Pingliang (平凉)

1. Introduction

Pingliang is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Gansu Province, People's Republic of China. It is located in the eastern part of Gansu Province, at the convergence of the three provinces and regions of Shaanxi, Gansu, and Ningxia. The city borders Baiyin City to the northwest, Dingxi City to the west, Tianshui City to the southwest, Baoji City of Shaanxi Province to the southeast, Xianyang City of Shaanxi Province to the east, Qingyang City to the northeast, and Guyuan City of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to the north. Situated in the western part of the Longdong Loess Plateau, the terrain is high in the center and low on the eastern and western sides. The eastern part consists of loess plateau gullies, the central part is the Liupan Mountain range, and the western part features ridges, hills, and gullies. The two counties in the west belong to the Wei River water system, while the five counties and districts in the east belong to the Jing River water system. The Jing River flows from west to east across the central region. The city covers a total area of 11,171 square kilometers with a population of 2.098 million. The municipal people's government is located in Kongtong District. Pingliang was a crucial town on the ancient "Silk Road," known as the "Dry Port" and "The First City West of Chang'an." The famous Taoist mountain, Kongtong Mountain, is located within its territory.

nix

2. History

In the first year of the Jiande era of the Northern Zhou Dynasty (572 AD), Pingliang County was established and placed under the jurisdiction of the Changcheng Commandery of Yuanzhou. In the first year of the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty (742 AD), prefectures were renamed commanderies, and Yuanzhou was changed to Pingliang Commandery. In the fourth year of the Zhenyuan era (788 AD), the administrative system of Pingliang County was restored. In the nineteenth year of the Zhenyuan era (803 AD), the provisional Yuanzhou, which had been temporarily established in Baili Town of Lingtai County, was relocated to Pingliang City. In the fourth year of the Yuanhe era (809 AD), a provisional Weizhou was established in Pingliang, and Pingliang County was abolished. In the first year of the Guangming era (880 AD), the Tibetan Empire captured Pingliang City. In the second year of the Qingtai era of the Later Tang Dynasty (935 AD), Pingliang County was re-established, initially belonging to Jingzhou and later transferred to Weizhou.

In the seventh year of the Zhenghe era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1117 AD), Weizhou was elevated to the Pingliang Army Jiedushi. In the ninth year of the Tianhui era of the Jin Dynasty (1131 AD), Weizhou was renamed Pingliang Prefecture. In the second year of the Tianjuan era (1139 AD), it was renamed Weizhou again. In the twenty-seventh year of the Dading era (1187 AD), Weizhou was elevated to Pingliang Prefecture. In the third year of the Xingding era (1219 AD), the Shaanxi West Circuit Branch Secretariat was established in Pingliang.

During the Yuan Dynasty, Pingliang Prefecture was established and placed under the Shaanxi and Other Regions Branch Secretariat. In the ninth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1376 AD), Pingliang Prefecture was placed under the Shaanxi Provincial Administration Commission. In the eighth year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1669 AD), Pingliang was transferred to the Gansu Pingqing Circuit. In the ninth year of the Xianfeng era (1859 AD), it was renamed the Pingqing Jinggu Patrol Circuit. In the eighth year of the Tongzhi era (1869 AD), it was renamed the Pingqing Jinggu Salt Administration and Military Defense Circuit. In the thirty-third year of the Guangxu era (1907 AD), it was renamed the Pingqing Jinggu Patrol Circuit.

In February 1950, the urban area of Pingliang County was separated to establish Pingliang City. In May, Jingning, Haiyuan, and Xiji counties were transferred from the Dingxi Subdistrict to the Pingliang Subdistrict, while Zhuanglang County was transferred to the Tianshui Subdistrict. In October, Huaping County was renamed Jingyuan County. On October 29, 1953, Xiji, Haiyuan, and Guyuan counties were separated to establish the Xihaigu Hui Autonomous Region of Gansu Province. In October 1955, the Qingyang Special District was merged into the Pingliang Special District. In January 1956, Zhuanglang County was transferred to the Pingliang Special District. In March 1958, Longde and Jingyuan counties were transferred to the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. In December, Pingliang County and Pingliang City were merged. In November 1961, the Qingyang Special District was re-established. On December 15, the administrative systems of Huating, Lingtai, Zhuanglang, and Chongxin counties were restored. In June 1964, Pingliang City was downgraded to Pingliang County.

In July 1983, Pingliang City (county-level) was re-established. In June 2002, the Pingliang Prefecture and the county-level Pingliang City were abolished, and the prefecture-level Pingliang City was established. The former county-level Pingliang City was renamed Kongtong District. In August 2018, Huating County was abolished, and the county-level Huating City was established.

3. Geography

Pingliang is geographically located between 34°54′–35°46′ N latitude and 105°20′–107°51′ E longitude. It borders Xianyang City of Shaanxi Province to the east, Baoji City of Shaanxi Province and Tianshui City of Gansu Province to the south, Dingxi City and Baiyin City of Gansu Province to the west, and Guyuan City of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Qingyang City of Gansu Province to the north. Its terrain is primarily hilly land of the Loess Plateau, with a forest coverage rate of 22.3% and elevations ranging between 890 meters and 2,957 meters above sea level. It covers an area of 11,000 square kilometers and has a population of 2.24 million.

3.1 Climate

The annual average temperature in Pingliang City ranges from 7.4°C to 10.1°C, characterized by a temperate arid to semi-arid climate, transitioning between semi-arid and semi-humid conditions. Annual precipitation ranges from 420 mm to 600 mm. The average total sunshine duration is between 2,144 and 2,380 hours per year, and the frost-free period lasts from 156 to 188 days.

Average Meteorological Data for Kongtong District, Pingliang City (1981–2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |----------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|---------|---------|---------|---------| | Record high °C | 17.3 | 23.4 | 28.4 | 32.6 | 33.4 | 35.9 | 36 | 35 | 33.8 | 27.8 | 22.8 | 17.9 | 36 | | Record high °F | -63.1 | -74.1 | -83.1 | -90.7 | -92.1 | -96.6 | -96.8 | -95 | -92.8 | -82 | -73 | -64.2 | -96.8 | | Average high °C | 2.4 | 5.3 | 11 | 18 | 22.6 | 26.2 | 27.5 | 25.7 | 20.9 | 15.1 | 9.5 | 3.8 | 15.7 | | Average high °F | -36.3 | -41.5 | -51.8 | -64.4 | -72.7 | -79.2 | -81.5 | -78.3 | -69.6 | -59.2 | -49.1 | -38.8 | -60.2 | | Daily mean °C | −4.2 | −0.9 | 4.4 | 10.9 | 15.8 | 19.6 | 21.5 | 20 | 15.2 | 9 | 2.7 | −2.7 | 9.3 | | Daily mean °F | -24.4 | -30.4 | -39.9 | -51.6 | -60.4 | -67.3 | -70.7 | -68 | -59.4 | -48.2 | -36.9 | -27.1 | -48.7 | | Average low °C | −8.9 | −5.5 | −0.6 | 4.9 | 9.5 | 13.4 | 16.2 | 15.3 | 10.8 | 4.6 | −2.0 | −7.2 | 4.2 | | Average low °F | -16 | -22.1 | -30.9 | -40.8 | -49.1 | -56.1 | -61.2 | -59.5 | -51.4 | -40.3 | -28.4 | -19 | -39.6 | | Record low °C | −22.5 | −19.1 | −15.2 | −8.8 | −1.5 | 4.3 | 8.7 | 5.5 | −0.7 | −7.9 | −16.6 | −24.3 | −24.3 | | Record low °F | (−8.5) | (−2.4) | -4.6 | -16.2 | -29.3 | -39.7 | -47.7 | -41.9 | -30.7 | -17.8 | -2.1 | (−11.7) | (−11.7) | | Average precipitation mm | 3.8 | 6 | 13.9 | 26.3 | 45.8 | 64.9 | 104.6 | 98.5 | 69.6 | 37.2 | 7.8 | 2.2 | 480.6 | | Average precipitation inches | -0.15 | -0.24 | -0.55 | -1.04 | -1.8 | -2.56 | -4.12 | -3.88 | -2.74 | -1.46 | -0.31 | -0.09 | -18.94 | | Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 3.6 | 5 | 6.7 | 7.9 | 9.6 | 10.7 | 12.4 | 12.9 | 11.5 | 9.2 | 4.6 | 2.4 | 96.5 | | Average relative humidity (%) | 55 | 56 | 56 | 54 | 58 | 63 | 71 | 76 | 78 | 74 | 64 | 57 | 64 | | Mean monthly sunshine hours | 192.8 | 164.8 | 177.5 | 211.7 | 237.8 | 233 | 229.8 | 216.6 | 168.7 | 173.1 | 180 | 195.2 | 2,381 | | Percentage of possible sunshine | 62 | 54 | 48 | 54 | 55 | 54 | 52 | 52 | 46 | 50 | 58 | 65 | 54 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Pingliang City currently administers 1 district, 5 counties, and oversees 1 county-level city on behalf of the province.

District: Kongtong District County-level City: Huating City Counties: Jingchuan County, Lingtai County, Chongxin County, Zhuanglang County, Jingning County

| Division Code | Division Name | Hanyu Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | Including Ethnic Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|----------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------|--------------------------------| | 620800 | Pingliang City | Píngliáng Shì | 11,171.15 | 1,848,607 | Kongtong District | 744000 | 3 | 70 | 32 | 9 | | 620802 | Kongtong District | Kōngtóng Qū | 1,930.01 | 504,265 | Xijiao Subdistrict | 744000 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 7 | | 620821 | Jingchuan County | Jìngchuān Xiàn | 1,461.28 | 222,210 | Chengguan Town | 744300 | | 11 | 3 | | | 620822 | Lingtai County | Língtái Xiàn | 1,975.85 | 156,224 | Zhongtai Town | 744400 | | 9 | 4 | | | 620823 | Chongxin County | Chóngxìn Xiàn | 849.03 | 82,138 | Jinping Town | 744200 | | 4 | 2 | | | 620825 | Zhuanglang County | Zhuānglàng Xiàn | 1,513.39 | 335,684 | Shuiluo Town | 744600 | | 15 | 3 | | | 620826 | Jingning County | Jìngníng Xiàn | 2,187.65 | 365,637 | Chengguan Town | 743400 | | 17 | 7 | | | 620881 | Huating City | Huátíng Shì | 1,200.73 | 182,449 | Donghua Town | 744100 | | 7 | 3 | 2 |

5. Economy

The most important industry in Pingliang City is agriculture, followed by coal mining and limestone mining. In 2006, the city's gross domestic product was 12.3 billion yuan.

6. Transportation

The G22 Pingding Expressway, G70 Yinwu Expressway, National Highway 312, Baoji–Zhongwei Railway, Xiping Railway, and Tianping Railway pass through Pingliang City.

Pingliang Station is a station along the Baoji–Zhongwei Railway, located 203 kilometers from Baoji Station. It is under the jurisdiction of the Lanzhou Railway Bureau and is classified as a third-class station.

7. Education

7.1 Higher Education Institutions

• Pingliang Open University: Formerly known as the Pingliang Branch of Gansu Radio and Television University, it was established in 1979 and is the only higher education institution in Pingliang City primarily focused on distance and open education. The university offers diverse academic and non-academic education programs, operates multiple teaching sites, and possesses abundant teaching resources and facilities. As of 2022, the university had over 2,200 enrolled students and offered 65 associate and undergraduate majors.

• Gansu Medical College: This college has received strong support in Pingliang City and successfully passed the Ministry of Education's qualification assessment for undergraduate teaching.

7.2 Secondary Schools

• Pingliang No.1 High School (Pingliang Yizhong): Founded in 1905, it is one of the earliest established high schools in Gansu Province and is renowned as the "Top Institution of Higher Learning in Eastern Gansu." The school currently has 48 teaching classes, over 2,800 students, and 207 in-service faculty and staff. Its education and teaching quality consistently ranks first in the city. Furthermore, in 2024, several students from Pingliang No.1 High School were admitted to Tsinghua University and Peking University through their special enrollment programs for high school students.

• Pingliang No.2 High School (Pingliang Erzhong): Established in 1956, it is a municipal exemplary high school with 66 teaching classes, 4,380 students, and 248 faculty and staff. The school emphasizes infrastructure development and the improvement of education and teaching quality.

• Pingliang No.10 High School: This school has initiated an education group-based school operation model aimed at promoting integrated urban-rural development and enhancing education and teaching quality. The group-based model includes classroom teaching, teaching research exchanges, and collective lesson preparation.

7.3 Other Key High Schools

• Zhuanglang County No.1 High School: Founded in 1942, it covers an area of 169 mu and possesses comprehensive teaching facilities and a strong teaching faculty.
• Lingtai County No.1 High School: Founded in 1940, it covers an area of 45.6 mu and is designated as a Gansu Provincial Exemplary Regular High School.
• Jingchuan County No.1 High School: Founded in 1940, it currently has 64 teaching classes and over 4,000 students.
• Jingning County No.1 High School: Founded in 1941, it is an exemplary high school with comprehensive sports and teaching facilities.

7.4 Vocational Education

• Pingliang Information Engineering School: Established in 1985, it offers various vocational education and skills training programs, including 20 majors in fields such as machinery, electronics, and construction.
• Pingliang Agricultural School: Founded in 1956, it offers 22 majors, including landscape horticulture and food biotechnology.
• Pingliang Hengtong Vocational Technical School: Established in 2003, it offers majors such as applied electronic technology and automotive maintenance.

7.5 Overall Education Situation

By the end of 2023, Pingliang City had a total of 1,505 schools at all levels and types. Among them, there were 43,305 students in regular high schools, 75,959 students in junior high schools, and 113,600 students in primary schools. The city's regular higher education institutions enrolled 5,964 new students, with a total enrollment of 19,403 students.

Pingliang City's higher education and secondary school systems are relatively well-developed, covering multiple levels from basic education to higher education, and also showing significant progress in vocational education. Meanwhile, through group-based school operation and education group models, Pingliang City is striving to enhance the balanced development of educational resources between urban and rural areas.

8. Population

According to the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the city's permanent resident population was 2,068,033. Among them, the male population was 1,040,603, accounting for 50.32%; the female population was 1,027,430, accounting for 49.68%. The sex ratio (with females as 100) was 101.28. The population aged 0–14 was 398,005, accounting for 19.25%; the population aged 15–64 was 1,487,252, accounting for 71.92%; and the population aged 65 and above was 182,776, accounting for 8.84%.

By the end of 2015, the city's permanent resident population was 2.098 million, an increase of 5,700 from the end of 2014. The urban population was 760,900, accounting for 36.27% of the permanent resident population, an increase of 1.8 percentage points from the previous year. By age group, the population aged 0–14 was 378,300, accounting for 18.03%; the population aged 15–64 was 1.5273 million, accounting for 72.8%; and the population aged 65 and above was 192,400, accounting for 9.17%. The annual birth rate was 12.31‰, an increase of 0.12 per thousand points from 2014; the mortality rate was 6.23‰, an increase of 0.04 per thousand points from 2014; and the natural growth rate was 6.08‰.

According to the 2020 Seventh National Population Census, the city's permanent resident population was 1,848,607. Compared with the 2,068,033 people from the Sixth National Population Census, this represents a decrease of 219,426 people over ten years, a decline of 10.61%, with an average annual growth rate of -1.12%. Among them, the male population was 924,766, accounting for 50.03% of the total population; the female population was 923,841, accounting for 49.97% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 100.1. The population aged 0–14 was 362,203, accounting for 19.59% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 1,135,367, accounting for 61.42% of the total population; and the population aged 60 and above was 351,037, accounting for 18.99% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 265,748, accounting for 14.38% of the total population. The population residing in urban areas was 827,653, accounting for 44.77% of the total population; the population residing in rural areas was 1,020,954, accounting for 55.23% of the total population.

8.1 Ethnic Groups

The city's population is primarily Han Chinese, with an additional 33 ethnic minorities including Hui, Mongol, Manchu, Tibetan, Yi, Uyghur, Miao, Zhuang, Bouyei, Korean, Dong, Yao, Bai, Tujia, Hani, Kazakh, Li, Lisu, Wa, She, Dongxiang, Tu, Daur, Qiang, Salar, Xibe, Pumi, Tajik, Nu, Bonan, Yugur, Derung, and Hezhen. The ethnic minority population exceeds 162,000, accounting for 7.3% of the city's total population. Among them, the Hui population is approximately 160,000, accounting for 98.8% of the total ethnic minority population. They are distributed across seven townships in Kongtong District—Dazhai, Shangyang, Xiamen, Baimiao, Zhaihe, Daqin, and Xiyang—and two townships in Huating County—Shenyu and Shanzhai, comprising a total of 110 Hui villages and 530 purely Hui communities.

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han Chinese population is 1,695,509, accounting for 91.72%; the various ethnic minority populations total 153,098, accounting for 8.28%. Compared with the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the Han Chinese population decreased by 209,723, a decline of 11.01%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.41 percentage points; the various ethnic minority populations decreased by 9,703, a decline of 5.96%, with their proportion of the total population increasing by 0.41 percentage points.

nix

9. Culture

The cultural landscape of Pingliang City is rich and diverse, boasting profound historical and cultural heritage along with unique regional characteristics.

9.1 Historical Culture and Cultural Heritage

Pingliang City is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization, possessing a long history and abundant cultural heritage. As early as over 3,000 years ago, the Zhou Dynasty created an advanced agricultural culture in the Jing River Basin. Cultural sites from various periods, such as the Yangshao Culture and Qijia Culture, have been discovered within Pingliang, totaling 2,257 sites. The Kongtong Mountain Taoist Culture, the ancient Chengji Fuxi Culture, the Queen Mother of the West Ancient Culture, and the Huangfu Mi Medical Culture are Pingliang's four distinctive and captivating historical and cultural brands. Furthermore, precious cultural relics such as the gold and silver coffin containing Buddhist relics, Western Zhou bronze ware, and Southern Song silver currency boxes have been unearthed in Pingliang, earning it the reputation of "the best in China."

9.2 Protection and Inheritance of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Pingliang City has achieved remarkable results in the protection of intangible cultural heritage. The Pingliang City Cultural Center (Pingliang City Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center) has been recognized as a national advanced collective in intangible cultural heritage protection work. Adhering to the principle of "protection as the priority, rescue as the first task, rational utilization, and inheritance and development," Pingliang has excavated and protected a large number of intangible cultural heritage items, including oral literature, drama, folk art forms, music, dance, fine arts, martial arts, and more. Among these, Kongtong martial arts and paper-cutting have been showcased in exchange performances in multiple countries and regions on numerous occasions.

9.3 Public Cultural Service System

Pingliang City actively promotes the integrated development of urban and rural public cultural service systems to enhance the level of public cultural services. The city has established a four-tier public cultural facility network covering both urban and rural areas, including libraries, cultural centers, art galleries at the city and county levels, and has achieved full coverage of radio and television networks. Additionally, Pingliang organizes various cultural activities, such as "Our Chinese Dream—Culture Enters Ten Thousand Homes" and "A Thousand Cultural Benefit Performances," to meet the spiritual and cultural needs of the people.

9.4 Integration of Culture and Tourism

Pingliang City is committed to building a pioneering zone in Northwest China for the integration of culture, tourism, and wellness, promoting the high-quality development of the culture-tourism-wellness industry through cultural empowerment and business model innovation. With the theme "Inquiring the Way at Kongtong, Nurturing Life in Pingliang," the city has developed several characteristic cultural and tourism streets and rural tourism sites, attracting a large number of visitors. At the same time, Pingliang further enhances its cultural visibility by hosting major festivals and cultural tourism promotion events.

9.5 Cultural Industries and Innovation

Pingliang City actively cultivates new forms of cultural businesses and promotes the transformation and upgrading of cultural industries. By developing traditional cultural industries such as news and publishing, radio, film and television, entertainment performances, and arts and crafts, as well as emerging industries like animation, online games, and digital culture, Pingliang has formed a unique cultural innovation cluster. Furthermore, the city vigorously develops value-added services such as cultural digital processing and mobile cultural information services.

9.6 Red Culture Resources

As an important pass on the ancient Silk Road and one of the early locations where the Communist Party of China established its local organizations, Pingliang City possesses rich red historical and cultural heritage. In recent years, Pingliang has promoted the protection and utilization of red cultural resources by excavating red tourism culture and constructing red memorial halls and scenic spots.

9.7 Museums and Cultural Research

The Pingliang City Museum is a national first-class museum, showcasing abundant historical and cultural resources. Additionally, Pingliang delves into and promotes excellent traditional culture by publishing local chronicles and historical and cultural book series.

9.8 Children's Cultural Activities

Pingliang City places emphasis on the cultivation and development of children's culture, hosting annual events such as the Children's Spring Festival Gala to showcase the spirit and talents of young people. These activities not only enrich the cultural lives of children but also enhance Pingliang's cultural soft power.

The cultural situation in Pingliang City encompasses various aspects, including the protection of historical and cultural heritage, the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage, the construction of a public cultural service system, the integration of culture and tourism, innovation in cultural industries, and children's cultural activities. These measures not only enrich the cultural lives of citizens but also inject new vitality into the development of Pingliang's cultural industries.

10. Sister Cities

• Guyuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

nix

nix

nix

Fu Jian, the ruler of the Former Qin during the Sixteen Kingdoms period, pacified the Liang Kingdom (Former Liang), hence the name Pingliang.

Kongtong District

Kongtong District

Han
Hui
Mongol
Manchu
Tibetan

Sophora japonica

Rose