Qingyang, Gansu Province, China

🇨🇳 Qingyang (庆阳; 慶陽; Qìngyáng) is a prefecture-level city in eastern Gansu province, China.

Geography Qingyang is the easternmost prefecture-level division of Gansu and is thus sometimes referred to as "Longdong" (陇东). 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 800 million cubic meters. Bordering prefecture-level cities are: Shaanxi: • Yulin – north • Yan'an – northeast • Xianyang – southeast; Gansu: • Pingliang – south/southwest; Ningxia: • Guyuan – west • Wuzhong – northwest.

The area is 27,119 km² (10,471 sq mi) with 200 km² (77 sq mi) of forest and 530 km² (200 sq mi) of grassland.

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: 1 Xifeng District, 西峰区, Xīfēng Qū; 2 Qingcheng County, 庆城县, Qìngchéng Xiàn; 3 Huan County, 环县, Huán Xiàn; 4 Huachi County, 华池县, Huáchí Xiàn; 5 Heshui County, 合水县, Héshuǐ Xiàn; 6 Zhengning County, 正宁县, Zhèngníng Xiàn; 7 Ning County, 宁县, Níng Xiàn; 8 Zhenyuan County, 镇原县, Zhènyuán Xiàn.

Economy In 2004 Qingyang's GDP was 8.014 Billion RMB, 11.6% growth over the previous year. Average annual urban income was 5130 RMB, rural was 1428 RMB. Petroleum and natural gas are the backbone of Qingyang's economy. Agricultural products include donkeys, Huan County sheep, cattle, Jin jujubes, milk, 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.

Transport • 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.