Pingliang () is a prefecture-level city in eastern Gansu province, China, bordering Shaanxi province to the south and east and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to the north. The city was established in 376 AD. It has a residential population of 2,125,300 in 2019. The urban population is almost 900,000.
Pingliang is well known for the nearby Kongtong Mountains, which are sacred to Taoism and location of the mythical meeting place of the Yellow Emperor and Guangchengzi, an immortal.
The Book of Sui and Tongdian record that the Ashina tribe who founded the First Turkic Khaganate (also known as Göktürk Khaganate) were from Pingliang.杜佑, 《通典》, 北京: 中華書局出版, (Du You, Tongdian, Vol.197), 辺防13 北狄4 突厥上, 1988, , p. 5401.
List of divisions
Map Name Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Population(2010) Area (km²) Density (/km²)Kongtong DistrictKōngtóng Qū504,8481,936261Huating CityHuátíng Shì189,3331,183160Jingchuan CountyJīngchuān Xiàn281,1451,409200Lingtai CountyLíngtái Xiàn183,9372,03888Chongxin CountyChóngxìn Xiàn102,116852120Zhuanglang CountyZhuānglàng Xiàn382,8271,558246Jingning CountyJìngníng Xiàn423,8272,193193
Geography and climate Pingliang ranges in latitude from 34° 54' to 35° 46' N and in longitude from 105° 20' to 107° 51' E. Bordering prefecture-level cities are Xianyang (Shaanxi) to the east, Baoji (Shaanxi) and Tianshui to the south, Dingxi and Baiyin to the west, and Guyuan (Ningxia) and Qingyang to the north. It is located on the Loess Plateau with elevations ranging from ; the city proper itself is at an elevation of around .
Due to its elevation of around , Pingliang has a monsoon-influenced, four-season, humid continental climate (Köppen Dwb), with cold but dry winters, and warm and humid summers. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from in January to in July. Much of the annual rainfall occurs from June to September, and the annual mean temperature is . With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 46% in September to 65% in December, the city receives 2,381 hours of bright sunshine annually.
Transport G22 Qingdao–Lanzhou Expressway, which motorists can take to reach the south of neighbouring Ningxia and eventually Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu China National Highway 312, which motorists can take to reach Xi'an
Notable residents Zhao Jiping, film composer (b. 1945)
Notable births Pingliang is the birthplace of Huangfu Mi, who wrote the first book on acupuncture, of novelist Niu Sengru, and of Southern Song dynasty generals Wu Jie (吴玠) and Wu Lin.
References
External links Official site