| Zhongwei | |
| Native Name: | Chinese: 中卫市 · {{script/Arabic|جْووِ شِ |
| Settlement Type: | Prefecture-level city |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Pushpin Map: | Ningxia |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the city centre in Ningxia |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | People's Republic of China |
| Subdivision Type1: | Autonomous region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Ningxia |
| Seat Type: | Municipal seat |
| Seat: | Shapotou |
| Area Total Km2: | 16986.1 |
| Elevation Footnotes: | [1] |
| Elevation M: | 1225 |
| Population As Of: | 2019 |
| Population Total: | 1174600 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Urban: | 526500 |
| Demographics Type2: | GDP |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Prefecture-level city |
| Demographics2 Info1: | CN¥ 31.7 billion US$ 5.1 billion |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Per capita |
| Demographics2 Info2: | CN¥ 27,857 US$ 4,473 |
| Timezone: | China Standard |
| Utc Offset: | +8 |
| Coor Pinpoint: | Zhongwei municipal government |
| Coordinates: | 37.5002°N 105.1968°W |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 755000 |
| Area Code: | 0955 |
| Iso Code: | CN-NX-05 |
Zhongwei (Xiao'erjing: جْووِ شِ) is a prefecture-level city of Ningxia, People's Republic of China. It has an area of 16986.1km2 and a population of 1,174,600 in 2019.[2] [3] The city is known for its wolfberry and Gobi watermelon cultivation.[4] One of the world's largest photovoltaic power station, Tengger Desert Solar Park, is located in Zhongwei.[5]
Under general Meng Tian, the Qin captured the area of Zhongwei and established the Beidi Commandery. In 205 BC a city built at the current location of Zhongwei urban area, which would grow as irrigation systems were built to allow farming.[6]
In 1226 Genghis Khan captured Zhongwei; and in 1403 the city was named Zhongwei, part of Shaanxi.
In 1920 Zhongwei was struck by the Haiyuan earthquake; and in 1926 the highway from Lanzhou to Zhongwei opened.
Zhongwei's main attraction is Gao Miao, a temple that has hosted Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist ceremonies. A bomb shelter was also built beneath the temple during the Cultural Revolution. It has since been converted into a rendition of a Buddhist hell.[7] The prefecture is also the location of the beginning of the northern bend in the Yellow River that produces the Ordos Loop. A drum tower is located in the city center.[8]
| Map | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Xiao'erjing | Population (2019) | Area (km2) | Density (/km2) | |
| Shapotou District | Chinese: 沙坡头区 | Shāpōtóu Qū | 414,200 | 4,633 | 89 | ||
| Zhongning County | Chinese: 中宁县 | Zhōngníng Xiàn | 351,700 | 2,841 | 124 | ||
| Haiyuan County | Chinese: 海原县 | Hǎiyuán Xiàn | 403,900 | 6,979 | 58 | ||
Zhongwei is located on the northern banks of the Yellow River and bordered directly by the Tengger Desert in the north. The city has been battling desertification since the 1950s.[9] Using straw checkerboard patterns the advance of sand dunes is stopped.[10] [11]