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Brief Introduction : Located in the northwest of Gansu Province, the Hexi Corridor has been an important and strategic route leading to the Western Regions since ancient times. It is an important part of the famous "Silk Road". Sandwiched by Qilian mountain and Northern(Beishan) Mountains, it starts from Wushaoling in the east and ends at Yumenguan pass in the west. It is about 1200 km long from east to west and 15~300 km wide from north to south. About its name ,'He' means the yellow river(Huanghe) which is the mother river of China, 'Xi' means west in Chinese. Hexi means the west of yellow river. This area looks like a long corridor under the condition of birdview, so it is named Hexi corridor.
The Hexi Corridor is also known as the Gansu Corridor. On the south of the corridor it is the Qilian Mountain ,which consists of a series of mountains and valleys running northwest. Most of ranges of Qilian mountain are over 4,000 meters above sea level. The highest peak is Tuanjie1 of Shulenan Mountain which is 6,305 meters above sea level and nearly the same height as most of the peaks on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. High above 4,500 meters, the Qilian Mountain is covered with abundant permanent snow and prehistoric glaciers, which melts at certain seasons each year and provides aconstant source of fresh water for the vast oases and arable land in this area. Therefore, Qilian Mountain is also known as the solid reservoir of Hexi corridor. On the north of the Hexi corridor is the Northern Mountains which consists of Longshoushan mountain, Heli Mountain and Mazong Mountain. Most of mountain ranges are from 2,000-2,500 meters above sea level, of which some peaks reach to 3,600 meters. The mountainous terrain here is undulating and gradually tends to be flat, which can be considered as peneplain.
Hexi Corridor has been an important traffic artery in Northwest China and the key road from eastern China to the western regions since ancient times. The "Silk Road" in the Han and Tang Dynasties leading to Central Asia and West Asia went through it, which was a golden passage in the history of cultural exchange between China and the West. It was not only the ancient battlefield in the past, but also the famous granary of Gansu. It is the main commodity grain base and the concentrated production area of cash crops in northwest China. It is also the main road of communication between eastern China and Xinjiang, and a major border defense base in northwest China.
The main cities in the Hexi Corridor are Wuwei , Zhangye , Jiuquan , Jiayuguan , Dunhuang. There are not only a lot of famous historical ruins here but also magnificent natural sceneries,such as Mogao grottoes, Mati temple, Jiayuguan fort ,Yumen pass, Yulin grottoes, rainbow mountain , echoing sanddune and crescent moon lake and so on.
Climate: The climate in the Hexi Corridor belongs to the temperate arid desert climate with an average annual temperature of 6℃~ 11℃. The corridor is the passage of the Siberian airflow going southward, so winter lasts for half a year. The average temperature in January is mostly between -8℃ and -12℃, and the extreme lowest temperature is even lower than -30℃. The average temperature in July is mostly between 20℃ and 26℃, and the extreme maximum temperature is higher than 40℃. Annual precipitation in the Hexi corridor is around 30~160 mm, and the evaporation in most areas of Hexi corridor is around 2000 ~ 3000 mm.
The cloud above the sky along Hexi corridor is sparse and the sunshine lasts for a long time. The sunshine time can reach 2550 ~ 3500 hours throughout the year, and the frost-free period is about 160 ~230 days. The light resource is really abundant, which is very beneficial to the growth and development of crops . Because it is located in the middle latitude zone, and the altitude is high, so the heat is insufficient, but the temperature in the growing season is high and the temperature changes greatly,which is conducive to the accumulation of crops, especially for the accumulation of melons, fruits and sugars
The Main Historical Cities: Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang
Popular Attractions: Leitai Tombs , Zhangye Danxia World Geopark , Mati temple, Jiayuguan Fort, Mogao grottoes, Yulin grottoes, Echoing sand dune and crescent lake, Yadan national geopark
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Author:tour-silkroad.com
Release time:2021-03-20
Pageviews:743