Wuwei, Gansu Province, China

🇨🇳 Wuwei (武威) is a prefecture-level city in north-west central Gansu province. In the north it borders Inner Mongolia, in the south-west, Qinghai. Its central location between three western capitals, Lanzhou, Xining, and Yinchuan makes it an important business and transportation hub for the area. Because of its position along the Hexi Corridor, historically the only route from central China to western China and the rest of Central Asia, many major railroads and national highways pass through Wuwei.

In ancient times, Wuwei was called Liangzhou (涼州—the name retained by today's Wuwei's central urban district) and is the eastern terminus of the Hexi Corridor. People began settling here about 5,000 years ago. It was a key link for the Northern Silk Road, and a number of important archaeological finds were uncovered from Wuwei, including ancient copper carts with stone animals. The motifs and types of objects in the Wuwei graves, as well as their earthenware, lacquer, and bronze composition, constitute typical examples of the Han Chinese burial style that can be found all over China.

Wuwei is located in the Hexi Corridor between the Tibetan plateau and Mongolian Plateau. The south of Wuwei is higher than the north, with an elevation ranging from 1,020 to 4,874 metres (3,346 to 15,991 ft) above sea-level.

Administration 1 urban district, 2 counties, 1 autonomous county, 116 towns, and 41 townships • Liangzhou District (凉州区) Liángzhōu Qū • Minqin County (民勤县) Mínqín Xiàn • Gulang County (古浪县) Gǔlàng Xiàn • Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County (天祝藏族自治县) Tiānzhù Zàngzú Zìzhìxiàn.

Economy Consistent sunlight and fertile soil make agriculture one of Wuwei's biggest industries. Other important industries are textiles, metallurgy, and construction materials. Melons, vegetables, wine and livestock are all major agricultural products. Organic farming is a trend with more land being set aside for “green farming” each year. Land use can be broken down into the following: • 790 square km (310 sq mi) of water • 34,800 square km (13,400 sq mi) of forest • 355,300 square km (137,200 sq mi) of grassland. • 247,000 square km (95,000 sq mi) of “undeveloped” land. • 39,100 square km (15,100 sq mi) of farmland. ◦ 8,000 square km (3,100 sq mi) of corn ◦ 4,000 square km (1,500 sq mi) of vegetables ◦ 3,000 square km (1,200 sq mi) of melons ◦ 5,000 square km (1,900 sq mi) for livestock ◦ 800 square km (310 sq mi) of vineyards.

Transport Wuwei is served by the G30 Lianyungang–Khorgas Expressway and China National Highway 312; the Wuwei South railway station serves trains on the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway.