Shuozhou is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi province, China, bordering Inner Mongolia to the northwest. It is situated along the upper reaches of the Fen River. The prefecture as a whole has an area of about and, in 2010, a population of about 1.71 million.
History
The site of Shuozhou was the ancient Chinese frontier town of
Mayi (马邑),
[. & ] which was used as a trading post between
China proper and the
Xiongnu nomads of the eastern
Eurasian steppe.
In 201BC, the founder of the Han dynasty Liu Bang (posthumously known as Emperor Gaozu or the "High Ancestor") moved Han Xin from his fief around Yuzhou City in Henan to Mayi, where he was attacked by the Xiongnu. Finding himself distrusted by the Han emperor, Han Xin allied with the Xiongnu instead and joined them on their raids against China until his death in battle in 196BC. Mayi was subsequently the capital of Dai Prefecture and the scene of an attempted ambush of the Xiongnu by Chinese troops in 133BC.
During the chaos between the fall of the Sui dynasty and rise of the Tang dynasty, Mayi was the base of the would-be emperor Liu Wuzhou.
Administrative divisions
The seat of government is in Shuocheng District, the urban core of the city.
|
|
|
| Shuocheng District | 朔城区 | Shuòchéng Qū | 380,000 | 1,793 | 212 |
| Pinglu District | 平鲁区 | Pínglǔ Qū | 190,000 | 2,314 | 82 |
| Shanyin County | 山阴县 | Shānyīn Xiàn | 220,000 | 1,652 | 133 |
| Ying County | 应县 | Yìng Xiàn | 270,000 | 1,708 | 158 |
| Youyu County | 右玉县 | Yòuyù Xiàn | 100,000 | 1,965 | 51 |
| Huairen city | 怀仁市 | Huáirén Shì | 250,000 | 1,230 | 203 |
Climate
Shuozhou has a continental,
monsoon-influenced semi-arid climate (Köppen
BSk),
[Peel, M. C., Finlayson, B. L., and McMahon, T. A.: Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 11, 1633-1644, , 2007.] with cold, very dry, and somewhat long winters, and warm, somewhat humid summers. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from in January to in July, and the annual mean is . Typifying the influence of the East Asian Monsoon, over three-fourths of the annual of precipitation occurs from June to September.
Economy
It is a centre of industry, and its notable industries are primarily mining of
coal mining and other ores such as
iron,
bauxite,
mica,
manganese, and
graphite. Other economic sectors include
agriculture, chemical industry,
, and
fishing.
Education
-
North University of China at Shuozhou (中北大学朔州校区) http://neuc.nuc.edu.cn/
-
Shanxi College of Technology (山西工学院) http://www.sxct.edu.cn/
Tourism
Western tourists rarely come to this area of China, but there are some attractions. The Yingxian Tower, built in 1056 during the Liao Dynasty, is one of the main sites of the region. It was built entirely of wood, without using nails, and serves as a museum of
calligraphy. There are also some
paleolithic ruins, and ancient gravesites from the
Dongyi people.
Transportation
The
Dayun Expressway (
Datong—Yuncheng) passes through it, and it has 5 specialized train lines.
Shuozhou Zirun Airport opened on December 18, 2023.
Notable people
-
George F. Gao, virologist and immunologist.
External links
