Guyuan Facts
Guyuan MapChinese Name: 固原 (gù yuán)
Population: 1,507,700
Area: 10,541.4 square kilometers (4,070.06 square miles)
Location: in the south of Ningxia Province, northwest China
Administrative Division: 1 district (Yuanzhou); 4 counties (Xiji, Longde, Jingyuan, Pengyang)
Area Code: 0954
Zip Code: 756000
GDP (2018): CNY 30.319 billion (USD 4.582 billion)
Nationalities: Han, Hui, Manchu, Mongolian
Site of Mount Sumeru Grottoes & Liupan Mountains
Guyuan lies in the south of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, on the west bank of the upper reaches of the Qingshui River and northeast of the Liupan Mountains. The city is bordered by Zhongwei and Wuzhong to the north and by Gansu Province on the other three sides. In the past, Guyuan was crucial to religious transmission from western China to the inland. Ancient Islamic civilization and Central Plains culture mingled here.
As the main Hui settlement, Guyuan has many beautiful mosques. Also, there are natural and cultural landscapes with distinctive features. The central part is a cultural tourism area composed of the Guyuan Museum, Guyuan Ancient City, Great Wall and Prince Anxi’s Mission. Up to now, Guyuan Museum has collected more than 20,000 cultural relics, including jade articles, porcelain, gold and silver wares and bronze wares. The ten major Chinese grottoes, Mount Sumeru Grottoes and Yuntai Mountain with Danxia landform are in the north.
How to Get to Guyuan
1. Guyuan Liupanshan Airport is 13 kilometers (about 8 miles) from downtown Guyuan and 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) north from Liupan Mountains Tourist Zone. Presently, the airport has 6 domestic flights to/from Yinchuan, Xi’an, Tianjin, Shanghai, Fuzhou, and Chongqing. Also, there is airport shuttle bus running to downtown.
2. The distances from Guyuan to Lanzhou and from Guyuan to Yinchuan are nearly the same. The city is 300 kilometers (186 miles) from Lanzhou, about a 6 hour drive on national road. There is also a highway which would be faster but the national road condition is better. Yinchuan is about 330 kilometers (205 miles) from Guyuan, which will take three and a half hours by highway.
3. Guyuan Bus Station stands to the entrance of the Damingcheng Highway. At the Yinchuan tourism bus station in Donghuan Bei Lu, there are buses shuttling between these two cities.
Weather
oCoF
5 Today
Cloudy
11C
-8C
6 Sat
Light Snow
6C
-10C
7 Sun
Sunny
0C
-8C
8 Mon
Sunny
4C
-7C
9 Tue
Sunny
1C
-6C
10 Wed
Sunny
5C
-7C
11 Thu
Sunny
3C
-6C
Enjoying a temperate continental monsoon climate, the city has a lower temperature that varies greatly during a year. The Guyuan weather features a cold spring and dry summer. The northern area is dry and abundant in warmth and sunshine, while the south is relatively wetter but warmth and sunshine are inadequate. The annual average temperature ranges between 5 and 7 degree centigrade (41-45 degree Fahrenheit). Summer is the most favorable for visiting due to the moderate temperature.
Guyuan Travel Tips
History: Old Guyuan sat at a vital pass in the east section of the ancient Silk Road. From long ago, it was a town of military importance connecting central Shaanxi to the western lands outside the Great Wall. In 114, the Han (206BC-220AD) Court established Gaoping Town, which is said to be the historical Guanyuan firmly recorded in history. By the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Guyuan had reached its zenith.
Physical Features: Guyuan lies in the northwest edge of the Loess Plateau. Within the city, the Liupan Mountains zigzag north to south separating Guyuan into western and eastern parts. Most of the region is situated 1500-2000 meters (4921-6562 feet) above the sea level featuring undulant hills and gullies.
Special Local Products: buckwheat, oat wine, pea, medlar
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