Guazhou County

Guazhou County (Chinese: 瓜州县; pinyin: Guāzhōu Xiàn), formerly (until 2006) Anxi County (安西县; Ānxī Xiàn), is a county in the northwest of Gansu province, the People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Jiuquan City.

Guazhou County

瓜州县
County
Guazhou (pink) within Jiuquan prefecture (yellow) within Gansu (grey)
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceGansu
Prefecture-level cityJiuquan
SeatYuanquan Town
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)

History

Emperor Wudi (140-87 BCE) had the Great Wall extended northwestward all the way to the Gate of Jade (Yumen Pass), the westernmost garrison town near Dunhuang. He then set up a system of garrisons all along this part of the Great Wall and put its headquarters in a town called Anxi (“Tranquil West”) and where the northern and southern Silk Routes historically diverged."[1]

Economy

The county's location is ideally suited for wind farms, earning the nickname "world's wind warehouse".[2] From the east the wind blows through a high, narrow valley formed by the Qilian and Beishan mountains, reaching 8.3 metres per second and energy density of 703 watts per cubic metre.[2]

A local windfarm.

Transport

The mainline Lanxin Railway and branch line Dunhuang Railway intersect at Liugou Railway Station in the county. Xiaowan and Guazhou are the two other stations on the Dunhuang Railway located in the county.

There are two national highways running through the country, China National Highway 215 (Hongliuyuan) and China National Highway 312 (Hongliuyuan).

See also

Footnotes
  1. Liu (2010), p. 10.
  2. "Wind power growth in China's deserts ignored financial risks". The Guardian. May 14, 2010.

References
  • Liu, Xinru (2010). The Silk Road in World History. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-533810-2.


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