Wuwei (Chinese: 武威; pinyin: Wǔwēi) is a prefecture-level city in northwest central Gansu province. In the north it borders Inner Mongolia, in the southwest, Qinghai. Its central location between three western capitals, Lanzhou, Xining, and Yinchuan makes it an important business and transportation hub for the area. Because of its position 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.
History
The Silk Road in its entirety.Wuwei Confucian temple.
In ancient times, Wuwei was called Liangzhou (涼州—the name retained by today's Wuwei's central urban district) 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,[1] and a number of important archaeological finds were uncovered from Wuwei, including ancient copper carts with stone animals.[2] 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.[3] It became an important provincial capital during the Former Han Dynasty as the Hou Hanshu makes clear:
"In the third year [170 CE], Meng Tuo, the Inspector of Liangzhou (modern Wuwei), 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 (Karashahr), Qiuci (Kucha), and the Nearer and Further Kingdoms of Jushi (Turfan and Jimasa), altogether numbering more than 30,000, to punish Shule (Kashgar). They attacked the town of Zhenzhong (Arach) but, having stayed for more than forty days without being able to subdue it, they withdrew. Following this, the kings of Shule (Kashgar) killed one another repeatedly and, for its part, the Imperial Government was unable to prevent it."[4]
In 121 BC Han emperor Wudi brought his cavalry here to defend the Hexi Corridor against the Xiongnu Huns. His military success allowed him to expand the corridor westward. Its importance as a stop along the Silk Road made it a crossroads of cultures and ethnic groups from all over central Asia. Numerous Buddhistgrottoes and temples in the area attest to its role as a path for bringing Buddhism from India and Afghanistan to China.
During the Three Kingdoms period (184-280), Liangzhou was governed by Ma Teng. After the death of Ma Teng, Ma Chao assumed the post and governed the province for a short time before it fell into the hands of Cao Cao, ruler of Wei Kingdom.
Liangzhou was briefly (from 400 to 421) a state during the Sixteen Kingdoms period.
Famous cultural relics from Wuwei include the Galloping Bronze Horse (铜奔马), Western Xia mausoleums(西夏碑), Wuwei White Towers Temple (白塔寺), Tianti Mountain Grotto (天梯山石窟), Luoshi(Kumārajīva) Temple (罗什寺塔), and the Confucian temple (文庙).
Geography and climate
Wuwei is located in the Hexi Corridor between the Tibetan plateau and Mongolian Plateau. The south of Wuwei is higher than the north, with an elevation ranging from 1,020 to 4,874 metres (3,346 to 15,991 ft) above sea-level. Its area is 33,000 km2 (13,000 sq mi). Average annual temperature is 7.8 °C (46.0 °F). The climate is a cold desert climate (KöppenBWk), with precipitation between 60 and 610 mm (2.4 and 24.0 in). Evaporation is from 1,400 to 3,000 mm (55 to 118 in), creating a net loss of water each year. There are 2200–3000 sunlight hours each year and 85–165 frost free days. Summer temperatures can be in excess of 45.0 °C (113.0 °F), in the shade are by no means unheard of.
Southwest of Wuwei, there is a 230 metres (750 ft) thick Tianzhu Formation made of clastics intercalated with sandy shale and shale.[5] Minerals deposits occurring in the vicinity of Wuwei include graphite, iron, titanium, and limestone.
Climate data for Wuwei (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–2010)
#No data, estimated based on the published sex ratio
Education Level
National Census
University Education (including associate degree)
High School Education
Secondary Education
Primary Education
illiteracy
Total
%
Total
%
Total
%
Total
%
Total
%
5th
33,927*
2.08%
182,774*
11.22%
504,999*
31.01%
738,388*
45.34%
168,499
10.35%
6th
98,932
5.84%
257,772
15.23%
681,562
40.26%
540,193
31.91%
114,475
6.76%
7th
184,994
13.69%
207,940
15.38%
456,779
33.79%
418,200
30.94%
83,812
6.20%
Observation
*Estimation, the original data is the number of people educated per 100,000 people. The number of people educated per 100,000 people in universities, high schools, junior high schools, and primary schools is 1847, 9950, 27491, and 40197, respectively
Age Distribution and Population Pyramid
The 5th, 6th, and 7th National Census of Wuwei - Gender and Age Structure[14]
National Census
7th
6th
5th
Age Group(years)
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
0-4
44,485
40,263
48,981
39,046
70,504
48,496
5-9
46,339
40,519
53,974
41,208
100,743
84,294
10-14
47,440
39,429
73,286
56,878
109,253
100,793
15-19
42,418
33,600
98,852
86,983
75,924
72,156
20-24
31,309
29,028
81,607
82,949
50,148
50,967
25-29
42,722
42,670
58,238
58,222
90,740
90,367
30-34
50,031
52,066
50,724
47,871
107,026
108,502
35-39
42,347
42,627
86,543
86,548
85,427
86,072
40-44
39,740
38,369
100,781
102,535
52,819
48,012
45-49
70,821
74,010
78,779
81,645
56,282
51,909
50-54
83,149
87,007
48,773
44,674
42,428
41,012
55-59
64,464
67,021
50,627
48,153
35,440
33,260
60-64
38,398
35,821
35,973
36,379
30,846
29,633
65-69
40,668
40,442
28,436
28,213
22,239
22,436
70-74
26,799
28,670
20,116
20,960
10,766
10,577
75 or above
29,176
33,107
17,797
19,308
8,466
9,449
Population Pyramid of Wuwei
The following pictures are based on The 5th, 6th, and 7th National Census of Wuwei - Gender and Age Structure[14]
Birth Rate, Mortality Rate, and Natural Growth Rate in Wuwei
Legend
↑Natural growth rate increased compared to the previous year
↓Natural growth rate decreased compared to the previous year
*There is currently no data available
Year
Birth Rate(‰)
Mortality Rate(‰)
Natural Growth Rate(‰)
Trend of Three Rates
2000
13.33
5.57
7.76
Green Line: Birth Rate Red Line: Mortality Rate;
Grey Line: Natural Growth Rate
2001
11.97
5.21
6.76↓
2002
*
*
6.28↓
2003
*
*
5.59↓
2004
*
*
5.61↓
2005
*
*
5.81↑
2006
*
*
6.29↑
2007
*
*
6.43↑
2008
*
*
6.69↑
2009
*
*
6.69
2010
*
*
5.36↓
2011
*
*
5.28↓
2012
10.52
5.23
5.29↓
2013
10.57
5.26
5.31↑
2014
10.61
5.28
5.33↑
2015
10.81
5.31
5.50↑
2016
10.83
5.81
5.02↓
2017
11.38
6.22
5.16↑
2018
9.42
6.18
3.24↓
2019
9.21
6.32
2.89↓
2020
*
*
-2.12↓
2021
8.93
10.21
-1.98↑
2022
7.84
10.55
-2.72↓
2023(Expected)
8.09
10.43
-2.35↑
2028(Expected)
6.63
13.32
-6.70
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:
790 square kilometres (310 sq mi) of water
34,800 square kilometres (13,400 sq mi) of forest
355,300 square kilometres (137,200 sq mi) of grassland.
247,000 square kilometres (95,000 sq mi) of “undeveloped” land.
39,100 square kilometres (15,100 sq mi) of farmland.
8,000 square kilometres (3,100 sq mi) of corn
4,000 square kilometres (1,500 sq mi) of vegetables
3,000 square kilometres (1,200 sq mi) of melons
5,000 square kilometres (1,900 sq mi) for livestock
800 square kilometres (310 sq mi) of vineyards
Transport
Railway
There are two railway lines that pass through Wuwei, namely the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway and the Gantang-Wuwei Railway. Both are east-west railway lines. Since there are no north-south railway lines crossing Wuwei, there are no railway lines passing through Minqin County which lies in the northern part of Wuwei, therefore, there are no railway stations in Minqin.
There exist various railway stations in Liangzhou District, Gulang County and Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County. Wuwei Railway Station (second-class station) is the largest train station in terms of passenger traffic in Wuwei. It is located 303 kilometers east of Lanzhou Station and 1,589 kilometers west of Urumqi Railway Station.
^Juhl, Susanne (1998). "Burial Sites in Hexi". In Atabaki, Touraj; O'Kane, John (eds.). Post-Soviet Central Asia. Tauris Academic Studies. pp. 370–371.
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