Ningxia

Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Chinese : 宁夏回族自治区 Níngxià Huízú Zìzhìqū Chinese Xiao'erjing : نٍ شيَا خُوِ ذُوْ ذِ جِ ثُوْ
Abbreviations: 宁/寧  (pinyin: Níng)
Origin of name	宁 níng—tranquil 夏 xià—Western Xia "Tranquil Xia"
Administration type	Autonomous region
Capital (and largest city)	Yinchuan
CPC Ctte Secretary	Chen Jianguo
Chairman	Wang Zhengwei
Area	66,000 km2 (25,000 sq mi) (27th)
- Latitude	35° 14' to 39° 23' N
- Longitude	104° 18' to 107° 39' E
Population (2010)  - Density	6,301,350 (29th) 89.1 /km2 (231 /sq mi) (25th)
GDP (2010)  - per capita	CNY 164.3 billion (US$24.3 billion) (29th) CNY 21,470 (18th)
HDI (2008)	0.766 (medium) (23rd)
Ethnic composition	Han: 62% Hui: 34% Manchu: 0.4%
Spoken dialects	{{{Dialects}}}
Prefectural level	5 divisions
County level	21 divisions
Township level*	219 divisions
ISO 3166-2	CN-64
Official website http://www.nx.gov.cn/
Source for population and GDP data: 《中国统计年鉴—2005》 China Statistical Yearbook 2005 ISBN 7503747382 Source for nationalities data: 《2000年人口普查中国民族人口资料》 Tabulation on nationalities of 2000 population census of China ISBN 7105054255 *As at December 31, 2004
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Ningxia
Simplified Chinese	宁夏
Traditional Chinese	寧夏
Xiao'erjing	نٍ شيَا
Transcriptions Hakka - Romanization Nèn-ha Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Níngxià - Wade–Giles Ning-hsia - Postal Map Ningsia - Xiao'erjing نٍ شيَا Min - Hokkien POJ Lêng-hā - Min-dong BUC Nìng-hâ - Teochew Peng'im Lêng-hiā Wu - Romanization nyin平ya去 Cantonese (Yue) - Jyutping ning4haa6
Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Simplified Chinese	宁夏回族自治区
Traditional Chinese	寧夏回族自治區
Transcriptions Hakka - Romanization Nèn-ha Fui-tshu̍k Tshṳ-tshṳ-khî Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Níngxià Huízú Zìzhìqū - Xiao'erjing نٍ شيَا خُوِ ذُوْ ذِ جِ ثُوْ Min - Hokkien POJ Lêng-hā Hôe-cho̍k Chū-tī-khu - Min-dong BUC Nìng-hâ Huòi-cŭk Cê̤ṳ-dê-kṳ̆ - Teochew Peng'im Lêng-hiā Huê-tsôk Tsĕu-tī-khu Wu - Romanization nyin平ya去 we平zoh入 zy去zy去chiu平 Cantonese (Yue) - Jyutping ning4haa6 wui4zuk6 zi6zi6keoi1

Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region (Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region) of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary. The region is the home of the Hui people, one of the 56 officially recognised Nationalities of China. The capital is Yinchuan.

Ningxia is bounded by Shaanxi (to the east) and Gansu (in all directions but the north) provinces and Inner Mongolia (to the north) Autonomous Region and has an area of around 66,400 square kilometres (25,600 sq mi). Formerly a province, Ningxia was incorporated into Gansu in 1954 but was detached and reconstituted as an autonomous region for the Hui people in 1958. This sparsely settled mostly desert region lies in the vast plain of the Yellow River in the north which has been irrigated for centuries. Over the years an extensive system of canals has been built. Extensive land reclamation and irrigation projects have made increased cultivation possible.

History

Ningxia and its surrounding areas were incorporated into the Qin Dynasty as early as the 3rd century BCE. Throughout the Han Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty there were several large cities established in the region, and by the 11th century the Tangut tribe had established the Western Xia Dynasty on the outskirts of the then Song Dynasty.

It then came under Mongol domination after Genghis Khan conquered Yinchuan in the early 13th century. After the Mongols departed and its influences faded, some Turkic-speaking Muslims also began moving into Ningxia from the west. The Muslim Rebellion of the 19th century occurred here.

In 1914, Ningxia was merged with the province of Gansu; in 1928, however, it was detached and became a province. Between 1914 and 1928, the Xibei San Ma (literally "three Mas of the northwest") ruled the provinces of Qinghai, Ningxia and Gansu. Muslim Kuomintang General Ma Hongkui was the military Governor of Ningxia and had absolute authority in the province. In 1958, Ningxia formally became an autonomous region of China. In 1969, Ningxia received a part of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, but this area was returned in 1979. It is nearly coextensive with the ancient kingdom of the Tangut people, whose capital was captured by Genghis Khan in the early 13th century.

A number of Chinese artifacts dating from the Tang dynasty and Song dynasty, some of which had been owned by Emperor Zhenzong were excavated and then came into the hands of Ma Hongkui, who refused to publicize the findings. Among the artifacts were a white marble tablet from the Tang dynasty, gold nails, and bands made out of metal. It was not until after Ma passed away, that his wife went to Taiwan in 1971 from America to bring the artifacts to Chiang Kai-shek, who turned them over to the Taipei National Palace Museum.^[1]

Geography

Ningxia borders the provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu, and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The Yellow River flows through Ningxia. The Ningxia ecosystem is one of the least studied regions in the world. Some plant genera in Ningxia have been estimated at over 40,000 years old.

Ningxia is a relatively dry, desert-like region. Significant irrigation supports the growing of wolfberries, a commonly consumed fruit throughout the region.

Ningxia's deserts include the Tengger desert in Shapotou.

The northern section, through which the Yellow River flows, supports the best agricultural land. A railroad, linking Lanzhou with Baotou, crosses the region. A highway has been built across the Yellow River at Yinchuan.

On 16 December 1920, the Haiyuan earthquake, 8.6 magnitude, at 36°36′N 105°19′E / 36.6°N 105.32°E / 36.6; 105.32, initiated a series of landslides that killed an estimated 200,000 people. Over 600 large loess landslides created more than 40 new lakes.^[2][3]

In 2006, satellite images indicated that a 700 by 200-meter fenced area within Ningxia—5 km southwest of Yinchuan, near the remote village of Huangyangtan—is a near-exact 1:500 scale terrain model reproduction of a 450 by 350-kilometer area of Aksai Chin bordering India, complete with mountains, valleys, lakes and hills. Its purpose is as yet unknown.^[4][5]

Islam in China
History History Tang Dynasty • Song Dynasty Yuan Dynasty • Ming Dynasty Qing Dynasty • Dungan revolts (1862-1877, 1895-1896) Panthay rebellion • 1911-Present
Major figures Chang Yuchun • Hu Dahai • Mu Ying • Lan Yu • Yeheidie'erding Hui Liangyu • Ma Bufang Zheng He • Liu Zhi Haji Noor • Yusuf Ma Dexin Ma Hualong
Culture Cuisine • Martial arts Chinese mosques • Sini Islamic Association of China
Cities/Regions Hong Kong • Kashgar • Linxia Ningxia • Taiwan • Xinjiang
Groups Hui • Uyhgurs Kazakhs • Dongxiang Kyrgyz • Salar Bonan • Tajiks Uzbeks • Tatars Utsul • Tibetans
v · d · e

Climate

The region is 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) from the sea and has a continental climate with average summer temperatures rising to 17 to 24 °C (63 to 75 °F) in July and average winter temperatures dropping to between −7 to −10 °C (19 to 14 °F) in January. Seasonal extreme temperatures can reach 39 °C (102 °F) in summer and −30 °C (−22 °F) in winter. The diurnal temperature variation can reach above 17 °C (30.6 °F), especially in spring. Annual rainfall averages from 190 to 700 millimetres (7.5 to 27.6 in), with more rain falling in the south of the region.

Environment

• Ningxia Yinchuan Integrated Ecosystem Management Project, 2006

Governance

Main article: Politics of Ningxia

The politics of Ningxia is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in mainland China.

The Chairman of the Autonomous Region is the highest ranking official in the People's Government of Ningxia. However, in the Autonomous Region's dual party-government governing system, the Chairman has less power than the Communist Party of China Ningxia Committee Secretary, colloquially termed the "Ningxia CPC Party Chief".

Ningxia has a friendship agreement with Sogn og Fjordane county of Norway.^[6]

Administrative divisions

Main article: List of administrative divisions of Ningxia

Ningxia is divided into five prefecture-level cities:

Map	#	Name	Hanzi	Hanyu Pinyin	Xiao'erjing	Administrative Seat
	— Prefecture-level city —
	1	Yinchuan	银川市	Yínchuān Shì	ىٍ ﭼُﻮًا شِ	Xingqing District
	2	Shizuishan	石嘴山市	Shízuǐshān Shì	شِ ذُﻮِ شً شِ	Dawukou District
	3	Wuzhong	吴忠市	Wúzhōng Shì	ءُ ﺟْﻮ شِ	Litong District
	4	Zhongwei	中卫市	Zhōngwèi Shì	ﺟْﻮ وِ شِ	Shapotou District
	5	Guyuan	固原市	Gùyuán Shì	ﻗُﻮْ ﻳُﻮًا شِ	Yuanzhou District

Economy

See also: List of Chinese administrative divisions by GDP

Ningxia is the province with the third smallest GDP (Tibet being the last) in China, even though its neighbors, Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi, are among the strongest emerging provincial economies in the country.^[7] Its nominal GDP in 2008 was just 133.46 billion yuan (US$19.5 billion) and a per capita GDP of 21,470 yuan (US$3,143). It contributes 0.3% of the national economy.^[8]

Unlike several other underdeveloped provinces, labor costs in Ningxia are among the highest in China (ranking in the top third percentile), making it unattractive as a manufacturing center. Furthermore, Ningxia has yet to become a hub for consumption due to it's low population.^[9]

Ningxia is the principal region of China where wolfberries are grown.

Yinchuan Economic and Technological Development Zone:^[10] established in 1992 spanning 32 km2, annual economic output Rmb23.7 billion (25.1% up) (US$3.5 billion) Major investors: Mainly local enterprises such as Kocel Steel Foundry, FAG Railway Bearing (Ningxia), Ningxia Little Giant Machine Tools, etc. Major industries: Machinery and equipment manufacturing, new materials, fine chemicals and the animation industry

Desheng Industrial Park (in Helan County), is a base for about 400 enterprises. The industrial park has industrial chains from Muslim food and commodities to trade and logistics, new materials and bio-pharmaceuticals that has 80 billion yuan in fixed assets. Desheng is looking to be the most promising industrial park in the city. It achieved a total output value of 4.85 billion in 2008, up 40 percent year-on-year. The local government plans to cut taxes and other fees to reduce the burden on local enterprises. The industrial output value reached 2.68 billion yuan in 2008, an increase of 48 percent from a year earlier.

Transport

Airports

• Yinchuan Hedong Airport (银川河东机场)
• Yinchuan Helanshan Airport (银川贺兰山机场)
• Zhongwei Xiangshan Airport (中卫香山机场)
• GuYuan Airport(固原机场)
• Wuhai Airport (serves the northern area)

Highways

• China National Highway 109
• China National Highway 110
• China National Highway 211
• China National Highway 307
• China National Highway 309
• China National Highway 312

Bridge

• Taole Yellow River Expressway Bridge (陶乐黄河大桥)

Rail

• Baotou-Lanzhou Railway (包兰铁路)
• Baozhong Railway (宝中铁路)

Universities

See List of universities and colleges in Ningxia

Religion

Ningxia has a major Muslim and a minor Christian population. Church leaders from Ningxia have been detained in 2011. ^[11] The Diary of Ma Yan is a diary by a female Muslim from Ningxia. The Dungan revolt (1862–1877), Liang Province Rebellion, Kuomintang Islamic insurgency in China (1950–1958) and Muslim Conflict in Gansu (1927–1930) took place in the province. Outside Qingtongxia, there are 108 well-known Dagobas.

Hospitals

• People's Hospital of Ningxia
• Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Ningxia
• Ningxia Medical College affiliated Hospital
• Yinchuan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Yinchuan People's Hospital
• Yinchuan Stomatological Hospital
• Yinchuan Women and Children's Healthcare Center
• Women and Children's Healthcare Center of Ningixa
• Yinchuan No.1 People's Hospital
• Yinchuan No.2 People's Hospital
• Yinchuan No.3 People's Hospital
• Shizuishan No.2 People's Hospital
• Guyuan Hospital of Ningxia

Tourism

One of Ningxia's main tourist spots is the famous Xixia Tombs site located 30 km west of Yinchuan. The remnants of nine Western Xia emperors' tombs and two hundred other tombs lie within a 50-km² area. Other famous sites in Ningxia include Helan Shan, the mysterious 108 dagobas, the twin pagodas of Baisikou and the desert research outpost at Shapatou.

Museums

• Ningxia Museum, opened in 1988
• Ningxia Transportation Museum, opened in August 2008

Gallery

• 

  A mosque in Wuzhong

• 

  Western Xia Tombs

• 

  From a cable car running to the top of Helan Shan

• 

  Aerial view of Yinchuan

• 

  People's Square in Yinchuan

• 

  Fountain in Yinchuan

• 

  The 108 dagobas near Qingtongxia

• 

  Wolfberry harvest celebration

Notes

1. ^ China archaeology and art digest, Volume 3, Issue 4. Art Text (HK) Ltd.. 2000. p. 354. http://books.google.com/books?id=0UzrAAAAMAAJ&q=in+1971,+his+widow+took+them+from+America+to+Chiang+Kai-shek+in+Taiwan.+They+were+later+acquired+by+the+National+Palace&dq=in+1971,+his+widow+took+them+from+America+to+Chiang+Kai-shek+in+Taiwan.+They+were+later+acquired+by+the+National+Palace. Retrieved 2010-11-28. 
2. ^ Close, U., and McCormick (1922) "Where the mountains walked" National Geographic Magazine 41(5): pp.445–464.
3. ^ Feng, X. and Guo, A. (1985) "Earthquake landslides in China" In Proceedings, IVth International Conference and Field Workshop on Landslides pp. 339–346, Japan Landslide Society, Tokyo, OCLC 70324350.
4. ^ Haines, Lester (19 July 2006)."Chinese black helicopters circle Google Earth". The Register
5. ^ Cassidy, Katherine (13 September 2006). "Armchair Sleuths Uncover Strange Military Sites in China". McClatchy Newspapers / Real Cities Network.
6. ^ Ningxia og Sogn og Fjordane eit steg vidare på samarbeidsvegen
7. ^ http://thechinaperspective.com/topics/province/ningxia-hui-autonomous-region/
8. ^ http://thechinaperspective.com/topics/province/ningxia-hui-autonomous-region/
9. ^ http://thechinaperspective.com/topics/province/ningxia-hui-autonomous-region/
10. ^ http://www.ycda.gov.cn - 银川经济技术开发区银川高新技术产业开发区
11. ^ http://www.chinaaid.org/2011/08/21-house-church-leaders-in-inner.html

References

• Economic profile for Ningxia at HKTDC
• Profile of Ningxia at china.org.cn
• Ningxia 2004 - The Year in Review
• Ningxia 2005 - The Year in Review
• Ningxia Profile - UNESCAP
• Ningxia Center for the Environment and Poverty Alleviation
• Ningxia Profile - China Economic Information Network
• Ningxia (autonomous region, China) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia

External links

• Ningxia Provincial Government
• Ningxia Agricultural Information Network
• Ningxia Investment Promotion Bureau
• Britnannica Ningxia
• Ningxia travel guide from Wikitravel