Shuozhou (朔州)

1. Introduction

Shuozhou City, abbreviated as Shuo, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China, located in the northwestern part of Shanxi Province. The city borders Datong City to the east, Xinzhou City to the south, and reaches Hohhot City and Ulanqab City of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the northwest. Situated in the northeastern part of the Loess Plateau and the southwestern part of the Datong Basin, it is surrounded by mountains on the northern, western, and southern sides: the Hongtao Mountains to the northwest, the Guancen Mountains to the southwest, and the Hengshan Mountains to the southeast. The central and eastern parts consist of the Sanggan River Plain. The Sanggan River and its tributary, the Hui River, flow from west to east through the area, belonging to the Hai River system. To the northwest lies the Cangtou River, which is part of the Yellow River system. The People's Government of Shuozhou City is located at No. 1, Shifu West Street, Shuocheng District. Shuozhou is an energy city dominated by coal and electricity, as well as an important dairy base and ceramic production base in northern China.

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2. History

2.1 Prehistoric Period

Ancient sites such as Shiyu, Bianyao, and Emaokou indicate that human activity in Shuozhou dates back approximately 28,000 years.

2.2 Pre-Qin to Qin and Han Dynasties

Before the Spring and Autumn period, this area was inhabited by the Beidi ethnic minorities. During the Warring States period, it was incorporated into the territory of the State of Zhao. In the 32nd year of Qin Shi Huang's reign (215 BCE), General Meng Tian built a city here named Mayi and established Mayi County, which was placed under the jurisdiction of Yanmen Commandery. During the Western Han Dynasty, the counties of Mayi (present-day Shuocheng District), Zhongling (present-day Pinglu District), Juyang (present-day Ying County), Yinguan (southeast of present-day Shuocheng District), Wangtao (present-day Shanyin County), Lie County (south of present-day Shuocheng District), Loufan (southwest of present-day Shuocheng District), and Shanwu (present-day Youyu County) were established, all under Yanmen Commandery. These counties were abolished by the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

2.3 Two Jins to Sui and Tang Dynasties

During the Western Jin Dynasty, the populations of the counties north of Yanmen Pass were relocated south of the pass, and the land was granted to Tuoba Yilu, the Prince of Dai. In the Northern Wei Dynasty, the area was part of the capital region, with Sanggan Commandery, Fanshi Commandery, and Mayi Commandery established. In the 6th year of Tianbao during the Northern Qi Dynasty (555 CE), the administrative seat of Shuozhou was moved from Shengle (present-day Horinger County, Inner Mongolia) to the southwest of Mayi. In the 8th year of Tianbao, Mayi County was renamed Zhaoyuan County and became the seat of Shuozhou. During the Northern Zhou Dynasty, Shuozhou was elevated to a military command. In the Sui Dynasty, it was changed to Mayi Commandery, governing Shanyang (also known as Kaiyang, southern part of present-day Shuocheng District) and Shenwu (present-day Shanyin and Ying County areas). In the 4th year of Wude during the Tang Dynasty (621 CE), Mayi was changed back to Shuozhou. In the 8th year of Tianbao (742 CE), Shuozhou was again renamed Mayi Commandery.

2.4 Five Dynasties to Yuan Dynasty

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Liao, Jin, and Yuan periods, it was known as Shanyang County. In the 3rd year of Qingtai during the Later Tang Dynasty (936 CE), Shi Jingtang ceded Shuozhou, Huanzhou, and Yingzhou to the Khitan, and Shuozhou came under Liao control. During the Song Dynasty, it served as the seat of Shuoning Prefecture, while in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties, it remained the seat of Shuozhou.

2.5 Ming and Qing Dynasties

Chongfu Temple, originally built in the Tang Dynasty In the 2nd year of Hongwu during the Ming Dynasty, Shanyang County was merged into Shuozhou, and during the Jiajing period, it became the seat of Jibei Circuit. In the Qing Dynasty, it remained Shuozhou, under Datong Prefecture. In the 3rd year of Yongzheng (1725 CE), it was transferred to Shuoping Prefecture.

2.6 Modern Era

In 1912 (the first year of the Republic of China), Shuozhou was renamed Shuoxian County, under Yanmen Circuit. Later, Yanmen Circuit was abolished, and it came directly under Shanxi Province.

In 1946, Shuoxian was captured by the Chinese Communist Party and placed under Chahar Province. In 1952, Chahar Province was dissolved, and it returned to Shanxi Province. On January 5, 1989, it was officially established as a city, governing Shuocheng District (formerly Shuoxian County), Pinglu District (formerly Pinglu County), and Shanyin County. In July 1993, the former Yanbei Prefecture was abolished, and the counties of Ying, Youyu, and Huairen under its jurisdiction were transferred to Shuozhou City.

3. Geography

Shuozhou's terrain is predominantly mountainous and hilly, accounting for over 60% of its total area. Within its boundaries, there are more than 140 mountain peaks with elevations above 1,600 meters. The highest point is Mantou Mountain, the main peak of Cuiwei Mountain in the southeast of Shanyin County, with an elevation of 2,426 meters. The river network is extensive, with a total of 29 major rivers, most of which belong to the Hai River Basin and the Yellow River Basin.

Shuozhou uses the slogan "A place as beautiful as Northern Europe" for city promotion. The image shows a sign near the Shuozhou exit on the Datong to Yuncheng Expressway.

3.1 Resources

Mineral resources are primarily coal, along with iron, limestone, clay, bauxite, kaolin, graphite, mica, alum, quartz, manganese, and others.

3.2 Climate

Shuozhou has a typical continental temperate monsoon climate. Winters are cold and dry, with a long winter and short summer. It is windy with little rainfall, enjoys long sunshine hours, and precipitation is concentrated. The annual average temperature is 6.4°C, average annual precipitation is 428 mm, and the frost-free period is around 120 days.

Average Meteorological Data for Shuozhou (1981-2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|------|------|------| | Average high °C (°F) | -1.4 (29.5) | 2.8 (37.0) | 9.1 (48.4) | 17.7 (63.9) | 23.7 (74.7) | 27.4 (81.3) | 28.2 (82.8) | 26.4 (79.5) | 22.5 (72.5) | 15.9 (50.6) | 7.4 (45.3) | 0.4 (32.7) | 15.0 (59.0) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | -9.8 (14.4) | -5.7 (21.7) | 1.7 (34.3) | 9.6 (49.6) | 16.6 (61.9) | 20.5 (68.9) | 21.9 (71.4) | 19.8 (67.6) | 14.7 (58.5) | 8.0 (46.4) | -0.6 (30.9) | -7.5 (18.5) | 7.4 (45.3) | | Average low °C (°F) | -16.8 (1.8) | -12.9 (8.8) | -5.9 (21.4) | 1.7 (35.1) | 8.4 (55.4) | 13.0 (60.3) | 15.7 (56.8) | 13.8 (46.0) | 7.8 (34.3) | 1.3 (19.4) | -7.0 (19.4) | -14.0 (6.8) | 0.4 (32.8) | | Average precipitation mm (inches) | 1.6 (0.06) | 2.6 (0.10) | 10.2 (0.40) | 17.8 (0.70) | 33.4 (1.31) | 57.0 (2.24) | 101.0 (3.98) | 90.0 (3.54) | 56.0 (2.20) | 21.1 (0.83) | 6.1 (0.24) | 1.7 (0.07) | 398.5 (15.67) | | Average relative humidity (%) | 52 | 47 | 44 | 39 | 42 | 52 | 68 | 73 | 66 | 58 | 53 | 53 | 54 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Shuozhou City currently administers 2 municipal districts and 3 counties, and also oversees 1 county-level city on behalf of the province.

• Municipal Districts: Shuocheng District, Pinglu District
• County-level City: Huairen City
• Counties: Shanyin County, Ying County, Youyu County

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (sq km) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------| | 140600 | Shuozhou City | Shuozhou Shi | 10,625.39 | 1,593,444 | Shuocheng District | 036000 | 7 | 18 | 50 | | 140602 | Shuocheng District | Shuocheng Qu | 1,779.69 | 565,075 | Beicheng Subdistrict| 036000 | 4 | 2 | 9 | | 140603 | Pinglu District | Pinglu Qu | 2,314.89 | 148,212 | Jingping Town | 036800 | | 2 | 11 | | 140621 | Shanyin County | Shanyin Xian | 1,644.60 | 199,505 | Daiyue Town | 036900 | | 4 | 9 | | 140622 | Ying County | Ying Xian | 1,673.02 | 243,970 | Jincheng Town | 037600 | | 3 | 9 | | 140623 | Youyu County | Youyu Xian | 1,979.19 | 88,212 | Xincheng Town | 037200 | | 4 | 6 | | 140681 | Huairen City | Huairen Shi | 1,234.01 | 348,470 | Yunzhong Subdistrict| 038300 | 3 | 3 | 6 |

5. Economy

Shuozhou is an emerging industrial base, encompassing sectors such as electricity, machinery, chemicals, building materials, ceramics, and food processing. Its agriculture includes grain cultivation, fruit tree farming, oil crop planting, animal husbandry, and fisheries. Key industrial enterprises in Shuozhou City include Pingshuo Coal Industry and Shentou Power Plant.

6. Transportation

6.1 Urban Public Transportation

The city's loop buses include the South Loop and North Loop. The bus company operates routes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11. The fare is 1 yuan.

6.2 Highways and Railways

6.3 Shuozhou Railway Station

The electrified double-track North Tongpu Railway, Dayun Second-Class Highway, Shenshuo Railway, Shuohuang Railway, National Highway 241, National Highway 336, Pingwan Highway, Shuowei Highway, and the Dayun Expressway connecting to the G5512 Jingda Expressway run through the area. Dedicated railway lines and main highways crisscross the region, with county and township roads extending in all directions. Shuozhou is the first prefecture-level city in Shanxi Province to achieve paved roads connecting every township.

6.4 Aviation

The Pingshuo Airport was closed in 2003 and has since been converted into a driver training school. The Shuozhou Zirun Airport was put into operation in 2023 and currently offers flights to Shanghai, Tianjin, and Changsha.

7. Education

7.1 Higher Education

There are a total of four higher education institutions in Shuozhou (one undergraduate-level, three specialized vocational colleges).

• Shanxi College of Technology (formerly the Modern College of Science and Technology of Taiyuan University of Technology)
• Shuozhou Teachers College
• Shuozhou Vocational and Technical College
• Shuozhou Ceramics Vocational and Technical College

7.2 Basic Education

Representative Schools:

• Shuozhou No. 1 Middle School
• Shuozhou No. 2 Middle School
• Shuozhou Experimental School
• Shuocheng District No. 1 Middle School
• Jingde Experimental Middle School
• Huairen No. 1 Middle School
• Ying County No. 1 Middle School
• Yuanbo Middle School
• Lilin Middle School
• Development Zone Experimental Middle School
• Minfu Middle School, Yuren Middle School

8. Population

As of the end of 2022, the permanent resident population of Shuozhou City was 1.5907 million, an increase of 309 people compared to the end of the previous year. Throughout the year, the city's birth population was 9,700, with a birth rate of 6.11‰; the death population was 11,500, with a mortality rate of 7.2‰. According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 1,593,444. Compared with the 1,714,857 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was a decrease of 121,413 people over the ten years, a decline of 7.08%, with an average annual growth rate of -0.73%. Among them, the male population was 826,012, accounting for 51.84% of the total population; the female population was 767,432, accounting for 48.16% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 107.63. The population aged 0–14 was 273,994, accounting for 17.2% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 1,029,198, accounting for 64.59% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 290,252, accounting for 18.22% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 199,294, accounting for 12.51% of the total population. The urban population was 985,435, accounting for 61.84% of the total population; the rural population was 608,009, accounting for 38.16% of the total population.

8.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic population was 1,590,707, accounting for 99.83%; the total population of ethnic minorities was 2,737, accounting for 0.17%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han ethnic population decreased by 122,623, a decline of 7.16%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.08 percentage points; the total population of ethnic minorities increased by 1,210, a growth of 79.24%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.08 percentage points.

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9. Culture

The Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple, located in Ying County, Shuozhou, is considered the oldest existing wooden Buddhist pagoda structure in China.

9.1 National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units

• Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple
• Chongfu Temple
• Guangwu Han Dynasty Tomb Complex
• Pure Land Temple
• Guangwu City

9.2 Scenic Spots and Historical Sites

• Ying County Wooden Pagoda
• Zhiyu Site
• Mayi Han Dynasty Tomb Complex

9.3 Folk Customs and Arts

• Prosperity Fire
• Mule-Litter Sedan Chair
• Shua Hai'er (Child's Play)
• Youyu Daoqing

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Shuocheng District

Shuocheng District

Han Chinese account for 99.83% of the population; ethnic minorities account for 0.17%.

Populus simonii

Hollyhock