In the early 1930s, Birger Bohlin studied the paleontology of the region (then called Taban Buluk).[3]
In 1937, Subei Shezhiju (肅北設治局) was established.[1]
On July 22, 1950, PLA forces entered the Subei area. The county-level Subei Autonomous District (肅北自治區), predecessor of the Subei Mongol Autonomous County, was established on July 29, 1950. The area became county-level Subei Mongol Autonomous District (肃北蒙古族自治区) in 1953. In 1955, the area became Subei Mongol Autonomous County.[1][4]
In September 1992, with the approval of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, the only international border crossing in Gansu Province was opened in the Mazongshan area of Subei Mongol Autonomous County.[1]
Horse shows and races are held periodically in the county.[5][6]
Climate
A large part of Subei is in the Gobi Desert. The county has been subject to large dust storms with noted incidents in May 2011[7] and June 2016.[8] There are glaciers in some parts of the county.[9]
Source: China Meteorological Data Service Center[10]
Administrative divisions
Subei Mongol Autonomous County is divided into two towns and two townships. The county's administrative seat ("capital") is the town of Dangchengwan.[11][1][12][4]
Subei is home to Deed Mongols (Upper Mongols) who migrated to the area.[13] In 1996, the Mongol ethnicity population was 37.5% of the county's total population.[4]
^ abcd肃北蒙古族自治县历史沿革 [Subei Mongol Autonomous County Historical Development] (in Simplified Chinese). XZQH.org. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2019. 1950年7月29日建立肃北自治区（县级），1953年改肃北蒙古族自治区（县级），1955年改为肃北蒙古族自治县。{...}1996年，肃北蒙古族自治县面积6.6万平方千米，人口1.1万人，其中蒙古族占37.5%。辖2个镇、6个乡：党城湾镇、马鬃山镇、石包城乡、盐池湾乡、别盖乡、党城乡、鱼儿红乡、明水乡。{...}2000年第五次人口普查，全县常住总人口13046人，其中，党城湾镇4573人，马鬃山镇2789人，党城乡2752人，别盖乡696人，石包城乡1035人，盐池湾乡515人，鱼儿红乡248人，鱼儿红牧场438人。{...}2010年第六次人口普查，肃北蒙古族自治县常住总人口14979人，其中，党城湾镇9792人，马鬃山镇3610人，石包城乡1577人。 2013年，恢复盐池湾乡。
^Owen Fishwick; Li Xiaoxu (6 September 2016). "The warrior spirit enlivens the plains in Gansu". Gansu province official website, China Daily. Retrieved 25 October 2019. In more recent times, people from a range of ethnicities, including Mongol, Kazakh and Han attend the Nadam Festival held in the Mongolian autonomous county of Subei in Gansu. The event begins each year between July and August in the solar calendar.
^"Stunning horse show in Gansu". China News Service. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. A horse rider shows a stunt during an equestrian performance in Subei Mongol Autonomous County, Northwest China's Gansu Province. The riders from a local club made all kinds of moves on the running horses, such as standing on two horses in racing ahead. (Photo: China News Service/Yang Fan)
^董开炜 (22 May 2011). 周婉婷 (ed.). 敦煌肃北昨现沙尘暴. People's Daily (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 25 October 2019. 5月21日晚，肃北、敦煌风沙弥漫，气象部门随即发布沙尘暴黄色预警信息。沙尘暴抵达肃北县的时间是当日19时06分，风速8-9米/秒，最大能见度800米。
^董开炜 (25 June 2016). 杨晨雨 (ed.). 肃北、阿克塞昨遭大风沙尘暴袭击. Gansu Daily 甘肃日报 (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 25 October 2019. 当日早8时，肃北县城天昏地暗，尘土弥漫，能见度较低，上班的人们纷纷戴着口罩、裹着头巾出门，过往车辆全都亮起警示灯缓慢行进。当日，沙尘天气侵袭国道215线，交通受到影响。据当地气象部门预报，肃北6月24日风速达到18.4米每秒，最小能见度585米，持续了大概2小时。沙尘暴约当日6时结束，后转为浮尘天气，能见度也缓慢上升。据了解，6月份出现沙尘暴在肃北较为罕见。
^Mátyás Balog (2013). "Review: Mongolian Language Scholarship on the Mongols of the Gansu-Qinghai Region". Asian Highlands Perspectives: 320 – via Internet Archive. The Mongols in Qinghai and Gansu provinces are most often referred to as Deed Mongols 'Upper Mongols' or Hoshuud, though Güüshi Han's army also included some Torguud, Hoid (a minor tribe), and Choros troops. After a couple of decades in the region west of Kuku-Nor, some Deed Mongols migrated northwards to Dunhuang in Gansu Province, and their descendants currently live there in Subei Mongol Autonomous County.
《中华民族》 大美肃北 第一集 净土：随善良质朴肃北人民 赏净土山水草原大美风光 20190819 | CCTV ('The Chinese People- Majestic Subei Part One: Pure Land: Enjoying the Mountains, Waters, Grasslands and Beautiful Scenery of the Pure Land with the Warm-hearted and Plain Folk of Subei Aug 19 2019 CCTV') (in Chinese)
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