Why Jiuquan
Jiuquan is a vast prefecture-level municipality situated in the far northwestern portion of Gansu Province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning over 191,000 square kilometers, its territory shares borders with Xinjiang, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, and the nation of Mongolia. The primary urbanized hub is centered in Suzhou District, which rests at an elevation of roughly 1,500 meters above sea level.
First established as an outpost named Fulu in 111 BC near the Silk Road's Yumen Pass, the area historically functioned as a key garrison and trade hub. Its current name, meaning alcohol spring, stems from a legendary event where the Han general Huo Qubing poured wine into a local creek to celebrate a military victory with his troops. Throughout its history, the settlement was governed by various powers, including the Tibetan Empire, the Ganzhou Uyghur Kingdom, and the Xixia, eventually serving as a provincial capital during the Yuan Dynasty. It was widely known as a central trade hub and cultivation site for rhubarb, and was also the location where the Portuguese missionary Bento de Góis died in 1607. After being destroyed during nineteenth-century conflict, the city was rebuilt under the Qing Dynasty.
Administratively comprising one district along with six counties and county-level cities, Jiuquan features a cold desert climate with long, cold winters and hot, dry summers. The area experiences wide daily temperature shifts, low humidity, and receives over 3,000 hours of bright sunshine each year. These dry, sunny conditions support aerospace operations in the region; Jiuquan serves as the closest major urban center to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, situated over 100 kilometers away in Inner Mongolia, where China's first human spaceflight was launched in 2003.
Transportation to and across the region is facilitated by China National Highway 312 as well as the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway, which connects to local branches serving Dunhuang and Guazhou. Air access to the region is available through Jiuquan Airport and Dunhuang Airport.
01 Weather
71°
69°
71°
61°
74°
56°
77°
61°
79°
62°
76°
60°