Zhangye
title: "Zhangye" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["zhangye", "prefecture-level-divisions-of-gansu", "populated-places-along-the-silk-road", "national-famous-historical-and-cultural-city"] topic_path: "general/zhangye" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhangye" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Zhangye |
| official_name | |
| native_name | 张掖市 |
| native_name_lang | zh-Hans |
| settlement_type | Prefecture-level city |
| image_skyline | Lavender and afterglow in zhangye.jpg |
| image_caption | Lavender and afterglow in Zhangye |
| image_map | Location of Zhangye Prefecture within Gansu (China).png |
| map_caption | Location of Zhangye City jurisdiction in Gansu |
| pushpin_map | China Gansu#China |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location of the city center in Gansu |
| pushpin_relief | yes |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | People's Republic of China |
| subdivision_type1 | Province |
| subdivision_name1 | Gansu |
| seat_type | Municipal seat |
| seat | Ganzhou District |
| leader_title1 | |
| area_total_km2 | 42000 |
| population_as_of | 2010 |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_total | 1,199,515 |
| demographics_type2 | GDP |
| demographics2_title1 | Total |
| demographics2_info1 | CN¥ 37.4 billion |
| US$ 6.0 billion | |
| demographics2_title2 | Per capita |
| demographics2_info2 | CN¥ 30,704 |
| US$ 4,930 | |
| timezone | China Standard |
| utc_offset | +8 |
| coor_pinpoint | Zhangye municipal government |
| coordinates | |
| elevation_footnotes | |
| postal_code_type | Postal code |
| postal_code | 734000 |
| iso_code | CN-GS-07 |
| website | |
| :: |
| name = Zhangye | official_name = | native_name = 张掖市 | native_name_lang = zh-Hans | settlement_type = Prefecture-level city | nickname = | motto = | image_skyline = Lavender and afterglow in zhangye.jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = Lavender and afterglow in Zhangye | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | image_blank_emblem = | blank_emblem_size = | image_map = Location of Zhangye Prefecture within Gansu (China).png | mapsize = | map_caption = Location of Zhangye City jurisdiction in Gansu | image_map1 = | mapsize1 = | map_caption1 = | pushpin_map = China Gansu#China | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_caption = Location of the city center in Gansu | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_relief = yes | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = People's Republic of China | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Gansu | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | seat_type = Municipal seat | seat = Ganzhou District | government_type = | leader_title = | leader_name = | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | established_title = | established_date = | area_magnitude = | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 42000 | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent = | area_urban_km2 = | area_metro_km2 = | population_as_of = 2010 | population_footnotes = | population_note = | population_total = 1,199,515 | population_density_km2 = | population_metro = | population_density_metro_km2 = | population_urban = | population_density_urban_km2 = | demographics_type2 = GDP | demographics2_title1 = Total | demographics2_info1 = CN¥ 37.4 billion US$ 6.0 billion | demographics2_title2 = Per capita | demographics2_info2 = CN¥ 30,704 US$ 4,930 | timezone = China Standard | utc_offset = +8 | coor_pinpoint = Zhangye municipal government | coordinates = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 734000 | area_code = | iso_code = CN-GS-07 | website = | footnotes = | other_name = | first = t | pic = File:Dafosi - This hall contains the largest reclining wooden Bhudda in China.JPG | piccap = The Dafo Temple, site of the largest reclining Buddha in China. | psp = Changyeh | s = 张掖 | t = 張掖 | p = Zhāngyè | w = Chang1-yeh4 | title = Former names | altname = Ganzhou | c2 = | p2 = Gānzhōu | w2 = Kan-chou | psp = Kanchow | l2 = Sweet [Spring(s)] Prefecture Zhangye (), formerly romanized as Changyeh and also formerly known as Kanchow, is a prefecture-level city in central Gansu Province in the People's Republic of China. It borders Inner Mongolia on the north and Qinghai on the south. Its central district is Ganzhou, formerly a city of the Western Xia and one of the most important outposts of western China.
Etymology
Name
Although Zhangye is the oldest recorded name, the city was also formerly also known as Ganzhou, named after the sweet waters () of its oasis. An alternative theory states that "Gan" was from the Ganjun Hill () near the city. The name of province came from a contraction of Ganzhou and Suzhou (modern Jiuquan). The name appears in Marco Polo's Travels under the name Campichu.
Zhangye Commandery was established by Western Han in 111 BC, with the seat at the site of modern Wuwei, Gansu. Etymology of Zhangye is unclear. A popular theory interprets the name Zhangye as "Extending Arm", excerpted from a phrase "to extend the arm of the country through to the Western Realm" (张国臂掖，以通西域) documented in Han Shu.
History
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Du_Halde_-Description_de_la_Chine-_Villes_de_second_ordre_de_la_province_de_Chensi.jpg" caption="Jesuit missionaries"] ::
Zhangye lies in the centre of the Hexi Corridor. The area is on the frontier of China proper, protecting it from the nomads of the northwest and permitting its armies access to the Tarim Basin. During the Western Han dynasty, Han armies were often engaged against the Xiongnu in this area. It was also an important outpost on the Silk Road. Before being over-run by the Mongols, it was dominated by the Western Xia dynasty, and before by the Uyghurs from at least the early 10th century. Its relation to the larger Uyghur state of Qocho is obscure, but it may have been a vassal.
The Yuan dynasty founding emperor Kublai is said to have been born in the Dafo Temple, Zhangye, now the site of the longest wooden reclining Buddha in China. Marco Polo's journal states that he spent a year in the town during his journey to China.
The pine forests of the Babao Mountains (part of the Qilian range) formerly regulated the flow of the Ruo or Hei Shui, Ganzhou's primary river. By ensuring that the melt-waters lasted throughout the summer, they avoided both early flood and later drought for the valley's farmers. Despite recommendations that they should thus be protected in perpetuity, a Qing dynasty imperial official in charge of erecting the poles for China's telegraph network ordered them cleared in the 1880s. Almost immediately, the region became prone to flooding in the summer and draught in the autumn, arousing local resentment.
Christian missionaries arrived in 1879, after Suzhou (modern-day Jiuquan) was found to be too hostile for their settlement.
Administration
Zhangye has one urban district, four counties, one autonomous county, 97 towns, and 978 villages.
::data[format=table] | Map | # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2020) | Area (km2) | Density (/km2) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Ganzhou District | 甘州区 | Gānzhōu Qū | 519,096 | 4,240 | 120 | | | 2 | Minle County | 民乐县 | Mínlè Xiàn | 192,476 | 3,687 | 59.5 | | | 3 | Linze County | 临泽县 | Línzé Xiàn | 115,946 | 2,777 | 48.4 | | | 4 | Gaotai County | 高台县 | Gāotái Xiàn | 125,705 | 4,312 | 33.3 | | | 5 | Shandan County | 山丹县 | Shāndān Xiàn | 150,031 | 5,402 | 30 | | | 6 | Sunan Yugur Autonomous County | 肃南裕固族自治县 | Sùnán Yùgùzú Zìzhìxiàn | 27,762 | 20,456 | 1.6 | | ::
Geography
Zhangye is located in central Gansu along the Hexi Corridor, occupying 42,000 km2. It takes up the entire breadth of the province, running from Inner Mongolia on the north to Qinghai on the south, but its urban core is at Ganzhou in the oasis formed by the Ruo or Hei River. Its streams, sunlight, and fertile soil make it an important regional agricultural centre, although it was seriously damaged by over-foresting in the 19th century. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Aviko-china.JPG" caption="Near Aviko french fry factory in Liuba Town, Minle County, Zhangye"] ::
The Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, covering an area of 510 km2, is located in Linze and Sunan counties of Zhangye, 30 km west of the city center. Known for its colourful rock formations, it has been voted by Chinese media outlets as one of the most beautiful land-forms in China.
Climate
Zhangye has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk) with very warm summers and cold and very dry winters. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from −9.1 °C in January to 22.3 °C in July. The mean annual temperature is 7.8 °C, while annual rainfall is 132.6 mm, almost all of which falls from May to September. The winters are so dry that snow is extremely rare.
|metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = Zhangye, elevation 1461 m, (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–2010) |Jan high C = -0.2 |Feb high C = 4.8 |Mar high C = 11.6 |Apr high C = 19.2 |May high C = 24.3 |Jun high C = 28.6 |Jul high C = 30.3 |Aug high C = 28.8 |Sep high C = 23.9 |Oct high C = 16.9 |Nov high C = 8.7 |Dec high C = 1.5 |Jan mean C = -9.3 |Feb mean C = -4.1 |Mar mean C = 3.3 |Apr mean C = 11.3 |May mean C = 16.7 |Jun mean C = 21.2 |Jul mean C = 23.0 |Aug mean C = 21.2 |Sep mean C = 15.6 |Oct mean C = 7.8 |Nov mean C = -0.4 |Dec mean C = -7.4 |Jan low C = -16.1 |Feb low C = -11.2 |Mar low C = -3.7 |Apr low C = 3.6 |May low C = 9.0 |Jun low C = 13.7 |Jul low C = 16.0 |Aug low C = 14.5 |Sep low C = 9.2 |Oct low C = 1.0 |Nov low C = -6.5 |Dec low C = -13.7 |Jan record high C = 18.4 |Jan record low C = -28.1 |Feb record high C = 24.2 |Feb record low C = -27.5 |Mar record high C = 26.2 |Mar record low C = -18.8 |Apr record high C = 33.3 |Apr record low C = -8.8 |May record high C = 34.7 |May record low C = -4.5 |Jun record high C = 36.7 |Jun record low C = 1.5 |Jul record high C = 40.3 |Jul record low C = 6.7 |Aug record high C = 38.6 |Aug record low C = 4.5 |Sep record high C = 34.5 |Sep record low C = -1.1 |Oct record high C = 30.3 |Oct record low C = -12.7 |Nov record high C = 23.7 |Nov record low C = -19.3 |Dec record high C = 19.6 |Dec record low C = -28.2 |year high C = |year low C = |year high F = |year low F = |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 2.1 |Feb precipitation mm = 1.3 |Mar precipitation mm = 3.2 |Apr precipitation mm = 5.6 |May precipitation mm = 14.6 |Jun precipitation mm = 20.3 |Jul precipitation mm = 29.8 |Aug precipitation mm = 25.3 |Sep precipitation mm = 20.6 |Oct precipitation mm = 5.3 |Nov precipitation mm = 1.8 |Dec precipitation mm = 1.9 |Jan humidity = 55 |Feb humidity = 44 |Mar humidity = 40 |Apr humidity = 35 |May humidity = 39 |Jun humidity = 45 |Jul humidity = 52 |Aug humidity = 55 |Sep humidity = 58 |Oct humidity = 54 |Nov humidity = 56 |Dec humidity = 59 |unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm |Jan precipitation days = 3.3 |Feb precipitation days = 1.8 |Mar precipitation days = 2.8 |Apr precipitation days = 3.3 |May precipitation days = 5.1 |Jun precipitation days = 6.7 |Jul precipitation days = 8.6 |Aug precipitation days = 7.9 |Sep precipitation days = 6.0 |Oct precipitation days = 2.8 |Nov precipitation days = 2.1 |Dec precipitation days = 2.7 |year precipitation days = |Jan sun = 218.8 |Feb sun = 218.7 |Mar sun = 254.8 |Apr sun = 270.1 |May sun = 297.8 |Jun sun = 292.5 |Jul sun = 290.1 |Aug sun = 276.8 |Sep sun = 256.4 |Oct sun = 265.4 |Nov sun = 237.5 |Dec sun = 222.1 |year sun = | Jan percentsun = 72 | Feb percentsun = 71 | Mar percentsun = 68 | Apr percentsun = 67 | May percentsun = 67 | Jun percentsun = 66 | Jul percentsun = 65 | Aug percentsun = 66 | Sep percentsun = 70 | Oct percentsun = 78 | Nov percentsun = 80 | Dec percentsun = 76 | year percentsun = |Jan snow days = 4.7 |Feb snow days = 3.1 |Mar snow days = 3.2 |Apr snow days = 1.5 |May snow days = 0.2 |Jun snow days = 0 |Jul snow days = 0 |Aug snow days = 0 |Sep snow days = 0 |Oct snow days = 1.0 |Nov snow days = 2.9 |Dec snow days = 4.3 |year snow days = |source 1 = China Meteorological Administration | source 2 = Weather China{{cite web | url = http://www.weather.com.cn/cityintro/101160701.shtml? | script-title=zh:张掖 - 气象数据 -中国天气网 | publisher = Weather China | language = zh | access-date = 29 November 2022}}
Demographics
Zhangye has a total population of 1,199,515, only 260,000 being urban residents. There are 26 ethnic minorities other than Han represented including many Hui, Yugur and Tibetans.
Transport
Zhangye is served by China National Highways numbers G30 Expressway, 227 and 312.
Zhangye Railway Station is on the Lanzhou–Xinjiang Railway, located to the north east of the city. A high speed railway station has been constructed on the south west side of the city, Zhangye West Railway Station was opened on 26 December 2014 as part of the Lanzhou–Ürümqi High-Speed Railway.
Zhangye Ganzhou Airport, a combined civilian-military airport, opened in October 2011 with flights to Lanzhou and Xi'an.
Economy
The 2002 GDP was 7.566 billion RMB, almost 9% growth over the previous year. Annual urban income was 5960 RMB, 10.4% growth from the previous year and rural income was 3092 RMB, up 5%.
Corn Seed Production Base
As a nationally significant hybrid corn seed production base, Zhangye hosts a "Corn Seed Processing Technology Integration Demonstration Base." This facility focuses on integrating advanced technologies in seed drying, sorting, and coating to ensure high-quality seed output for national agriculture.
Education
Hexi University (河西学院) is located in Zhangye. Approximately 10,000 students are enrolled at the university.
Sport
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Zhangye_International_Rally_2011_Parc_Ferme.JPG" caption="Parc Ferme at Zhangye International Rally 2011 in front of the Wooden Pagoda"] ::
Zhangye has hosted a round of the Chinese Rally Championship (CRC) since 2011. It is held on specially constructed roads across the deserts north and to the south of the city. The event attracts over 100 entries regularly, including international drivers. A stadium for side-by-side super special stages has also been constructed.
Demographics
According to the Seventh National Census in 2020, the city's Permanent Population (hukou) was 1,131,016. Compared with a population of 1,199,515 at the time of the Sixth National Census in 2010, there were 68,499 fewer people, or an average annual decrease of 0.59 percent.
References
References
- [http://www.tjcn.org/rkpcgb/rkpcgb/201105/19711.html Main data bulletin of the sixth national census in 2010] {{webarchive. link. (November 29, 2014 , 2011-05-09{{in lang). zh
- 甘肃省统计局、国家统计局甘肃调查总队. (November 2016). ["《甘肃发展年鉴－2016》"](http://www.gstj.gov.cn/tjnj/2016/index.html }}{{Dead link). [[China Statistics Press]].
- link. Zhangye People's Government
- Horlemann, Bianca. "Contributionsto the Cultural History of Early Tibet".
- "The Travels of Marco Polo, ''Bk. I''".
- Elvin, Mark. "The Retreat of the Elephants: An Environmental History of China".
- De Ridder, Koen. (2001). "Authentic Chinese Christianity: Preludes to Its Development (Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries)".
- link. Gansu Provincial Government. (2013-06-17)
- link. [[China Meteorological Administration]]
- "张掖市农业农村局玉米种子加工技术集成示范基地介绍".
- "Hexi University in China".
- "张掖市统计局-张掖市第七次全国人口普查公报".
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