Guyuan (固原)

1. Introduction

Guyuan City, abbreviated as Gu, historically known as Yuanzhou, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, located in the southern part of Ningxia. The city borders Zhongwei City to the north, and its eastern, southern, and western sides are adjacent to Qingyang City, Pingliang City, and Baiyin City of Gansu Province, respectively. Situated on the northwestern edge of the Loess Plateau, within the loess hilly region of the northeastern Liupan Mountains, the Liupan Mountains run north-south through the central part of the city, with the terrain sloping from high in the south to low in the north. Major rivers include the Qingshui River in the north, the Hulu River in the west, the Jing River in the south, and the Ru River in the east, all originating within the city's territory. The Hui ethnic group constitutes approximately 44% of the city's population. The municipal government is located in Yuanzhou District.

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2. History

Guyuan has over 240 Neolithic sites, and oracle bone inscriptions have been discovered at Zhangjiapo, Fengxi, Guyuan. The earliest administrative establishment began during the reign of King Huiwen of Qin (337–311 BCE) with Wushi County (located in the present-day Nanting area of Yuanzhou District), followed later by the addition of Chaona County (present-day Gucheng Town, Pengyang County). In the third year of the Yuanding era of Emperor Wu of Han (114 BCE), the region was separated from Beidi Commandery to establish Anding Commandery, with its seat at Gaoping City (present-day Yuanzhou District). This is the earliest clearly documented city in Guyuan's history. Its jurisdiction roughly covered present-day Jingtai, Jingyuan, Huining, Pingliang, Jingchuan, and Zhenyuan in Gansu, as well as areas south of Zhongwei, Zhongning, Tongxin, Xiji, and Guyuan in Ningxia, encompassing a total of 21 counties. Among these, three counties—Gaoping, Chaona, and Wushi—and the Yuezhi Circuit (located in present-day Longde County) were within the area of modern-day Guyuan. During the Jin Dynasty, Dulu County was newly established. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, the area successively fell under the control of the Northern Wei, Western Wei, and Northern Zhou. In the second year of the Taiyan era of the Northern Wei (436 CE), Gaoping Garrison was established. In the fifth year of the Zhengguang era (524 CE), Gaoping Garrison was reorganized into Yuanzhou, with Gaoping Commandery and County also established, all administered from Gaoping. Yuanzhou governed two commanderies—Gaoping and Changcheng—and four counties: Gaoping, Liting, Huangshi, and Baichi. In the first month of the fourth year of the Tianhe era of the Northern Zhou (569 CE), a new Yuanzhou City (Guyuan City) was constructed. The original Gaoping City became the inner city of the newly built city. From then on, Guyuan City had a layout comprising an inner city and an outer city. The Yuanzhou Chief Military Command was established, still governing two commanderies and four counties. After the Sui Dynasty unified the country, in the third year of the Daye era (607 CE), Yuanzhou and its Chief Military Command were abolished, and Pingliang Commandery was established, governing four counties: Pinggao (renamed from Gaoping), Baiquan, Moting, and Talou.

In the first year of the Wude era of the Tang Dynasty (618 CE), Pingliang Commandery was abolished, and Yuanzhou was reestablished. In the fifth year of the Zhenguan era (631 CE), the Yuanzhou Central Commandery was reinstated. By the first year of the Tianbao era (742 CE), it was renamed Pingliang Commandery. During the Song Dynasty, the area included Zhenrong Army (present-day Yuanzhou District), Huaide Army (present-day Huangduobao Town, Yuanzhou District), Deshun Army (present-day Longde County), and Xi'an Prefecture (present-day Xi'an Township, Haiyuan County). Many place names in Guyuan are derived from military camps, such as Touying, Sanying, and Qiying. The famous battles of the Song Dynasty against the Western Xia, the Battle of Haoshui River and the Battle of Sanchuankou, took place within Guyuan. Ancient currencies are abundant in the region; Xiji County alone hosts the only county-level coin museum in the country. Excavated ancient coins are often found in quantities ranging from tens to hundreds of kilograms at a time. During the Jin Dynasty, military districts were elevated to prefectures: Zhenrong Army became Zhenrong Prefecture, Deshun Army became Deshun Prefecture, while Huaide Army and Xi'an Prefecture were abolished. The Yuan Dynasty established Kaicheng Route, Kaicheng Prefecture, and Guang'an Prefecture. The Ming Dynasty established Guyuan Prefecture and Guyuan Garrison. In the tenth year of the Zhengtong era (1445 CE), the Guyuan Inspection Department was established, deriving its name from "Guyuanzhou" by replacing the character "故" (old) with "固" (solid). In the fifth year of the Chenghua era (1469 CE), it became the seat of Guyuan Garrison; in the fifteenth year of the Hongzhi era (1502 CE), it became the seat of Guyuan Prefecture and also the seat of Guyuan Garrison Town.

During the Ming Dynasty, the character "故" was changed to "固," and the name Guyuan was adopted. It became one of the nine major military strongholds along the frontier and served as the seat of the Three-Border Command (Ningxia, Yansui, and Shaanxi). From then on, the final layout and structure of Guyuan City were largely established. The inner city: circumference of nine li and three fen, height of three zhang and five chi; 1,046 battlements; 28 artillery platforms. The outer city: circumference of thirteen li and seven fen, height of three zhang and six chi; 1,573 battlements; 31 artillery platforms. There were three east city gates, built during the Wanli era, with two named: Anbian Gate and Baoning Gate; four south city gates, built during the Wanli era, with two named: Zhenqin Gate and Zhenyi Gate; two west city gates, built during the Wanli era, with one named: Weiyuan Gate; one north city gate, built during the Wanli era, called Jingshuo Gate.

In April of the second year of the Republic of China (1913), Guyuan Directly Administered Prefecture was changed to Guyuan County. During the Beiyang Government period, it was under the jurisdiction of Jingyuan Circuit. In August of the 24th year of the Republic of China (1935), it was assigned to the "Second Administrative Inspection District of Gansu Province." After the end of the War of Resistance, it was reassigned to the Third Administrative Inspection District of Gansu Province. In August of the 38th year of the Republic of China (1949), it was placed under the jurisdiction of Pingliang Special District. In 1953, the Xihaigu Hui Autonomous Region (renamed Guyuan Hui Autonomous Prefecture in 1955) was established, primarily comprising Xiji, Haiyuan, and Guyuan counties, and was subordinate to Gansu Province. Jingyuan Hui Autonomous County and Longde County were under the jurisdiction of Pingliang Prefecture, Gansu Province. In 1958, with the establishment of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Guyuan Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Jingyuan Hui Autonomous County, and Longde County were transferred to Ningxia, and Guyuan Special District was established, governing five counties: Xiji, Haiyuan, Guyuan, Longde, and Jingyuan. In 1983, Pengyang County was established from the eastern mountainous area of Guyuan County and placed under Guyuan Prefecture. In July 2001, the prefecture-level Guyuan City was established, with Guyuan County renamed Yuanzhou District. Guyuan City governed five counties—Xiji, Haiyuan, Longde, Jingyuan, and Pengyang—and Yuanzhou District. In 2004, Haiyuan County was transferred to the newly established Zhongwei City. In 2008, townships such as Qiying, Heicheng, and Gancheng from Yuanzhou District were transferred to Haiyuan County.

3. Geography

Guyuan City is located in the Liupan Mountain area in the southern part of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. It borders Qingyang City and Pingliang City of Gansu Province to the east, connects with Pingliang City to the south, adjoins Baiyin City of Gansu Province to the west, and neighbors Zhongwei City and Wuzhong City to the north. The city covers an area of 10,541.4 square kilometers, with the urban area spanning 52.33 square kilometers. Guyuan is situated on the northwestern edge of China's Loess Plateau. The Liupan Mountain divides the city into eastern and western sections, creating a terrain that is higher in the south and lower in the north. Most of the area lies at an elevation between 1,500 and 2,200 meters. Due to river cutting and erosion, the landscape features undulating hills, crisscrossing gullies, interlocking ridges and knolls, numerous mountains with few plains, and an interwoven topography of plateaus (yuan), ridges (liang), knolls (mao), and gullies (hao). It belongs to the loess hilly and gully region. The main peak of the Liupan Mountain, Migang Mountain, stands at 2,942 meters, which is the highest point in Guyuan City.

Guyuan lies within the warm temperate semi-arid climate zone of the Loess Plateau, characterized by a typical continental climate. It experiences long, cold winters; variable temperatures in spring; short, cool summers; and rapid cooling in autumn, with significant diurnal temperature variations. Precipitation is relatively scarce in spring and early summer, disastrous weather events are frequent, and regional precipitation varies greatly. The average annual temperature ranges from 6.7°C to 8.8°C, annual precipitation is between 458.6 mm and 668.2 mm, and sunshine duration ranges from 2,056.9 to 2,384.4 hours.

Meteorological Data for Guyuan City (Statistics from 1971 to 2000)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|----------|----------|----------|----------| | Record high °C (°F) | 13.1 (55.6) | 18.3 (64.9) | 22.8 (73.0) | 30.1 (86.2) | 31.5 (88.7) | 32.2 (90.0) | 34.6 (94.3) | 33.8 (92.8) | 31.5 (88.7) | 24.8 (76.6) | 20.2 (68.4) | 14.1 (57.4) | 34.6 (94.3) | | Average high °C (°F) | -0.4 (31.3) | 2.1 (35.8) | 7.4 (45.3) | 15.1 (59.2) | 19.9 (67.8) | 23.2 (73.8) | 25.0 (77.0) | 23.7 (74.7) | 18.7 (65.7) | 13.0 (55.4) | 6.9 (44.4) | 1.5 (34.7) | 13.0 (55.4) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | -8.1 (17.4) | -4.9 (23.2) | 1.0 (33.8) | 8.2 (46.8) | 13.4 (56.1) | 17.0 (62.6) | 18.9 (66.0) | 17.8 (64.0) | 12.8 (55.0) | 6.6 (43.9) | -0.3 (31.5) | -6.0 (21.2) | 6.4 (43.5) | | Average low °C (°F) | -14.2 (6.4) | -10.6 (12.9) | -4.4 (24.1) | 1.9 (35.4) | 6.8 (44.2) | 10.3 (50.5) | 12.9 (55.2) | 12.3 (54.1) | 7.7 (45.9) | 1.6 (34.9) | -5.5 (22.1) | -11.7 (10.9) | 0.6 (33.1) | | Record low °C (°F) | -27.0 (-16.6) | -23.2 (-9.8) | -18.9 (-2.0) | -12.0 (10.4) | -6.4 (20.5) | 0.1 (32.2) | 4.0 (39.2) | 3.1 (37.6) | -2.3 (27.9) | -11.2 (11.8) | -20.0 (-4.0) | -30.9 (-23.6) | -30.9 (-23.6) | | Average precipitation mm (inches) | 3.0 (0.12) | 4.0 (0.16) | 11.8 (0.46) | 24.9 (0.98) | 43.8 (1.72) | 61.8 (2.43) | 88.8 (3.50) | 102.2 (4.02) | 56.1 (2.21) | 29.7 (1.17) | 7.0 (0.28) | 2.1 (0.08) | 435.2 (17.13) | | Average precipitation days (≥0.1 mm) | 2.1 | 2.9 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 5.9 | 8.7 | 12.2 | 11.9 | 8.1 | 4.4 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 68.4 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Guyuan City administers 1 district and 4 counties.

• District: Yuanzhou District
• Counties: Xiji County, Longde County, Jingyuan County, Pengyang County

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|---------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------| | 640400 | Guyuan City | Gùyuán Shì | 10,522.79 | 1,142,142 | Yuanzhou District | 756000 | 3 | 21 | 41 | | 640402 | Yuanzhou District | Yuánzhōu Qū | 2,739.01 | 471,329 | Nanguan Subdistrict | 756000 | 3 | 7 | 4 | | 640422 | Xiji County | Xījí Xiàn | 3,129.40 | 315,827 | Jiqiang Town | 756200 | | 4 | 15 | | 640423 | Longde County | Lóngdé Xiàn | 992.21 | 109,451 | Chengguan Town | 756300 | | 3 | 10 | | 640424 | Jingyuan County | Jīngyuán Xiàn | 1,128.67 | 85,023 | Xiangshui Town | 756400 | | 3 | 4 | | 640425 | Pengyang County | Péngyáng Xiàn | 2,533.49 | 160,512 | Baiyang Town | 756500 | | 4 | 8 |

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5. Transportation

5.1 Aviation

• Guyuan Liupanshan Airport

5.2 Highway

Guyuan is the central city of the southern Ningxia region and one of the 179 national highway transportation hubs. On November 28, 2011, the Guyuan section of the G70 Fuyin Expressway in Ningxia officially opened to traffic, marking the full completion of the G70 Fuyin Expressway within Ningxia. Currently, Guyuan City has achieved the goal of enabling access to the expressway within one hour from all five counties and districts, having paved roads to all townships, and having roads connecting all administrative villages.

• National Highway 309 passes through the area.

5.3 Railway

• Baoji–Zhongwei Railway

6. Education

Ningxia Normal University, established in 1978.

7. Population

At the end of 2022, the city's permanent resident population was 1.1519 million, an increase of 3,900 people from the end of the previous year. Among them, the urban permanent resident population was 516,000, accounting for 44.8% of the total permanent resident population (the urbanization rate of permanent residents), an increase of 0.37 percentage points from the end of the previous year. The annual number of births was 14,500, with a birth rate of 12.61‰; the number of deaths was 9,400, with a death rate of 8.17‰; the natural growth rate was 4.44‰.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 1,142,142. Compared with the 1,228,156 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was a total decrease of 86,014 people over the ten years, a decline of 7%, with an average annual growth rate of -0.72%. Among them, the male population was 580,618, accounting for 50.84% of the total population; the female population was 561,524, accounting for 49.16% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 103.4. The population aged 0–14 was 275,630, accounting for 24.13% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 708,611, accounting for 62.04% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 157,901, accounting for 13.82% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 117,956, accounting for 10.33% of the total population. The population living in urban areas was 497,906, accounting for 43.59% of the total population; the population living in rural areas was 644,236, accounting for 56.41% of the total population.

7.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han population was 605,884, accounting for 53.05%; the population of various ethnic minorities was 536,258, accounting for 46.95%, of which the Hui population was 534,691, accounting for 46.81%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han population decreased by 78,725, a decline of 11.5%, and its proportion of the total population decreased by 2.69 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities decreased by 7,289, a decline of 1.34%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 2.69 percentage points. Among them, the Hui population decreased by 8,302, a decline of 1.53%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 2.6 percentage points.

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Yuanzhou District

Yuanzhou District

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