
(三宫回族乡)
Sāngōng Xiāng
(Sāngōng Huízú Xiāng)
سەنگۇڭ خۇيزۇ يېزىسى sengung xuyzu yëzisi 5 15 126.9

Climate

Climate data for Huocheng (1981−2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) −2.0
(28.4)
1.1
(34.0)
10.9
(51.6)
20.7
(69.3)
25.7
(78.3)
29.8
(85.6)
31.8
(89.2)
31.3
(88.3)
26.6
(79.9)
18.2
(64.8)
9.0
(48.2)
0.7
(33.3)
17.0
(62.6)
Average low °C (°F) −12.8
(9.0)
−9.3
(15.3)
−0.3
(31.5)
6.8
(44.2)
11.7
(53.1)
15.4
(59.7)
16.9
(62.4)
15.2
(59.4)
10.2
(50.4)
3.9
(39.0)
−1.7
(28.9)
−9.1
(15.6)
3.9
(39.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 15.5
(0.61)
18.4
(0.72)
20.5
(0.81)
24.2
(0.95)
24.2
(0.95)
28.5
(1.12)
26.2
(1.03)
12.6
(0.50)
12.2
(0.48)
26.1
(1.03)
25.5
(1.00)
21.1
(0.83)
255
(10.03)
Source: National Meteorological Center of CMA[1]

Economy

In agriculture, the local population cultivate wheat, corn and other crops including sugar beet, cotton, tobacco, apples, animal husbandry with cattle and sheep.

The main minerals extracted in the area include coal, phosphorus, iron, gold, silver, copper, limestone, Iceland spar and marble, etc.

Transport

Huocheng is served by China National Highway 312 and the Jinghe-Yining-Khorgas Railway.

There is a border crossing into Kazakhstan at Khorgas, where the road continues to Zharkent in Panfilov District.

The Jinghe–Yining–Khorgas Railway through Huocheng county was completed in 2010, reaching practically to the Kazakhstan border. There are plans to construct a connecting railway line on the Kazakh side, creating China's second railway link to Central Asia besides Alashankou.[2]

References

  1. ^ 1981年-2010年(霍城)月平均气温和降水 (in Simplified Chinese). National Meteorological Center of CMA. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  2. ^ 中国2010年将建成第二条通往中亚铁路_星岛环球网.