Wuwei

關於Wuwei

Wuwei is a prefecture-level city in northwest central Gansu province. In the north it borders Inner Mongolia, in the southwest, Qinghai. Its central location between three western capitals, Lanzhou, Xining, and Yinchuan makes it an important business and transportation hub for the area. Because of its position along the Hexi Corridor, historically the only route from central China to western China and the rest of Central Asia, many major railroads and national highways pass through Wuwei.

People began settling here about 5,000 years ago. In ancient historic times, Wuwei was called Guzang (姑臧) or Liangzhou (涼州—the name retained by today's Wuwei's central urban district) and found importance as the capital of various states at the eastern terminus of the Hexi Corridor. It was a key link for the Northern Silk Road, and a number of important archaeological finds were uncovered from Wuwei, including ancient copper carts with stone animals. The motifs and types of objects in the Wuwei graves, as well as their earthenware, lacquer, and bronze composition, constitute typical examples of the Han Chinese burial style that can be found all over China...

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.