Lanzhou

Lanzhou
兰州市
Prefecture-level city

View of Lanzhou

Location of Lanzhou City (yellow) in Gansu and the PRC
Lanzhou

Location in China

Coordinates: 36°02′N 103°48′E / 36.033°N 103.800°E / 36.033; 103.800Coordinates: 36°02′N 103°48′E / 36.033°N 103.800°E / 36.033; 103.800
Country China
Province Gansu
County-level divisions 8
Government
 • Party Secretary Yu Haiyan
 • Mayor Yuan Zhanting (袁占亭)
Area
 • Prefecture-level city 13,300 km2 (5,100 sq mi)
 • Urban 1,088 km2 (420 sq mi)
Population (2010 census)
 • Prefecture-level city 3,616,163
 • Density 270/km2 (700/sq mi)
 • Urban 2,177,130
 • Urban density 2,000/km2 (5,200/sq mi)
Time zone China Standard (UTC+8)
Postal code 730000
Area code(s) 931
License plate prefixes 甘A
GDP (2015) CNY 200 billion[1]
 - per capita CNY 57,191[1]
Website http://www.lz.gansu.gov.cn (Chinese)
City flowers
Rugosa Rose
Lánzhōu

"Lánzhōu" in Simplified (top) and Traditional (bottom) Chinese characters
Simplified Chinese 兰州
Traditional Chinese 蘭州
Postal Lanchow
Literal meaning Orchid Hills Prefecture[2]

Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China.[3] The prefecture-level city, located on the banks of the Yellow River, is a key regional transportation hub, connecting areas further west by rail to the eastern half of the country. Historically, it has been a major link on the Northern Silk Road. The city is also a center for heavy industry and petrochemical industry. Lanzhou ranks as one of the cities with the worst air quality in the world, due to industrial pollution and its situation in a narrow river valley.

Lanzhou is home to 3,616,163 inhabitants at the 2010 census and 2,177,130 in the built-up area (urban) of 1,088 square kilometres (420 sq mi).[4]

History

Originally in the territory of the Western Qiang peoples, Lanzhou became part of the territory of the State of Qin in the 6th century BC.

In 81 BC, under the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), it was taken from the Huns' Huandi Chanyu and made the seat of Jincheng commandery (jùn), and later of the Jincheng county (xiàn), later renamed Yunwu. The city used to be called the Golden City, and since at least the first millennium BC it was a major link on the ancient Northern Silk Road,[5][6] and also an important historic Yellow River crossing site. To protect the city, the Great Wall of China was extended as far as Yumen.

After the fall of the Han dynasty, Lanzhou became the capital of a succession of tribal states. In the 4th century it was briefly the capital of the independent state of Liang. The Northern Wei dynasty (386–534) reestablished Jincheng commandery, renaming the county Zicheng. Mixed with different cultural heritages, the area at present-day Gansu province, from the 5th to the 11th century, became a center for Buddhist study. Under the Sui Dynasty (581–618) the city became the seat of Lanzhou prefecture for the first time, retaining this name under the Tang dynasty (618–907). In 763 the area was overrun by the Tibetan Empire and in 843 was conquered by the Tang. Later it fell into the hands of the Western Xia dynasty (which flourished in Qinghai from the 11th to 13th century) and was subsequently absorbed by the Song dynasty (960–1126) in 1041. The name Lanzhou was reestablished, and the county renamed Lanzhuan.

After 1127 it fell into the hands of the Jin dynasty, and after 1235 it came into the possession of the Mongol Empire.

Downtown Lanzhou seen from across the Yellow River

Under the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) the prefecture was demoted to a county and placed under the administration of Lintao superior prefecture, but in 1477 Lanzhou was reestablished as a political unit.

The city acquired its current name in 1656, during the Qing dynasty. When Gansu was made a separate province in 1666, Lanzhou became its capital.

In 1739 the seat of Lintao was transferred to Lanzhou, which was later made a superior prefecture called Lanzhou.

Lanzhou was badly damaged during the Dungan revolt in 1864–1875. In the 1920s and 1930s it became a center of Soviet influence in northwestern China. During the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) Lanzhou, linked with Xi'an by highway in 1935, became the terminus of the 3,200 km (2,000 mi) Chinese–Soviet highway, used as a route for Soviet supplies destined for the Xi'an area. This highway remained the primary traffic route of northwestern China until the completion of the railway from Lanzhou to Ürümqi, Xinjiang. During the war Lanzhou was heavily bombed by the Japanese.

During the 1937 Japanese invasion of China, the Guominjun Muslim Generals Ma Hongkui and Ma Bufang protected Lanzhou with their cavalry troops, putting up such resistance that the Japanese never captured Lanzhou.[7][8][9]

The city is the seat of a currently vacant Roman Catholic diocese[10] and was previously the center of a vicariate apostolic (Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Kan-Su).[11]

Geography

Lanzhou is situated on the upper reaches of the Yellow River where it emerges from the mountains and has been a center since early times, being at the southern end of the route leading via the Hexi Corridor across Central Asia. It commands the approaches to the ancient capital area of Chang'an (modern Xi'an) in Shaanxi province from both the west and the northwest, as well as the area of Qinghai Lake via the upper waters of the Yellow River and its tributaries.

Climate and environment

Lanzhou is situated in the temperate zone and enjoys a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with hot summers and cold and very dry winters. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from −5.3 °C (22.5 °F) in January to 22.4 °C (72.3 °F) in July. The mean annual temperature is 9.75 °C (49.5 °F), while annual rainfall is 315 millimetres (12.4 in), almost all of which falls from May to October. The winters are so dry that snow is extremely rare. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 50 percent in December to 59 percent in February, sunshine is generous but not abundant, as the city receives 2,424 hours of bright sunshine annually.

Environmental problems

Further information: Environment of China

The city is located in a narrow and curved river valley with surrounding mountains causing it to be hemmed in blocking a free flow of air. Lanzhou repeatedly has had the worst air quality of any of 84 Chinese cities surveyed.[14] According to the Blacksmith Institute, Lanzhou is one of the 30 most polluted cities in the world, with its TSP (total suspended particle) rating 247 percent above that of the Gansu State recommendation. Air quality is so poor that at times one cannot see Lanshan, the mountain rising up along the south side of the city. At one point, a controversial suggestion was put forward to bulldoze a mountain adjacent to the city, in order to let fresh air into the bowl where Lanzhou is situated. Lanzhou is also the home of many factories, including some involved in petroleum processing, and suffers from large dust storms kicked up from the Gobi Desert, especially in the winter and spring. In 2011, using Chinese statistics, the World Health Organization reported that Lanzhou has the worst air quality (annual mean PM10 ug/m3 of 150) among eleven western Chinese cities, and is even worse than Beijing with its reading of 121.[15]

According to the National Environmental Analysis released by Tsinghua University and The Asian Development Bank in January 2013, Lanzhou is among one of ten most air polluted cities in the world. Also according to this report, 7 of 10 most air polluted cities are in China, including Taiyuan, Beijing, Urumqi, Lanzhou, Chongqing, Jinan and Shijiazhuang.[16] Since then, the air quality has improved significantly however.[17]

The reach of the Yellow River at Lanzhou carries a high load of silt, giving the river its characteristic muddy appearance; however water quality in this reach is better than the "fetid outflow that barely passes for water two hours downstream".[18]

On April 11, 2014 Lanzhou officials advised residents not to drink tap water, because benzene levels were 20 times the national limit of 10 micrograms per liter.[19] The city water supply suspected industrial chemical production to be the culprit, similar to what happened in 2005 Jilin chemical plant explosions.[20]

Earthquakes

Lanzhou experiences earthquakes regularly, although usually at low intensities. In 1920 a large earthquake was experienced killing more than 100,000 people in Eastern Gansu province, although only 42 were killed in Lanzhou itself, the low number being attributed to the strong yet flexible nature of the wooden buildings in the city.[21]

Sport

The 14,000-capacity Northwest University for Nationalities Stadium[22] is one of the main sports venues in the city. It is mostly used for football games. A new sports center complex, including a stadium with a capacity of 60,000 spectators and a swimming hall, is under development.[23]

Lanzhou previously had a professional soccer team named Gansu Tianma F.C. from 1999 to 2003.[24] The team played in Chinese Football Association Yi League from 1999 to 2001 and bought a position in the Jia League from Tianjin Lifei. The team relocated to Ningbo, Zhejiang and changed their name to Ningbo Yaoma (Simplified Chinese: 宁波耀马) in 2003.[25] The team later relegated to the Yi League in 2004 and sold to Dongguan Dongcheng, who moved the club to the Hong Kong First Division League.

Former England international Paul Gascoigne played four games in both a playing and coaching role for Gansu in 2003,[26][27] scoring two goals,[28][29] before returning to England after falling out with the club,[30][31] as his mental state meant that he had to return to America for treatment against drink and depression.[32]

Administrative divisions

Map
Name Simplified Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Population
(2010 census)		 Area (km²) Density
(/km²)
City proper
Chengguan District 城关区 Chéngguān Qū 1,278,745 220 5,812.47
Qilihe District 七里河区 Qīlǐhé Qū 561,020 397 1,413.14
Xigu District 西固区 Xīgù Qū 364,050 385 945.58
Anning District 安宁区 Ānníng Qū 288,510 86 3,354.76
Suburban
Honggu District 红古区 Hónggǔ Qū 136,101 575 236.69
Rural
Yongdeng County 永登县 Yǒngdēng Xiàn 418,789 6,090 68.76
Gaolan County 皋兰县 Gāolán Xiàn 131,785 2,556 51.55
Yuzhong County 榆中县 Yúzhōng Xiàn 437,163 3,362 130.03

Lanzhou New Area

Main article: Lanzhou New Area

On 20 August 2012, Lanzhou New Area was approved by the State Council of China's Central Government as the fifth state-level new special economic development zone (followed by Pudong of Shanghai, Binhai of Tianjin, Liangjiang of Chongqing, Zhoushan of Zhejiang), which is also the first state-level new area in the northwest of China.[33]

Tourism

Xiguan Mosque after a Friday Prayer
View on Zhongshan Bridge from Baita Mountain Park.

Museums

Economy

Panoramic view of Lanzhou city centre

Productivity

Since 1949 Lanzhou has been transformed from the capital of a poverty-stricken province into the center of a major industrial area.

The GDP per capita of Lanzhou was 25,566 (RMB) (US$3,681) in 2008, ranking it at number 134 among 659 Chinese cities. In 2015, the GDP per capita had grown to 57,191 RMB (US$9182.28)[36] and the city ranked at place 100 for total GDP of Chinese cities.[1]

Institutions

The International Solar Energy Center (UNIDO-ISEC) is located in Lanzhou's Chengguan district.[37]

Headquarters of UNIDO-ISEC

Natural resources

There is a thermal generating plant supplied with coal from fields in Qinghai. In addition, there is a hydroelectric station at Zhulama Gorge in Gansu, and a large multipurpose dam has been built in the Liujia Gorge on the Yellow River above Lanzhou.[38]

Industry

Main industries include textile mills, rubber processing and fertilizer plants, an oil refinery, petrochemicals, machinery, and metallurgical industry.

Gansu has one of the largest oil refineries in the country and Lanzhou itself is the center of the province's petrochemical industry. Lanzhou has a large refinery linked to the fields at Yumen by pipeline. It also manufactures equipment for the oil industry.

Lanzhou has a large textile industry, particularly noted for the production of woolen and leather goods. In addition, Lanzhou produces locomotives and rolling stock for the northwestern railways, as well as machine tools and mining equipment. aluminum products, industrial chemicals, and fertilizers are produced on a large scale, and there is a large rubber industry. Copper is mined in nearby Gaolan.

Lanzhou has been one of the centers of China's national nuclear power industry since the 1960s.

Industrial zones:

Agriculture

Lanzhou is the collecting center and market for agricultural produce and livestock from a wide area.

Transportation

The Yellow River seen from Baita Mountain Park.

Airlines

Railway

Lanzhou Railway Station
Lanzhou West Railway Station

Subway

Main article: Lanzhou Metro

Lanzhou was the second city in northwest China to announce the construction of a subway line, in August 2012.[43] The urban railway network, Lanzhou Metro, is planned to consist of six subway lines running 207 km (129 mi). The first line will be completely underground with a completion deadline of 2016.[44]

Regional

Lanzhou Railway Station is a major railway hub of western China. Every day over 100 passenger trains originate or pass via this station. It is a vital focal point connecting the western Chinese provinces with the east. Lanzhou Railway Station is located on Huochezhan Dong Lu, in Chengguan district. Lanzhou West Railway Station is he city's second major railway station, offering connection to high-speed rail services.

Lanzhou Railway Station has the following railway connections:

High speed rail

Construction of new high-speed passenger-only railway lines is carried out both toward the east (the Xulan Passenger Dedicated Line) and the west (the Lanxin High-Speed Railway). These services will only stop at Lanzhou West Railway Station.

Road network

In 2016, Lanzhou was ranked 4th of Chinese cities with the worst rush hour traffic jams.[47]

Highways

Bus services

Lanzhou has a noted bus rapid transit system which opened in 2013 and won the city an honorable mention at the 2014 Sustainable Transport Awards.[48][49]

Other services connect to local and provincial areas.

Bike sharing system

An in 2014 inaugurated bike sharing system covers mostly the Chengguan District with 377 stations. The system had a successful start and the number of stations is being expanded.[50][51] However, vandalism proved to be an issue, with 600 (out of a total of 6,500) bikes a year not being returned to the stations.[52] As bikes are not rented out anymore late at night, people reportedly outed their frustration on the bikes in the case they were too late to rent one.[53]

Media

Culture

The city is the cultural centre of Gansu. It is home to many different ethnic groups and their respective cultures, but the most prominent three groups are the Han, Hui, and Zang.

Colleges and universities

Further information: List of universities in China

The city is the seat of Lanzhou University, founded in 1909. The National Minorities Institute at Lanzhou and a number of scientific institutes are also located there. In particular, Northwest Normal University has been the key university at the provincial level, which has prepared over 100,000 teachers in schools across the province Gansu.

List

Note: Institutions without full-time bachelor's degree programs are not listed.

National level

Other public institutions

Healthcare

According to the provincial health bureau, about 42,000 people die of cancer every year in Gansu, accounting for 25 percent of the province's overall deaths. More than 1 billion yuan (146 million U.S. dollars) is spent annually on treating cancer in the province.

Sister cities

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "2015中国城市GDP排名出炉! 第一无悬念". 21 January 2016. Archived from the original on May 21, 2016.
  2. ↑ Jun Jing (1996), The Temple of Memories: History, Power, and Morality in a Chinese Village, Stanford: Stanford University Press, p. 4.
  3. ↑ "Illuminating China's Provinces, Municipalities and Autonomous Regions". PRC Central Government Official Website. Retrieved 2014-05-17.
  4. ↑ 兰州市第六次全国人口普查主要数据公布我市人口年龄结构尚处“红利期”. 兰州新闻网 (in Chinese). 兰州市人民政府. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  5. ↑ Xian Xiaowei, Zhang Linyuan, Ai Nanshan and Wihelm Wohlke, On the relation between the evolution of natural environment and human factors and the development of urban settlement—Take the Lanzhou Valley Basin as an examples, Springerlink vol.1,no.1 (1991)
  6. ↑ C.Michael Hogan, Silk Road, North China, the Megalithic Portal, ed. Andy Burnham
  7. ↑ Stéphane William Darrach Halsey, Bernard Johnston (M.A.) (1989). Collier's encyclopedia: with bibliography and index, Volume 14. Macmillan Educational Co. p. 285. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  8. ↑ Stéphane William Darrach Halsey, Bernard Johnston (M.A.) (1983). Collier's encyclopedia: with bibliography and index, Volume 14. Macmillan Educational Co. p. 285. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  9. ↑ Stéphane William Darrach Halsey, Bernard Johnston (M.A.) (1983). Collier's encyclopedia: with bibliography and index, Volume 14. Macmillan Educational Co. p. 285. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  10. ↑ "Archdiocese of Lanzhou [Lanchow]". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  11. ↑ Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Kan-Su at Catholic Encyclopedia
  12. ↑ 中国地面国际交换站气候标准值月值数据集（1971－2000年） (in Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  13. ↑ 兰州城市介绍以及气候背景分析. 中国天气网 (in Chinese). 中国气象局公共气象服务中心. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "Lanzhou's pollution is most bad in the cities yesterday". Lanzhou morning daily. Gansu Daily. 5 January 2005.
  15. ↑ WHO report OAP_database_8_2011.xls
  16. ↑ "WEATHER & EXTREME EVENTS 7 of 10 Most Air-Polluted Cities Are in China". JAN 16, 2013. Imaginechina/Corbis. http://news.discovery.com. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  17. ↑ "China's far west poised to overtake Hebei in a "most polluted" list". China Dialogue. 15 June 2016.
  18. ↑ Rob Gifford (6 January 2008). "Yellow River Pollution Is Price of Economic Growth". NPR.
  19. ↑ 小荣, 李 (11 April 2014). 兰州自来水苯含量严重超标. 新华网甘肃频道 (in Chinese). Xinhua Agency. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  20. ↑ Spegele, Brian (11 April 2014). "Water Scare Hits Chinese City of Lanzhou". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  21. ↑ "The Earthquake," E. J. Mann in Links with China and Other Lands, No. 31, April 1921, Lanzhou: China Inland Mission (quarterly) Bound volume in MS 380302, Papers of Ebenezer and Mabel Mann, SOAS, 331.
  22. ↑ http://cafe.daum.net/stade
  23. ↑ "兰州新城区崔家大滩：搁置六年的"奥体梦"".
  24. ↑ http://bbs.sjtu.edu.cn/bbsanc,path,%2Fgroups%2FGROUP_6%2FFootball_cn%2FD56B5C22D%2FM.1183863314.A.html
  25. ↑ Yi, Cai (15 September 2003). 甘肃天马改名宁波耀马 武汉队暗喜去宁波. 新浪网 (in Chinese). 体育周报. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  26. ↑ "Gascoigne nets contract in China". ESPN. 27 January 2003. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  27. ↑ Johnson, William (28 January 2003). "Gleeful Gascoigne nets job in China". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  28. ↑ "Gazza scores in winning China debut". ESPN. 29 March 2003. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  29. ↑ "Gazza scores on China debut". BBC. 29 March 2003. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  30. ↑ Simons, Raoul (5 August 2003). "Gazza: I'm feeling a lot better these days". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  31. ↑ Scott, Matt (26 June 2003). "Gascoigne faces the threat of legal action". Guardian News. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  32. ↑ "Chinese club hand Gazza ultimatum". ESPN. 21 June 2003. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  33. ↑ "China approves new state-level SEZ in Gansu". The Global Times. Xinhua. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  34. ↑ "鲁土司衙门旧址". 12 March 2012.
  35. ↑ "Gansu completes its first science and technology museum construction".
  36. ↑ "2015甘肃各市gdp排名 2015年甘肃各市GDP和人均GDP排名一览表". 19 May 2016. Archived from the original on May 21, 2016.
  37. ↑ "UNIDO-ISEC". Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  38. ↑ Liujiaxia Gorge and Bingling Temple
  39. ↑ 从“晴通雨阻”到“一日千里”
  40. ↑ 南如卓玛 (4 February 2015). "兰州中川国际机场T2航站楼启用服务春运" (in Chinese). 中国新闻网. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  41. ↑ HK Express begin service to Lanzhou from June 2015
  42. ↑ "China Southern Adds St. Petersburg Route from July 2015". airlineroute.net. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  43. ↑ "兰州城市轨道交通工程开工奠基 刘伟平冯健身赵广发欧阳坚出席奠基仪式". gansudaily.com.cn. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  44. ↑ "兰州城市轨道交通工程昨开工-今日兰州". xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  45. ↑ (Chinese)　"西起陇原东到海，回头已是百年身--陇海铁路传略" 2011-04-29
  46. ↑ 敦煌至格尔木和兰州至中川机场铁路开工建设 (Work started on the Dunhuang-Golmud Railway and on the railway from Lanzhou to Zhongchuan Airport), 2012-12-23
  47. ↑ "Top 10 Chinese cities with the worst jam". 25 November 2016.
  48. ↑ Buenos Aires, Argentina Wins 2014 Sustainable Transport Award, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
  49. ↑ Lanzhou BRT
  50. ↑ "Lanzhou, China's Bike Share Expands to BRT Corridor". 8 December 2014.
  51. ↑ "Bike Sharing: Lanzhou".
  52. ↑ "兰州公共自行车人为破坏严重一年丢失600多辆". 14 August 2015.
  53. ↑ "兰州公共自行车日骑行人数破6万人次". 9 April 2015.
  54. ↑ "Rolling on a river". 16 November 2012.
  55. ↑ Xiguan Mosque from Muslim2China
  56. ↑ Institute Of Technology official website
  57. ↑ Lanzhou City University official website
  58. ↑ "Albuquerque, New Mexico & Lanzhou, China". Sister Cities International.
  59. ↑ "Heart crosses over the ocean". Akita City , Akita , Japan. 22 September 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  60. 1 2 3 4 5 http://gansu.chinadaily.com.cn/2013-10/24/content_17055490.htm
  61. ↑ http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/zygx/dfjl/t693273.htm
  62. ↑ https://twitter.com/youngnswcouncil/status/342057745182257152
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lanzhou.
 
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Shanghai

Beijing		 1 Shanghai Shanghai 20,217,700 11 Foshan Guangdong 6,771,900
Chongqing

Guangzhou
2 Beijing Beijing 16,858,700 12 Nanjing Jiangsu 6,238,200
3 Chongqing Chongqing 12,389,500 13 Shenyang Liaoning 5,890,700
4 Guangzhou Guangdong 10,641,400 14 Hangzhou Zhejiang 5,578,300
5 Shenzhen Guangdong 10,358,400 15 Xi'an Shaanxi 5,399,300
6 Tianjin Tianjin 10,007,700 16 Harbin Heilongjiang 5,178,000
7 Wuhan Hubei 7,541,500 17 Dalian Liaoning 4,222,400
8 Dongguan Guangdong 7,271,300 18 Suzhou Jiangsu 4,083,900
9 Chengdu Sichuan 7,112,000 19 Qingdao Shandong 3,990,900
10 Hong Kong Hong Kong 7,055,071 20 Zhengzhou Henan 3,677,000
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