Yinchuan
Overview
Locations: situated between north latitude 38o08'- 38o52', east longitude 105o49'-106o35'; in the Yinchuan Plain; the middle beaches of the Yellow River, between the Helanshan Range and the Eerduosi Plateau; bounded by Helanshan Range to the west; bordering on the Yellow River in the east
Neighboring Areas: Shaanxi and Gansu Provinces; Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Physical features: plain terrain; with average altitude of 1,100 - 1,200 meters above the sea level
Population: 953,800
Urban population: 593,800
Area: 3,499 sq km
Nationalities: Hui, Han and Manchu
History: a history of 1,500 years; in 1038, used to be the capital of the Western Xia Dynasty called 'Xingchuan'; known as 'the lush southern-type fields beyond the Great Wall' since the Northern Zhou Dynasty; also known as 'the phoenix city'; renamed 'Yinchuan' in 1944
Climatic Features: temperate continental climate; semi-arid without cold winter and hot summer; four distinct seasons, cool south and warm north with great difference in temperature; humid south and arid north; rich sunshine with annual average of 2,898-3,040 hours decreasing from the south to north; windy and sandy with short and changeable frost-free period of 140-162 days and relative humidity of 50 -65 percent
Average Temperature: annual average of 8.3oC - 8.6oC; daily difference in temperature of 12oC - 15oC;
Rainfall: annual average of 193-203 mm, decreasing from the south to north; rainfall from June to September accounting for 50 to 73 percent of the total
Mountains: Helanshan Range
Rivers: the Yellow River, Shahu Lake, Jianhu Lake
Local Highlights:
Traditional handicraft: flannelette blanket, Helan stone carving; wine, licorice, sheepskin
