Xingtai (w=Hsing2-tʻai2), formerly known as Xingzhou or Shunde, is a prefecture-level city in southern Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It has a total area of and administers 4 districts, 2 county-level cities and 12 counties. At the 2020 census, its population was 7,111,106 inhabitants.
History
Xingtai is the oldest city in North China.
The history of Xingtai can be traced back 3500 years ago. During the
Shang dynasty, Xingtai functioned as a capital city.
During the
Zhou dynasty, the State of Xingfrom which the present name deriveswas founded in the city. During the Warring States period, the state of Zhao made Xingtai its provisional capital. The city was known as
Xindu for most of the
Qin dynasty,
but after the 207 BC Battle of Julu (within present-day
Pingxiang County, not today's
Julu County), it became known as
Xiangguo. During the Sixteen Kingdoms Period, when the
Later Zhao was founded by
Shi Le of the
Jie people, the capital was again at Xiangguo. During the
Sui dynasty and
Tang dynasty, the city was known as Xingzhou.
Sui, Tang and Song dynasty times saw the zenith of ceramics production in what was the most prolific ceramics center of northern China (rivaling the Yue ware from the South). The white ware and new technologies developed in the Xing kiln mark the transition from proto-porcelain to proper porcelain.
During the Yuan dynasty, Ming dynasty, and Qing dynasty, Xingtai was called Shunde ( Shundefu) and functioned as a prefecture in China.
Geography
Xingtai has a continental,
monsoon-influenced semi-arid climate (Köppen
BSk).
[Peel, M. C. and Finlayson, B. L. and McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633-1644. .] It has hot, humid summers due to the East Asian monsoon, and generally cold, windy, very dry winters that reflect the influence of the vast Siberian anticyclone; fall is similar to spring both in temperature and lack of rainfall. In the spring, there are large sandstorms blowing in from the Mongolian steppe, accompanied by rapidly warming, but generally dry, conditions. The annual rainfall, more than half of which falls in July and August alone, is highly variable and not reliable. In the city itself, this amount has averaged to a mere per annum.During the year, temperatures typically vary between -6°C and 32°C, rarely falling below -10°C or above 37°C.
Air quality
According to a survey conducted by Global Voices China in February 2013, among China's 10 most polluted cities, seven of those cities were located in the province of Hebei (Xingtai,
Shijiazhuang,
Baoding,
Handan,
Langfang,
Hengshui and
Tangshan). Among the 10 cities, Xingtai ranked first in the list with the worst air quality.
In 2020, the improvement rates of Xingtai's air quality index and average PM2.5 concentration ranked first in Hebei.
Xingtai earthquake
A major earthquake, known as the Xingtai earthquake, with magnitude 6.8 on the
Richter scale and epicenter in
Longyao County occurred in the early morning of March 8, 1966.
It was followed by 5 earthquakes above magnitude 6 on the Richter scale that lasted until March 29, 1966. The strongest of these quakes had a magnitude of 7.2 and took place in the southeastern part of Ningjin County on March 22. The earthquake resulted in 8,064 deaths, 38,000 injuries and more than 5 million destroyed houses.
Administrative divisions
|
|
|
| Xiangdu District | 襄都区 | Xiāngdū Qū | 798,770 | 1941 |
| Xindu District | 信都区 | Xìndū Qū | 362,857 | 116 |
| Renze District | 任泽区 | Rènzé Qū | 342,869 | 431 |
| Nanhe District | 南和区 | Nánhé Qū | 350,384 | 405 |
| Lincheng County | 临城县 | Línchéng Xiàn | 199,793 | 797 |
| Neiqiu County | 内丘县 | Nèiqiū Xiàn | 260,000 | 788 |
| Baixiang County | 柏乡县 | Bǎixiāng Xiàn | 168,761 | 268 |
| Longyao County | 隆尧县 | Lóngyáo Xiàn | 480,447 | 749 |
| Ningjin County | 宁晋县 | Níngjìn Xiàn | 745,389 | 1,032 |
| Julu County | 巨鹿县 | Jùlù Xiàn | 346,007 | 631 |
| Xinhe County | 新河县 | Xīnhé Xiàn | 134,095 | 366 |
| Guangzong County | 广宗县 | Guǎngzōng Xiàn | 280,603 | 504 |
| Pingxiang County | 平乡县 | Píngxiāng Xiàn | 323,675 | 406 |
| Wei County | 威县 | Wēi Xiàn | 496,230 | 994 |
| Qinghe County | 清河县 | Qīnghé Xiàn | 421,582 | 500 |
| Linxi County | 临西县 | Línxī Xiàn | 326,968 | 542 |
| Nangong | 南宫市 | Nángōng Shì | 396,718 | 861 |
| Shahe City | 沙河市 | Shāhé Shì | 431,746 | 859 |
| Xingtai Economic Development Area | 邢台经济开发区 | Xíng Tái Jīng Jì Kāi Fā Qū | 182,585 | - |
| Xingdong New Area | 邢东新区 | Xíng Dōng Xīn Qū | 63,367 | - |
Xingtai Economic Development Area and Xingdong New Area belong to Xiangdu District.
Economy
Xingtai is the most important base for natural resources in North China, producing 20 million metric tonnes of coal annually. It also features the largest power plant in the southern part of this region of China, with an output of 2.06
.
Transport
Xingtai is connected by 4 railways, namely the Beijing−Guangzhou,
Jingjiu Railway, Xingtai-Huanghua and Xingtai-Heshun railways. It is also connected by 5 expressways: the Beijing−Shenzhen (G1), Daqing–Guangzhou (G45), Qingdao−Yinchuan (G20), Dongying–Lüliang (G25
16) and Xingtai–Hengshui (S30) expressways.
Xingtai is also served by Xingtai Dalian Airport which opened on 18 July 2024.
Notable persons
See also
External links
