Jiuquan (酒泉)

1. Introduction

Jiuquan City, historically known as Suzhou, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Gansu Province, the People's Republic of China. It is located in the northwest of Gansu Province, at the western end of the Hexi Corridor. The city borders Zhangye City to the southeast, nearly surrounds Jiayuguan City, adjoins Haixi Prefecture of Qinghai Province to the south, reaches Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture and Hami City of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the west, and connects with the Alxa League of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Mongolia to the north. Situated between the Altun Mountains, Qilian Mountains, and Mazong Mountains, its southern part consists of gravelly Gobi at the piedmont of the Qilian Mountains, the central area is the Hexi Corridor, and the northern part features denuded low mountains and residual hills, interspersed with various-sized oases. Major rivers include the Shule River, Heihe River, and Danghe River. With a total area of 168,080 square kilometers and an east-west span of 600 kilometers, it is the largest prefecture-level city in Gansu Province by area. The population is 1.1194 million, and it administers one district, two county-level cities, and four counties on behalf of the provincial government. The municipal government is located in Suzhou District.

Jiuquan was one of the Four Commanderies of Hexi during the Han Dynasty and has historically been a crucial transportation hub connecting the Central Plains to the Western Regions, as well as a significant town on the Silk Road. Dunhuang City, administered by Jiuquan, was also one of the Four Commanderies of Hexi and contains two Han Dynasty passes within its territory: Yangguan and Yumenguan. After the gradual decline of the Silk Road, the importance of Jiuquan City also diminished. Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Jiuquan established the first petroleum base and became an important center for nuclear industry and aerospace.

Jiuquan is a key agricultural production area in Gansu Province, producing wheat, broomcorn millet, cotton, and other crops. Its industry primarily focuses on new energy technology. Jiuquan boasts rich cultural and tourism resources, most concentrated within Dunhuang City, including the Mogao Caves, Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring, Leiyin Temple, Dunhuang Yardang National Geopark, among others. The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is also closely associated with Jiuquan.

2. Historical Origins of the Name

Jiuquan, also known as "Golden Spring" due to legends of gold in its waters. Historical records state that in the second year of the Yuanshou era of Emperor Wu of Han (121 BCE), General Huo Qubing led a western expedition against the Xiongnu and achieved a great victory here. Legend has it that Emperor Wu bestowed imperial wine as a reward, but Huo Qubing, believing the credit belonged to the entire army and with more men than wine, poured the wine into the spring so that all soldiers could drink together. Hence, the name "Jiuquan" (Wine Spring) originated. Another account suggests Jiuquan was named for "a spring beneath the city, with water like wine" (as annotated by Ying Shao in the Book of Han·Treatise on Geography).

3. History

After the establishment of the Western Han Dynasty, the areas of Jiuquan and Dunhuang remained under the control of the Hunye King, a subordinate of the Xiongnu Right Virtuous King, known as the Xiongnu Right Territory, and they continuously raided the Central Plains. In the summer of the second year of the Yuanshou era (121 BCE), Emperor Wu of Han launched the second Hexi Campaign. The Hexi Campaign completely destroyed the Xiongnu's effective forces, and the Hexi region was thereafter incorporated into the territory of the Western Han Dynasty. After recovering the Hexi region, the Western Han successively established the four commanderies of Jiuquan, Zhangye, Dunhuang, and Wuwei, historically known as the "Four Hexi Commanderies." Two military passes, Yangguan and Yumenguan, were established in Dunhuang. The seat of the commandery was called Lufu County. In 8 CE, Wang Mang declared himself emperor, continued the commandery-county system, and established Fuping Commandery (originally Jiuquan Commandery) and Dunde Commandery (originally Dunhuang Commandery). In February 24 CE, General Liushui, Dou Rong, led his troops to surrender to Liu Xuan and was appointed as the Chief Commandant of Zhangye Dependent State. After Liu Xiu established the Eastern Han regime, Wei Xiao and others fled back to Tianshui. The governors of the five Hexi commanderies—Liang Tong (Wuwei Commandery), Ku Jun (Jincheng Commandery), Shi Bao (Zhangye Commandery), Zhu Zeng (Jiuquan Commandery), and Xin Tong (Dunhuang Commandery)—recommended Dou Rong to "act as the General of Military Affairs for the Five Hexi Commanderies," establishing a separatist Hexi regime. In the tenth year of the Jianwu era (34 CE), Dou Rong allied with the Eastern Han forces to attack Wei Chun from both east and west, leading to Wei Chun's surrender. Emperor Guangwu enfeoffed Dou Rong as the Marquis of Anfeng, who continued to administer Hexi. During the Eastern Han period, the territory of Jiuquan comprised the two commanderies of Jiuquan and Dunhuang, under the jurisdiction of the Inspectorate of Liangzhou. In the first year of the Xingping era of the Eastern Han (194 CE), the Eastern Han established Yongzhou, appointing Zhang Meng, a native of Dunhuang, as the Governor of Wuwei. At the end of the Han Dynasty, Zhang Jin established a separatist regime in Zhangye, while Huang Hua occupied Jiuquan.

In the twentieth year of the Jian'an era (215 CE), Cao Cao incorporated the Longyou region into his domain. In the first year of the Huangchu era of Emperor Wen of Wei (220 CE), Liangzhou was established in Hexi to govern the Hexi region and oversee the Western Regions. Within Jiuquan territory, the two commanderies of Jiuquan and Dunhuang were placed under the Inspectorate of Liangzhou. In the fifth year of the Yuankang era of Emperor Hui of Jin (295 CE), Lufu County was renamed Fulu County, and Jinchang Commandery was added, administering eight counties. These included Yīhé, Yīwú, Míng'ān, Yuānquán, Guǎngzhì, and Xīnxiāng, originally part of Dunhuang Commandery; Shātou County from Jiuquan Commandery; and the newly established Kuaiji County (separated from Yumen County). The commandery seat was at Ming'an (present-day Suoyang City in Guazhou County). During the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties periods, Jiuquan was successively ruled by the Cao Wei, Western Jin, Former Liang, Former Qin, Later Liang, Western Liang, Northern Liang, Northern Wei, Western Wei, and Northern Zhou regimes. In the third year of the Kaihuang era of Emperor Wen of Sui (583 CE), the title of the Jiuquan Garrison Commander was changed to Garrison Army Commander. Starting from the second year of the Renshou era (602 CE), commanderies were abolished, leaving only the two levels of prefectures and counties. Jiuquan Garrison was changed to Suzhou, with the prefectural governor called Cishi. In the first year of the Guangde era of Emperor Daizong of Tang (763 CE), the Tibetan Empire occupied the Jiuquan area and established the "Suzhou Thousand-Household Prefecture." In the second year of the Dazhong era of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (848 CE), Zhang Yichao, a native of Dunhuang, gained control over the eleven prefectures of Hexi and Longyou, bringing Hexi back under Tang rule.

During the Five Dynasties, Song, and Xia periods, Jiuquan was ruled by the Ganzhou Uyghur Kingdom, the Guiyi Army, and the Western Xia regime. In the third year of the Jingyou era of Emperor Renzong of Song (1036 CE, first year of the Daqing era of Western Xia), Li Yuanhao destroyed the Guiyi Army. In the sixth year of the Xining era of Emperor Shenzong of Song (1073 CE), Western Xia occupied Shazhou. After Li Yuanhao captured Jiuquan, he changed Suzhou to Fanhe Commandery, retained the administrative structures of Guazhou and Shazhou, and incorporated the entire Jiuquan region into Western Xia's domain. In the seventh year of the Zhiyuan era of Emperor Shizu of Yuan (1270 CE), the Suzhou Route Chief Administration was established, headquartered in Suzhou (present-day Suzhou District, Jiuquan City). The local administrative institutions set up within present-day Jiuquan territory included the two routes of Suzhou and Shazhou, and Guazhou as a dependent prefecture. In the fourteenth year of the Zhiyuan era (1277 CE), Shazhou was re-established and placed under the Suzhou Route. In the seventeenth year of the Zhiyuan era (1280 CE), Shazhou was elevated to a Route. Guazhou was changed to a dependent prefecture under the jurisdiction of the Shazhou Route. In the sixteenth year of the Zhiyuan era (1279 CE), the Yuan Dynasty extinguished the Southern Song, unifying the entire country, and the Jiuquan region came under Yuan rule.

In the fifth year of the Hongwu era of Emperor Taizu of Ming (1372 CE), the Ming army pacified the entire Hexi Corridor, and Jiuquan was formally incorporated into Ming territory. In the twenty-eighth year of the Hongwu era (1395 CE), Suzhou Guard, Weiyuan Guard, and Weilu Guard were established within Jiuquan territory. During the Yongle period (1403–1424 CE), to control the area west of Jiayu Pass, the Ming Dynasty established seven tributary guards for the various tribes, predominantly Mongolian, residing in present-day Yumen, Guazhou, Dunhuang, Hami in Xinjiang, and northwestern Qinghai. These were Anding, Aduan, Quxian, Handong, Shazhou, Chijin Mongol, and Hami, appointing tribal leaders to govern them. They are historically known as the Seven Guards West of the Pass, also called the Northwestern Seven Guards or the Mongolian Seven Guards.

In the second year of the Republic of China (1912 CE), Suzhou Directly Administered Prefecture and Anxi Directly Administered Prefecture were reorganized into Ansudao. In the twenty-fifth year of the Republic of China (1936 CE), it was changed to the Seventh Administrative Inspectorate Commissioner's Office of Gansu Province. In 1949, the Chinese People's Liberation Army liberated Jiuquan and established the Jiuquan Administrative Region. In 1959, Jiuquan and Jinta counties merged to establish Jiuquan City (prefecture-level). In 1961, it was downgraded to a county-level city, and Jinta County was restored. In November 1964, Jiuquan City was abolished and reverted to Jiuquan County; the Jiuquan Administrative Region was re-established, with its administrative office located in Jiuquan County. In 1985, Jiuquan County was abolished, and Jiuquan City (county-level) was established. In June 2002, the original Jiuquan Prefecture and county-level Jiuquan City were abolished, and a prefecture-level Jiuquan City was established. The former county-level Jiuquan City was changed to Suzhou District, officially inaugurated in September of the same year.

4. Geography

Jiuquan borders Zhangye City to the east, Qinghai Province to the south, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the west, and the Alxa League of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the north. The renowned Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center spans both Jinta County of Jiuquan City and Ejin Banner under the Alxa League. It is named after Jiuquan because the city provides logistical support for the base, is the nearest city to it, and serves as the base's non-military administrative jurisdiction. Jiuquan covers a total area of 168,000 square kilometers. It enjoys 3,033 to 3,317 hours of annual sunshine, with an average annual temperature ranging from 3.9 to 9.3 degrees Celsius and an average frost-free period of 118 to 159 days, characteristic of a typical temperate arid to semi-arid climate.

Average Meteorological Data for Jiuquan City (1981–2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |----------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|---------|---------|---------|----------| | Avg. High °C | −1.6 | 2.9 | 9.5 | 17.7 | 23.4 | 27.4 | 29.3 | 28.1 | 22.8 | 15.5 | 7 | −0.3 | 15.1 | | Avg. High °F | -29.1 | -37.2 | -49.1 | -63.9 | -74.1 | -81.3 | -84.7 | -82.6 | -73 | -59.9 | -44.6 | -31.5 | -59.3 | | Daily Mean °C | −8.9 | −4.4 | 2.1 | 10.1 | 16.2 | 20.6 | 22.3 | 20.6 | 14.9 | 7.6 | −0.3 | −7.3 | 7.8 | | Daily Mean °F | -16 | -24.1 | -35.8 | -50.2 | -61.2 | -69.1 | -72.1 | -69.1 | -58.8 | -45.7 | -31.5 | -18.9 | -46 | | Avg. Low °C | −14.8 | −10.6 | −3.9 | 3.2 | 8.8 | 13.3 | 15.2 | 13.4 | 8.3 | 1.5 | −5.7 | −12.7 | 1.3 | | Avg. Low °F | -5.4 | -12.9 | -25 | -37.8 | -47.8 | -55.9 | -59.4 | -56.1 | -46.9 | -34.7 | -21.7 | -9.1 | -34.4 | | Avg. Precipitation mm | 1.5 | 1.3 | 5.9 | 3.5 | 7.8 | 14.3 | 18.4 | 17.6 | 10.7 | 3.9 | 2 | 1.5 | 88.4 | | Avg. Precipitation inches | -0.06 | -0.05 | -0.23 | -0.14 | -0.31 | -0.56 | -0.72 | -0.69 | -0.42 | -0.15 | -0.08 | -0.06 | -3.47 | | Avg. Precipitation Days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 2 | 2 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 3 | 5.8 | 7.9 | 6.5 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 39.8 | | Avg. Relative Humidity (%) | 55 | 46 | 42 | 34 | 37 | 45 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 49 | 51 | 57 | 48 | | Monthly Sunshine Hours | 219 | 211.5 | 240.6 | 259 | 293.3 | 283 | 279.1 | 276.9 | 267.5 | 265.1 | 227.1 | 208.6 | 3,030.70 | | Percentage of Possible Sunshine | 74 | 71 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 63 | 62 | 65 | 72 | 77 | 76 | 72 | 68 |

5. Administrative Divisions

Jiuquan City currently administers 1 district, 2 counties, 2 autonomous counties, and has jurisdiction over 2 county-level cities on behalf of the provincial government.

District: Suzhou District County-level Cities: Yumen City, Dunhuang City Counties: Jinta County, Guazhou County Autonomous Counties: Subei Mongol Autonomous County, Aksai Kazakh Autonomous County The Gansu Mining Area (i.e., the China National Nuclear Corporation 404 Factory, a prefecture-level administrative area) directly under the China National Nuclear Corporation is located within Yumen City.

Administrative Divisions Map of Jiuquan City

| Division Code | Division Name | Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | Including: Ethnic Townships | |-------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------|--------------------------------| | 620900 | Jiuquan City | Jiǔquán Shì | 168,080.24 | 1,055,706 | Suzhou District | 735000 | 9 | 53 | 15 | 6 | | 620902 | Suzhou District | Sùzhōu Qū | 3,353.04 | 455,611 | Xibei Street Subdistrict | 735000 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 1 | | 620921 | Jinta County | Jīntǎ Xiàn | 16,663.48 | 121,766 | Jinta Town | 735300 | | 7 | 2 | | | 620922 | Guazhou County | Guāzhōu Xiàn | 23,573.34 | 129,299 | Yuanquan Town | 736100 | | 10 | 5 | 3 | | 620923 | Subei Mongol Autonomous County | Sùběi Měnggǔzú Zìzhìxiàn | 55,262.56 | 15,093 | Dangchengwan Town | 736300 | | 2 | 2 | | | 620924 | Aksai Kazakh Autonomous County | Ākèsài Hāsàkèzú Zìzhìxiàn | 29,195.29 | 10,970 | Hongliuwan Town | 736400 | | 1 | 3 | | | 620981 | Yumen City | Yùmén Shì | 13,314.39 | 137,736 | Yumen Town | 735200 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 2 | | 620982 | Dunhuang City | Dūnhuáng Shì | 26,718.15 | 185,231 | Shazhou Town | 736200 | | 9 | | |

6. Economy

Jiuquan City is one of the more economically developed cities in Gansu Province. It hosts Gansu's only border port—the Mazongshan Port—and its only customs office. Large central and provincial enterprises, such as the Yumen Oilfield, the Qinghai Petroleum Base, and the Nuclear Industry Ministry's Factory 404, are located within its territory. The West-East Gas Pipeline and the West-East Power Transmission Grid traverse the city from east to west. In recent years, the city has been focusing on developing wind power generation.

7. Transportation

7.1 Aviation

Dunhuang Airport, 4C, located in Dunhuang City, Jiuquan. Flights connect to cities such as Urumqi, Xi'an, Beijing, Lanzhou, and Shanghai. Jiayuguan Jiuquan Airport, 4D (also 4E), located near Jiayuguan City at the border of Jiayuguan City and Jiuquan City, shared by both cities. Flights connect to cities such as Chengdu, Xi'an, Beijing, Lanzhou, and Shanghai. Dingxin Airport, 3C, a dual-use military and civilian airport, currently only connects to Beijing.

7.2 Railway

The Lanzhou–Xinjiang Railway has four major stations within Jiuquan: Jiuquan Station (Class II), Qingshui Station (Class II), Yumendong Station (Class II), and Liuyuan Station (Class II). The Second Double-Track Line of the Lanzhou–Xinjiang Railway has four major stations within Jiuquan: Qingshuibei, Jiuquannan, Yumen, and Liuyuannan. The Dunhuang–Golmud Railway runs from Dunhuang City, Jiuquan, to Golmud City, Qinghai. Major stations include: Dunhuang Station, Aksay Station, Subei Station, and Yuka Station. The Jiuquan–Ejin Railway runs from Suzhou District, Jiuquan, to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Major stations include: Jiuquan Station, Suzhou Station, Jinta Station, Dongfengnan Station, and Dongfeng Station.

7.3 Highway

G30 Lianyungang–Khorgas Expressway route within Jiuquan: Qingshui - Suzhou - Yumen - Guazhou - Liuyuan. G7 Beijing–Ürümqi Expressway route within Jiuquan: Baishui - Minggeda. G3011 Liuyuan–Golmud Expressway starts at Dunhuang, Jiuquan: Liuyuan - Dunhuang - Golmud. Jiuquan–Hanggin Expressway / Jiuquan–Hanggin High-Grade Highway / Jiuquan–Hanggin First-Class Highway, under construction. Starts at Suzhou, Jiuquan: Suzhou - Jinta - Dingxin - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center - Ejin - Ceke Port. Jiuquan–Jiayuguan First-Class Highway start: Fukang Road, end: Sports Avenue. National Highway 213 passes through the area. National Highway 312 passes through the area.

7.4 Public Transportation

7.4.1 Urban Public Bus

On September 1, 2023, the Suzhou District Government, in collaboration with the bus company, implemented a major adjustment to the bus routes in Suzhou District.

8. Education

8.1 Higher Education Institutions

Jiuquan City currently has only one regular higher education institution, namely Jiuquan Vocational and Technical College. This is a public full-time higher vocational and technical college, a key supported institution under the national demonstration higher vocational college construction plan, and was selected as one of the first batch of national "Backbone Higher Vocational Colleges" for project construction. The college covers an area of 1,912 mu, with a building area of 271,000 square meters, a library collection of 669,700 volumes, fixed assets of approximately 400 million yuan, multiple teaching departments and majors, and 424 full-time teachers.

8.2 Secondary Education

The secondary education system in Jiuquan City is relatively well-developed, with a total of 55 regular secondary schools, including complete secondary schools, senior high schools, and junior high schools. The following is an overview of some key secondary schools:

• Jiuquan No. 1 Middle School: A prestigious school with over 50 years of history, covering an area of 105 mu and a building area of over 35,000 square meters. It currently has more than 5,100 students and 268 faculty members. The school is well-equipped, excels in teaching quality, and has maintained a high college entrance examination pass rate for many consecutive years.

• Jiuquan Middle School: Founded in 1935, it is one of the key high schools in Gansu Province and has been rated as a provincial-level demonstration regular senior high school. The school boasts strong teaching staff, well-equipped facilities, and outstanding college entrance examination results.

• Jiuquan Experimental Middle School: In recent years, this school has made significant progress in teaching and educational quality, earning recognition for innovative work such as its "Three Comprehensiveness, Four Presences, Five Transformations, and Six Educations" moral education system and the transformation of efficient literacy classrooms.

• Jiuquan No. 4 Middle School: A modern boarding junior high school covering an area of 106 mu and a building area of 14,000 square meters, featuring rich teaching facilities and a beautiful campus environment. The school emphasizes personalized student development, and its teaching quality has improved year by year.

• Quanhu Middle School: Located in Suzhou District, it is a rural nine-year consistent boarding school and has been selected as a typical case school in the sixth batch of rural warm campus construction projects.

8.3 Educational Development and Reform

In recent years, Jiuquan City has implemented a series of measures in the field of education to promote high-quality development:

• High School Reform: Enhancing the quality of high school education through initiatives such as specialized and diversified school operations, deepening performance management reforms, and establishing a high school curriculum research institute.
• Secondary School Entrance Examination Reform: Formulating an implementation plan for secondary school entrance examination reform, optimizing examination and evaluation methods, increasing the proportion of high school admissions, and alleviating anxiety over the diversion between general and vocational education after the secondary school entrance examination.
• Vocational Education: Promoting the integration of industry and education in vocational education, establishing Jiuquan Vocational and Technical University, and achieving excellent results in provincial secondary vocational competitions.
• The higher education institutions and secondary schools in Jiuquan City perform well in terms of infrastructure, teaching staff, and teaching quality, while continuously improving the overall education level through various educational reform measures.

Pingliang City’s higher education is primarily represented by Pingliang Vocational and Technical College, while its secondary education includes several key middle schools and vocational schools. These schools perform well in teaching quality, infrastructure construction, and student development. At the same time, Pingliang City is actively promoting group-based school operations and the development of vocational education to meet the educational needs of students at different levels.

9. Population

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 1,055,706. Compared with the 1,095,947 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was a decrease of 40,241 people over the ten years, a decline of 3.67%, with an average annual growth rate of -0.37%. Among them, the male population was 544,264, accounting for 51.55% of the total population; the female population was 511,442, accounting for 48.45% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 106.42. The population aged 0–14 was 158,457, accounting for 15.01% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 719,420, accounting for 68.15% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 177,829, accounting for 16.84% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 127,293, accounting for 12.06% of the total population. The urban population was 677,750, accounting for 64.2% of the total population; the rural population was 377,956, accounting for 35.8% of the total population.

9.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic group population was 996,672, accounting for 94.41%; the population of various ethnic minorities was 59,034, accounting for 5.59%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han ethnic group population decreased by 48,977, a decline of 4.68%, and its proportion of the total population decreased by 1 percentage point; the population of various ethnic minorities increased by 8,736, a growth of 17.37%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 1 percentage point. Among them, the Dongxiang ethnic group population increased by 4,848, a growth of 24.68%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 0.53 percentage points; the Hui ethnic group population increased by 2,232, a growth of 17.79%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 0.26 percentage points; the Tibetan ethnic group population increased by 770, a growth of 16.13%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 0.09 percentage points; the Mongolian ethnic group population decreased by 273, a decline of 5.25%, and its proportion of the total population decreased by 0.01 percentage points; the Kazakh ethnic group population increased by 442, a growth of 14.41%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 0.05 percentage points; the Yugur ethnic group population increased by 133, a growth of 6.61%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 0.02 percentage points.

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10. Culture

As an important prefecture-level city in Gansu Province, Jiuquan City possesses profound historical and cultural heritage as well as rich cultural resources.

10.1 Cultural Heritage and Preservation

Jiuquan City is a crucial node along the Silk Road, endowed with abundant historical and cultural relics. The city boasts 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 20 nationally designated key cultural relics protection units. In recent years, Jiuquan has placed high importance on the preservation and transmission of its cultural heritage, implementing multiple protective measures. These include the study of Dunhuangology and the safeguarding of national-level intangible cultural heritage projects such as the carving of Luminous Cups. Furthermore, Jiuquan has established a four-tier intangible cultural heritage list system and promoted the construction of cultural-ecological protection zones like the Dunhuang Cultural-Ecological Protection Area.

10.2 Cultural Tourism Resources

Jiuquan City attracts a large number of tourists with its unique natural landscapes and cultural history. Major attractions include the Mogao Caves, Yumen Pass, Yang Pass, and the Singing Sand Mountains and Crescent Moon Spring. Additionally, Jiuquan actively develops space tourism, such as visiting activities at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Through the integration of culture and tourism, Jiuquan has successfully hosted numerous large-scale cultural and tourism events, including the "Oriental Selection" Jiuquan Tour and the Chinese Poetry Conference.

10.3 Public Cultural Service System

Jiuquan City vigorously develops its public cultural services. The city has constructed several landmark public cultural facilities, such as museums, theaters, and libraries, which are open to the public free of charge. Moreover, by organizing various cultural benefit activities—including artistic performances, intangible cultural heritage exhibitions, and book-sharing sessions—Jiuquan enriches the cultural lives of its residents.

10.4 Intangible Cultural Heritage

Jiuquan City boasts a diverse range of intangible cultural heritage, including Luminous Cup carving, Hexi Baojuan (precious scrolls), and Dunhuang Quzi Opera. The municipal government promotes the protection and transmission of intangible cultural heritage projects by establishing special funds, strengthening publicity and education, and integrating them with tourism to achieve mutual empowerment.

10.5 Cultural Industry Development

Jiuquan City emphasizes the development of its cultural industry, promoting its marketization, industrialization, and branding. In recent years, Jiuquan has been successfully selected as a national pilot city for cultural and tourism consumption and has established multiple cultural-themed scenic areas. Additionally, Jiuquan actively develops cultural and creative products, such as those themed around Dunhuang art.

10.6 Cultural Activities and Festivals

Jiuquan City hosts various cultural activities annually, such as the Huaxia Culture and Art Festival and the Frontier Culture Tourism Festival. Furthermore, by organizing cultural events for traditional festivals like the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Spring Festival, Jiuquan promotes the excellent traditional Chinese culture.

10.7 Cultural Education and Training

Jiuquan City values the cultivation of cultural talents, conducting multiple specialized training sessions for cultural workers to enhance the artistic literacy and professional skills of grassroots cultural personnel. Additionally, Jiuquan has established the "Jiuquan Culture Lecture Hall," promoting the charm of Jiuquan's culture through lectures and promotional activities.

The cultural landscape of Jiuquan City reflects its profound historical and cultural heritage and rich cultural resources. Through the preservation of cultural heritage, the development of cultural tourism, the enhancement of public cultural services, and the cultivation of the cultural industry, Jiuquan is steadily advancing towards its goal of becoming a culturally strong city.

11. Sister Cities

• Gokseong County, South Korea
• Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province
• Bayankhongor City, Mongolia
• Quanzhou City, Fujian Province
• Alxa League, Inner Mongolia

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Named after "the city has a spring, its water like wine."

Su Zhou District

Suzhou District

Han
Dongxiang
Hui
Tibetan
Mongol
Kazakh
Yugur

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