Qingyang, Gansu

Geography and climate

Qingyang is the easternmost prefecture-level division of Gansu and is thus sometimes referred to as "Longdong" (). It forms an administrative peninsula, as it is surrounded, on all sides but the south, by Shaanxi and Ningxia. It is along the lower middle part of the Yellow River on the Loess Plateau and is in the eastern Gansu basin. Elevation ranges from 885 to 2082 meters above sea-level. There are 5 major rivers in Qingyang including the Malian (马莲河; ), Pu (蒲河; ), Hong (洪河; ), Silang (四郎河; ), and Hulu (葫芦河; ). Their combined annual flow is more than 800million cubic meters. Bordering prefecture-level cities are:

Shaanxi:

• Yulinnorth
• Yan'annortheast
• Xianyangsoutheast

Gansu:

• Pingliangsouth/southwest

Ningxia:

• Guyuanwest
• Wuzhongnorthwest

Qingyang has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dwb) with monsoonal influences. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from −3.8 °C in January to 21.9 °C in July, with the annual mean standing at 9.8 °C. The normal annual precipitation is 542.2 mm, 68% of it occurring from June to September, and winter seeing minimal precipitation.

|Jan record high C = 16.2 |Jan record low C = -22.4 |Feb record high C = 19.5 |Feb record low C = -20.1 |Mar record high C = 26.7 |Mar record low C = -15.9 |Apr record high C = 31.6 |Apr record low C = -10.0 |May record high C = 32.6 |May record low C = -0.6 |Jun record high C = 35.9 |Jun record low C = 4.3 |Jul record high C = 36.4 |Jul record low C = 9.6 |Aug record high C = 35.7 |Aug record low C = 6.2 |Sep record high C = 33.6 |Sep record low C = -0.8 |Oct record high C = 26.5 |Oct record low C = -7.3 |Nov record high C = 21.4 |Nov record low C = -16.8 |Dec record high C = 16.4 |Dec record low C = -22.6

History

Qingyang was part of the area where the earliest cultures along the Yellow River developed and was part of the heartland of the Qin state that would eventually unite China. It was also an important place in the Chinese Communist Revolution, as a part of the Shaan–Gan–Ning Border Region.

Meteor shower

Main article: Qingyang event

In March or April 1490 AD a presumed meteor shower occurred in the Qingyang district. If a meteor shower did occur, it may have been the result of the breakup of an asteroid. At least three surviving Chinese historical records describe a shower during which "stones fell like rain", killing more than 10,000 people. Due to the paucity of detailed information and the lack of surviving meteorites or other physical evidence, researchers have also been unable to definitively state the exact nature of the dramatic event.

Administration

Qingyang has 1 urban district, 7 counties, and 146 towns with a total population of 2,158,400, of which 949,200 live in urban areas.

Economy

In 2022 Qingyang's GDP was 102.226billionRMB, 4.4% growth over the previous year. 12.2% of GDP was generated by the primary sector, 54.0% by the secondary sector and 33.8% by the tertiary sector. The per capita income was 22,878RMB, for urban residents 37,585RMB and for rural residents 12,276RMB.

Petroleum and natural gas are the backbone of Qingyang's economy. Agricultural products include grains, donkeys, Huan County sheep, cattle, dates, milk, apples, apricots and other fruits, vegetables, and berries. 69 different kinds of Chinese medicinal plants and herbs are collected or grown here, 25 of which are exported.

Transportation

• Qingyang Airport
• China National Highway 211
• China National Highway 309
• G22 Qingdao–Lanzhou Expressway
• Xi'an-Pingliang railway (limited service, station at Ning County)

Culture

Qingyang is famous for its rich folk culture. Traditional Chinese art forms such as shadow puppet theater, paper cuts (such as the Qingyang sachet), folk music, and songs are still part of Qingyang's culture.

The local newspaper is called Longdong Daily ().

References

References

1. (August 2025). "2022年庆阳市国民经济和社会发展统计公报".
2. 甘肃省统计局、国家统计局甘肃调查总队. (November 2016). ["《甘肃发展年鉴－2016》"](http://www.gstj.gov.cn/tjnj/2016/index.html }}{{Dead link). [[China Statistics Press]].
4. link. [[China Meteorological Administration]]
5. "庆阳市各县市区人口数口排名2022年-红黑人口库".
6. Gritzner, C. [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1997JIMO...25..222G Human Casualties in Impact Events], ''[[International Meteor Organization. WGN Journal of the International Meteor Organization]]'', pp. 222-226, bib. code: 1997JIMO...25..222G.
7. Yau, K., Weissman, P., & Yeomans, D. [http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1994Metic..29..864Y Meteorite Falls In China And Some Related Human Casualty Events], ''[[Meteoritics]]'', Vol. 29, No. 6, pp. 864-871, {{ISSN. 0026-1114, bibliographic code: 1994Metic..29..864Y.
8. (February 14, 2013). "Asteroid's close shave ranks among Earth's biggest hits (and misses)". NBC News.
9. Webb, Sterling K., Juhl, Robert A. [http://www.mail-archive.com/meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com/msg80757.html Meteorite deaths in Qingyang (Ch'ing-yang) in 1490], MeteoriteCentral.com website as archived on Mail-Archive.com, January 1, 2010. Retrieved March 13, 2013.