Korla,[The official spelling according to ][, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency]
Korla has existed since at least the Han dynasty. Korla is known for its production of fragrant pears and is a production center for the Tarim oil fields.
History
Han dynasty
Korla was known as Yuli (尉犁) (reconstructed pronunciation of first character: *i̯wəd)
[Karlgren, Bernhard. Grammata Serica, No. 525 a-b. (1940). Reprint (1966): Ch'eng-wen Publishing Company, Taipei.] during the
Han dynasty. Yuli is said in the
Hanshu or 'History of the Former Han' (covering the period 125 BCE to 23 CE), to have had 1,200 households, 9,600 individuals and 2,000 people able to bear arms. It also mentions that it adjoined
Shanshan and Qiemo (
Charchan) to the south.
[Hulsewé, A. F. P. and Loewe, M. A. N. 1979. China in Central Asia: The Early Stage 125 BC – AD 23: an annotated translation of chapters 61 and 96 of the History of the Former Han Dynasty, p. 177. E. J. Brill, Leiden.]
In 61 CE, the Xiongnu led some 30,000 troops from 15 kingdoms including Korla, Karashahr, and Kucha in a successful attack on Khotan.
In 94 CE, the Chinese general Ban Chao sent soldiers to punish the kingdoms of Yanqi (Karashahr), Weixu (Hoxud), Yuli (Korla), and Shanguo (in the western Kuruk mountains).
- "He then sent the heads of the two kings of Yanqi (Karashahr) and Yuli (Korla) to the capital where they were hung in front of the residences of the Man and Yi princes in the capital (Luoyang). (Ban) Chao then appointed Yuan Meng, who was the Yanqi (Karashahr) Marquis of the Left, king (of Kashgar). The kings of Yuli (Korla), Weixu (Hoxud), and Shanguo (in the western Kuruk mountains) were all replaced."
[Hill (2009), p. 45.]
After the rebellion of the "Western Regions" (106−125 CE), only the kings of Korla and Hoxud refused to submit to the Chinese. Ban Yong, the son of Ban Chao, along with the Governor of Dunhuang, attacked and defeated them.[Hill (2009), pp. 45; see also: 412-413.]
Three Kingdoms era
The 3rd century
Weilüe records that Korla, Hoxud and Shanwang (Shanguo) were all dependencies of Karashahr.
[Hill, John E. 2004. The Peoples of the West from the Weilüe (魏略 by Yu Huan 魚豢 : A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265 CE. Draft annotated English translation. [1]]
Yettishar
The contemporaneous historian
Musa Sayrami (1836–1917) stated that ruler Yaqub Beg of
Yettishar was poisoned on May 30, 1877, in Korla by the former hakim (local city ruler) Niyaz Hakim Beg of
Yarkent County,
although Niyaz Hakim Beg and other sources stated that his death was by suicide or in battle against the Qing dynasty.
Qing dynasty
Francis Younghusband, passed through "Korlia" in 1887 on his overland journey from
Beijing to
India. He described it as being prosperous and the country round about well-cultivated, with more land under cultivation than any other town he had passed.
Maize seemed to be the major crop but rice was also grown. There was a small Chinese town, about square with mud walls about high and with a ditch. There were round bastions at the angles, but none at the gateway. A mile (1.6 km) south was the Turk town, but its walls were in ruins. It had one main street about long. "The shops are somewhat better than at
Karashar, but not so good as at
Turfan."
[Younghusband, Francis E. (1896). The Heart of a Continent, p. 148. John Murray, London. Facsimile reprint: (2005) Elbiron Classics. (pbk); (hardcover).]
People's Republic of China
Korla was incorporated as a city on September 30, 1979.
On January 8, 1965, more than 170 Chinese Communist cadres were immolated by Mongols during an anti-Communist riot at a state farm in Korla (Kurla).
In September 2019, drone video appeared which ASPI (a defense industries funded Australian think tank)
Geography
Korla is approximately southwest from Ürümqi, although, due to the intervening
Tian Shan, the road distance is considerably greater.
The Iron Gate Pass (Tiemen Pass) leading to Karasahr is about north of the city and, as it was easily defended, playing an important part in protecting the ancient from raiding nomads from the north.
The Kaidu River, also known as the Konqi River or Kongque River, flows through the center of Korla, a unique feature amongst cities in Xinjiang. While the literal meaning of the Chinese name "Kongque River" is "Peacock River", the name originates from a semantically distorted transliteration of the Uyghur language name "Konqi Darya" which means "Tanner's River".[Nara Shiruku Rōdo-haku Kinen Kokusai Kōryū Zaidan, Shiruku Rōdo-gaku Kenkyū Sentā: Opening up the Silk Road: the Han and the Eurasian world, Nara International Foundation Commemorating the Silk Road Exposition, 2007]
Climate
Korla has a cold desert climate (Köppen climate classification
BWk) with extreme seasonal variation in temperature. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from in January to , and the annual mean is , which is still warmer than most locales at the same latitude further east in the country. Precipitation totals only annually, and mostly falls in summer, as compared to an annual evaporation rate of about ; there are about 3,000 hours of bright sunshine annually. The frost-free period averages 210 days. The period between April and October closely resembles subtropical climates, but the continental nature is facilitated by the rapid drop of temperatures going into winter.
Administrative divisions
Korla administers 7 subdistricts, 3 towns and 9 townships.
|
|
| Subdistricts |
| Tuanjie Subdistrict | 团结街道 | | ئىتتىپاق كوچا باشقارمىسى | | | | 652801001 |
| Saybagh Subdistrict | 萨依巴格街道 | | سايباغ كوچا باشقارمىسى | | | | 652801002 |
| Tianshan Subdistrict | 天山街道 | | تەڭرىتاغ كوچا باشقارمىسى | | | | 652801003 |
| Xincheng Subdistrict | 新城街道 | | يېڭىشەھەر كوچا باشقارمىسى | | | Шин цэн зээл гудамж | 652801004 |
| Jianshe Subdistrict | 建设街道 | | بەشيۈتلۈك كوچا باشقارمىسى | | | | 652801005 |
| Chaoyang Subdistrict | 朝阳街道 | | چاۋياڭ كوچا باشقارمىسى | | | | 652801006 |
| Lixiang Subdistrict | 梨香街道 | | نەشپۇتزار كوچا باشقارمىسى | | | | 652801007 |
| Towns |
| Tashidian | 塔什店镇 | | تاشدەن بازىرى | | | Ташадиан балгас | 652801100 |
| Shanghu Town | 上户镇 | | شاڭخۇ بازىرى | | | | 652801101 |
| Shinigha Town | 西尼尔镇 | | شىنىغا بازىرى | | | | 652801102 |
| Townships |
| Tëkichi Township | 铁克其乡 | | تېكىچى يېزىسى | | | | 652801200 |
| Charibagh Township | 恰尔巴格乡 | | چارباغ يېزىسى | | | | 652801201 |
| Yëngisheher Township | 英下乡 | | يېڭىشەھەر يېزىسى | | | | 652801202 |
| Lengger Township | 兰干乡 | | لەڭگەر يېزىسى | | | | 652801203 |
| Qosh'ëriq Township | 和什力克乡 | | قوشئېرىق يېزىسى | | | | 652801204 |
| Qarayulghun Township | 哈拉玉宫乡 | | قارايۇلغۇن يېزىسى | | | | 652801205 |
| Awat Township | 阿瓦提乡 | | ئاۋات يېزىسى | | | | 652801206 |
| Towurchi Township | 托布力其乡 | | توۋۇرچى يېزىسى | | | | 652801207 |
| Puhui Township | 普惠乡 | | پۇخۇي يېزىسى | | | | 652801208 |
|
Others:
-
Charchi Horticultural Farm (库尔楚园艺场, چەرچى باغۋەنچىلىك مەيدانى)
-
Baotouhu Farm (包头湖农场, باۋتۇخۇ دېھقانچىلىق مەيدانى)
-
Puhui Farm (普惠农场, پۇخۇي دېھقانچىلىق مەيدانى)
-
Bayingolin Awat Farm (巴州阿瓦提农场, ئاۋات دېھقانچىلىق مەيدانى)
-
Bayingolin Saydöng Horticultural Farm (巴州沙依东园艺场, ئوبلاستلىق سايدۆڭ باغۋەنچىلىك مەيدانى)
-
Bayingolin Dairy Farm (巴州奶牛场, ئوبلاستلىق سۈتچىلىك فېرمىسى)
-
Puhui Ranch (普惠牧场, پۇخۇي چارۋىچىلىق مەيدانى)
-
Jingji Ranch (经济牧场, ئىقتىساد چارۋىچىلىق مەيدانى)
-
Korla City Seed Farm (良种场)
Demographics
In the 2010 Chinese census, the city had a total population of 549,324 people, a significant increase from the 381,943 recorded in the 2000 census.
The city is home to 23 ethnic groups.
The city had 430,000 inhabitants in 2007, increasing with 20,000 people every year, majority of whom were Han Chinese, with a large minority of Uyghur people (about 100,000) and smaller numbers of Mongols and Hui people.
Economy
Korla has long been the biggest centre in the region after Karashahr/Yanqi itself, having abundant water and extensive farmlands, as well as controlling the main routes to the south and west of Karashahr/Yanqi. Due to the discovery of oil in the Taklamakan Desert, Korla is now both more populous and developed than Karashar/Yanqi.
PetroChina's Tarim oil fields operations are headquartered in Korla.
The city reported a fiscal revenue of 4.572 billion Renminbi in 2019.
Korla is known for its production of fragrant (库尔勒香梨).
Transportation
Korla is a regional transportation hub, served by the national highways G218, G314, the Southern Xinjiang Railway, Golmud–Korla railway, Hotan–Ruoqiang railway and the Ku'erle Licheng Airport.
Cultural sights
The city's main attractions include the Iron Gate Pass, Lotus Pond (p=), Sun Island (p=), Princess Peak (p=), Yuzigan Old City (p=), Tuowuqi Ancient City (p=), Airlike Ancient City (p=), Ku'erchu Mound (p=), Jiamai Mosque (p=), and Yeyungou Ruins (p=).
Demographics
According to the Seventh National Census in 2020, the city’s Permanent Population (
hukou) was 1,613,979.
Compared with 21,813,334 people in the Sixth National Census in 2010, the number increased by 4,039,011, representing a growth of 18.52%, with an average annual growth rate of 1.71%. They are respectively 13.14 percentage points and 1.18 percentage points higher than the national average level.
See also
Notes and references
Notes
Citations
Sources
-
Hill, John E. (2009). Through the Jade Gate to Rome: A Study of the Silk Routes during the Later Han Dynasty, 1st to 2nd Centuries CE. BookSurge, Charleston, South Carolina. .
-
Mallory, J. P. and Mair, Victor H. 2000. The Tarim Mummies: Ancient China and the Mystery of the Earliest Peoples from the West. Thames & Hudson, London.
-
Stein, Aurel M. 1921. Serindia: Detailed report of explorations in Central Asia and westernmost China, 5 vols. London & Oxford. Clarendon Press. Reprint: Delhi. Motilal Banarsidass. 1980.[2]
-
Stein Aurel M. 1928. Innermost Asia: Detailed report of explorations in Central Asia, Kan-su and Eastern Iran, 5 vols. Clarendon Press. Reprint: New Delhi. Cosmo Publications. 1981.
-
von Le Coq, Albert. 1928. Buried Treasures of Turkestan. Reprint with Introduction by Peter Hopkirk, Oxford University Press. 1985.
External links
