Qingyang is a prefecture-level city in eastern Gansu province, China.

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 in the lower middle part of the Yellow River on the loess plateau and is within 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), Xilang (四郎河), and Hulu or "Gourd" (葫芦河). Their combined annual flow is more than 800million cubic meters. Bordering prefecture-level cities are: Shaanxi: Gansu: Ningxia: Qingyang has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dwb) with monsoonal influences. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from −4.2 °C in January to 21.4 °C in July, with the annual mean standing at 9.20 °C. The normal annual precipitation is 528 mm, with a two/thirds of it occurring from June to September, and winter seeing minimal precipitation.

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.

Meteor shower

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

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.