Everything about Qinghai totally explained
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(青海, qīnghǎi) is a
province of the
People's Republic of China, named after
Qinghai Lake. It borders
Gansu on the northeast, the
Xinjiang Autonomous Region on the northwest,
Sichuan on the southeast, and
Tibet Autonomous Region on the southwest.
History
Qinghai was only relatively recently made a province of China. The area, historically called
Kokonor in English until the early 20th century, lies outside of
China proper and has been an ethnic melting pot for centuries, mixing
Tibetan,
Han Chinese,
Mongol, and
Turkic influences. It was a battleground during the
Tang and subsequent Chinese dynasties when they fought against successive
Tibetan dynasties.
Prior to 1724, the area that's now Qinghai was under Tibetan control, but in that year it was conquered by the armies of the
Qing Dynasty. Following the defeat of the
Dzungars by the Qing in the mid 18th century, the area became home to peoples from what is now northern
Xinjiang known as the Kokonor Mongols (Kokonor derives from the
Mongolian language name of Qinghai). In 1807, there was a rebellion by Tibetan people in the region.
In 1928, Qinghai became a province of the
Republic of China. Subsequently it became the primary base for warlord
Ma Bufang, before it became a province under the
People's Republic of China in 1949.
Geography
Qinghai is located on the northeastern part of the
Tibetan Plateau. The
Yellow River (Huang He) originates in the middle of the province, while the
Yangtze and
Mekong have their sources in the southwestern part.
The average elevation of Qinghai is over 3000 meters above sea level. Mountain ranges include the
Tanggula Mountains and
Kunlun Mountains. Its average temperature is approximately -5 to 8
°C, with January temperatures ranging from -18.2 to -7°C and July temperatures ranging from 5 to 21°C. It is also prone to heavy winds as well as sandstorms from February to April.
By area, Qinghai is the largest province in China - excluding the
autonomous regions of
Xinjiang,
Tibet, and
Inner Mongolia, which are technically not provinces.
Qinghai Lake (Koko Nor) is the largest lake in the
People's Republic of China.
Administrative divisions
Qinghai is administratively divided into one
prefecture-level city, one
prefecture, and six
autonomous prefectures:
Prefecture-level city
Prefecture
Haidong (海东 | Hǎidōng Diqu)
Autonomous prefectures
Golog (果洛藏族自治州 | Guǒluò Zàngzú Zìzhìzhōu)
Haibei (海北藏族自治州 | Hǎiběi Zàngzú Zìzhìzhōu)
Hainan (海南藏族自治州 | Hǎinán Zàngzú Zìzhìzhōu)
Haixi (海西蒙古族藏族自治州 | Hǎixī Měnggǔzú Zàngzú Zìzhìzhōu)
Huangnan (黄南藏族自治州 | Huángnán Zàngzú Zìzhìzhōu)
Yushu (玉树藏族自治州 | Yùshù Zàngzú Zìzhìzhōu)
All of these are in turn divided into four districts, two county-level cities, thirty counties, and seven autonomous counties.
Politics
Secretaries of the CPC Qinghai Committee:
Zhang Zhongliang (张仲良): 1949-1954
Zhao Shoushan (赵寿山): 1952
Gao Feng (高峰): 1954-1961
Wang Zhao (王昭): 1961-1962
Yang Zhilin (杨植霖): 1962-1966
Liu Xianquan (刘贤权): 1967-1977
Tan Qilong (谭启龙): 1977-1979
Liang Buting (梁步庭): 1979-1982
Zhao Haifeng (赵海峰): 1982-1985
Yin Kesheng (尹克升): 1985-1997
Tian Chengping (田成平): 1997-1999
Bai Enpei (白恩培): 1999-2001
Su Rong (苏荣): 2001-2003
Zhao Leji (赵乐际): 2003-2007
Qiang Wei (强卫): 2007-incumbent
Governors of Qinghai
Zhao Shoushan (赵寿山): 1950-1952
Zhang Zhongliang (张仲良): 1952-1954
Sun Zuobin (孙作宾): 1954-1958
Sun Junyi (孙君一): 1958
Yuan Renyuan (袁任远): 1958-1962
Wang Zhao (王昭): 1962-1967
Liu Xianquan (刘贤权): 1967-1977
Tan Qilong (谭启龙): 1977-1979
Zhang Guosheng (张国声): 1979-1982
Huang Jingbo (黄静波): 1982-1985
Song Ruixiang (宋瑞祥): 1985-1989
Jin Jipeng (金基鹏): 1989-1992
Tian Chengping (田成平): 1992-1997
Bai Enpei (白恩培): 1997-1999
Zhao Leji (赵乐际): 1999-2003
Yang Chuantang (杨传堂): 2003-2004
Song Xiuyan (宋秀岩): 2004-incumbent
Economy
Qinghai's economy is amongst the smallest in all of China. Its nominal GDP for 2006 was just 64.1 billion RMB (8.3 billion USD) and contributes to a little over 0.3% of the entire country's economy. Per capita GDP was 11,753 RMB (1,519 USD).
Its heavy industry includes iron and steel productions, located near its capital city of Xining. Oil and natural gas from the Chaidamu Basin have also been an important contributor to the economy.
Demographics
The population of Qinghai is approximately 5.2 million, among which the Han account for 54.5%. Other groups include the Tibetans 20.87%, Tu, Hui, Salar, and Mongols.
Culture
Qinghai's culture is heavily influenced by China proper and Tibet, given the close proximities as well as a shared history. Qinghai was also vital to such European eras as the Reformation, and the Renaissance as numerous Chinese inventions like the compass and the printing press all flowed through the Silk Road, which was vital to the economy.
Transportation
The Lanqing Railway, running between Lanzhou, Gansu and Xining, the province's capital, was completed in 1959 and is the major transportation route in and out of the province. A continuation of the line, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway through Golmud, has become one of the most ambitious projects in PRC history. It was completed in October 2005 and now links Tibet with the rest of China through Qinghai.
Six National Highways run through the province. Xining Caojiabu Airport provides service to Beijing, Lanzhou, Golmud and Delingha.
Tourism
Many tourist attractions center on Xining, the provincial seat of Qinghai.
The city itself has such notable stops, including the Great Mosque of Xining (qīngzhēn dà sì) and North Mountain Temple (běishān sì).
Outside Xining lie two notable attractions:
The Kumbum Monastery (Tibetan: sKu 'bum dKon pa)(tǎ'ěr sì), one of the most important Yellow Hat Sect monasteries, lies 30 km outside Xining. It also features the Hall of Yak Butter Sculptures.
Qinghai Lake (qīnghǎi hú) is another tourist attraction, albeit further from Xining than Kumbum. The lake is the largest saltwater lake in China, and is also located on the "Roof of the World," the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. The lake itself lies at 3,600m elevation. The surrounding area is made up of rolling grasslands and populated by ethnic Tibetans. Most pre-arranged tours stop at Bird Island (niǎo dǎo). An international bicycle race takes place annually from Xining to Qinghai Lake.Further Information
Get more info on 'Qinghai'.
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