Dorbod Banner or Siziwang Banner is a banner (county equivalent) in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, China, bordering Mongolia's Dornogovi Province to the northwest. It is located about 80 km north of Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia. The banner spans 25513 km2, and has a population of 129,372 as of 2020. Its seat of government is located in Wulanhua.

Toponymy

The Chinese name for the banner siziwang, literally "four princes", derives from the area's historic rule by four brothers. The Mongolian name for the banner dorbed means "of four".

History

The area of Dorbod Banner was ruled by four Mongol brothers, Sengge (Сэнгэ, ), Suonuobu, Bonpo (Бумба, ) and Yi'erzhamu , who were descendants of Hasar, a brother of Genghis Khan. They led their tribe in participating in the Manchu Qing Dynasty's conquest of Ming China in the early 17th century. In recognition of their service, the Qing court made Emubu the Duoluo Commandery Prince in 1649 and settled their tribe in the area of modern Siziwang Banner. The title was hereditary and passed through fourteen of his descendants before the Chinese Communist Party abolished all hereditary titles in Inner Mongolia in 1949. The last prince, Sudanamuchaogeji, died as a private citizen in 1957. There is a sculpture of the four original princes in Wulanhua, erected in 2003.

Geography

To its east lies Sonid Right Banner, Qahar Right Rear Banner, and Qahar Right Middle Banner. To its south lies Wuchuan County and Zhuozi County. To its west lies Darhan Muminggan United Banner. Its north is formed by a 104 km border with Mongolia. Its seat of government, the town of Wulanhua, is located 105 km away from Hohhot, and 270 km away from Erlianhot. The banner is located along the northern foothills of the Yin Mountains, and has an average elevation of 1400 m. Most of the banner's area is grassland.

Climate

The banner experiences an average of 250 mm to 300 mm of precipitation annually. Its average annual temperature is 3 °C.

Administrative divisions

Dorbod Banner is divided into 5 towns, 3 townships, and 5 sums. Other: Ulan Pasture (乌兰牧场)

Demographics

As of 2009, the banner is home to 216,990 people, up from the 180,568 reported in the 2000 Census. The banner's ethnic minorities include 18,902 Mongols (8.71% of the total population), 1,086 Manchus (0.50%), and 837 Hui people (0.39%).

Economy

Mineral deposits in the banner include gold, copper, nickel, manganese, fluorite, gypsum, coal, and thenardite.

Spacecraft landing site

The banner served as the landing sites for China's Shenzhou program. A pasture known as Amugulang, located in Honggor Sum, about 60 km north of Wulanhua, served as the landing site for the Shenzhou-6 spacecraft. A specially constructed 64.69 km road runs from Wulanhua to Honggor to aid the recovery of the Shenzhou spacecraft, and to boost the local economy. This road shortened the journey between the two towns from two hours to just 40 minutes. Chinese space program recovery teams (with SUV and recovery trucks) track the progress of re-entry near the landing site and arrive shortly after landing. A small recovery trucks fitted with a crane lifts the capsule and places it on the rear of the truck for transportation back to the space centre. Since the final landing of Shenzhou 11 in Dorbod Banner in 2016, new facilities have been built to hasten the retrieval process for various spacecraft. In December 2020, the Chang'e 5 spacecraft landed in Dorbod Banner following a successful collection of Moon rocks.