Shihezi

County-level & Sub-prefectural city in Xinjiang, China
Shihezi
石河子
County-level & Sub-prefectural city
Shihezi
Shihezi
Location in Xinjiang
Location in Xinjiang
Map
44°18′19″N 86°04′49″E / 44.3054°N 86.0804°E / 44.3054; 86.0804
CountryChina
Autonomous regionXinjiang
Municipal seatHongshan Subdistrict
Government
 • CCP SecretaryE Hongda (Political Commissar of the 8th Division)
 • MayorGe Zhihui (Commander of the 8th Division)
Area
 • Total460 km2 (180 sq mi)
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total498,587
 • Density1,100/km2 (2,800/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard[a])
Postal code
832000
Area code0993
Websitewww.shz.gov.cn
Shihezi
Chinese name
Chinese石河子
Literal meaningStony river banks
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinShíhézǐ
Uyghur name
Uyghurشىخەنزە
Transcriptions
Latin YëziqiShixenze
Yengi YeziⱪXihənzə
SASM/GNCXihanza
Siril YëziqiШихәнзә

Shihezi is a sub-prefecture-level city in Northern Xinjiang, China. It has a population of 380,130 according to the 2010 census. The city is also home to Shihezi University, the second-largest comprehensive university under the Project 211 in Xinjiang.

Shihezi is the headquarter of the 8th Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and currently administered by the 8th Division. The city implemented the "division and city integration" (师市合一, shī shì héyī) management system, it shares the same leader group with the 8th Division.

History

In 1951, General Wang Zhen decided to build a new base for the People's Liberation Army and selected the location of current Shihezi. Zhao Xiguang (赵锡光) took charge in the development of the city, and established the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in 1954.

Quasimilitary-structured farms surrounding Shihezi fueled the development of the city by producing materials for the factories that have been the economic drivers of the city. In 1974, Shihezi became a city.

Administrative divisions

Shihezi contains 5 subdistricts, 2 towns, and a township-equivalent region:

Name Simplified Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Uyghur (UEY) Uyghur Latin (ULY) Administrative division code
Subdistricts
Xincheng Subdistrict 新城街道 Xīnchéng Jiēdào يېڭىشەھەر كوچا باشقارمىسى Yëngisheher kocha bashqarmisi 659001001
Xiangyang Subdistrict 向阳街道 Xiàngyáng Jiēdào شياڭياڭ كوچا باشقارمىسى Shyangyang kocha bashqarmisi 659001002
Hongshan Subdistrict 红山街道 Hóngshān Jiēdào خۇڭشەن كوچا باشقارمىسى Xungshen kocha bashqarmisi 659001003
Laojie Subdistrict 老街街道 Lǎojiē Jiēdào كونا بازار كوچا باشقارمىسى Kona Bazar kocha bashqarmisi 659001004
Dongcheng Subdistrict 东城街道 Dōngchéng Jiēdào دۇڭچېڭ كوچا باشقارمىسى Dungchëng kocha bashqarmisi 659001005
Towns
Beiquan Town
(Shihezi Headquarters Farm of the 8th Division)*
北泉镇
(第八师石河子总场)
Běiquán Zhèn بېيچۇەن بازىرى Bëychuen baziri 659001100
Shihezi Town 石河子镇 Shíhézǐ Zhèn شىخەنزە بازىرى Shixenze baziri 659001101
township-equivalent region
152nd Regiment Farm** 一五二团 152 Tuán 152-تۇەن 152-tuen 659001500

Demographics

Population by ethnicity – 2010 census[2]
Ethnicity Population %
Han 349,149 91.85%
Hui 15,092 3.97%
Uyghur 7,574 1.99%
Kazakhs 3,042 0.80%
Tujia 1,500 0.39%
Mongol 624 0.16%
Manchu 620 0.16%
Kyrgyz 319 0.08%
Dongxiang 306 0.08%
Xibe 157 0.04%
Russian 138 0.04%
Others 1,609 0.43%
Total 380,130 100%

Economy

Nowadays textile and food industries are the most important in Shihezi. The railway to Wusu and Ürümqi skirts the city, while a United Nations economic development project provided a high-quality highway system for the city. The textile industry is the primary employer, although the international trade environment on textiles has brought in fluctuations in employment. As a hub to surrounding farms, the city's destiny is currently tied with theirs. Sugar beets are cultivated near Shihezi. Cultivation of cotton in the farms was accelerated in the 1990s and now dominates the economy.[3]

Shihezi is also home to a polysilicon factory of Daqo New Energy Corp., one of the largest polysilicon producers in the world.[4]

Geography and climate

Shihezi is located at the northern foothills of the middle part of the Tian Shan range approximately 136 kilometres (85 mi) from the regional capital of Ürümqi.

Although Shihezi is almost surrounded on the east, west and north by the Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture (which also includes the city's eastern neighbor, the much older historically Hui town of Manas), it is not a part of it.

Located in an area further from the nearest seacoast than any other region on earth, Shihezi has a continental semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk), with a large temperature differences between summer and winter. Monthly average temperatures range from −15.3 °C (4.5 °F) in January to 25.3 °C (77.5 °F), and the annual mean temperature is 7.39 °C (45.3 °F). Precipitation is very low year-round, with an annual total of only 206 millimeters (8.11 in), compared to the annual evaporation rate, which is usually more than 1,000 millimeters (39 in).[5]

Climate data for Shihezi (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 7.6
(45.7)
6.6
(43.9)
22.7
(72.9)
35.4
(95.7)
37.4
(99.3)
39.2
(102.6)
42.2
(108.0)
41.0
(105.8)
39.4
(102.9)
33.3
(91.9)
17.5
(63.5)
8.3
(46.9)
42.2
(108.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −11.0
(12.2)
−5.8
(21.6)
6.5
(43.7)
20.7
(69.3)
27.0
(80.6)
31.7
(89.1)
33.0
(91.4)
31.7
(89.1)
25.9
(78.6)
16.5
(61.7)
4.0
(39.2)
−7.3
(18.9)
14.4
(58.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) −15.6
(3.9)
−10.6
(12.9)
1.5
(34.7)
13.5
(56.3)
19.7
(67.5)
24.5
(76.1)
25.7
(78.3)
23.7
(74.7)
17.7
(63.9)
9.1
(48.4)
−0.5
(31.1)
−11.3
(11.7)
8.1
(46.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −20.2
(−4.4)
−15.3
(4.5)
−3.3
(26.1)
6.7
(44.1)
12.5
(54.5)
17.3
(63.1)
18.5
(65.3)
16.3
(61.3)
10.1
(50.2)
2.9
(37.2)
−4.3
(24.3)
−15.0
(5.0)
2.2
(35.9)
Record low °C (°F) −34.4
(−29.9)
−36.5
(−33.7)
−30.5
(−22.9)
−19.4
(−2.9)
−0.2
(31.6)
6.6
(43.9)
9.6
(49.3)
3.5
(38.3)
−0.5
(31.1)
−8.9
(16.0)
−28.9
(−20.0)
−36.0
(−32.8)
−36.5
(−33.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 10.1
(0.40)
11.0
(0.43)
12.9
(0.51)
29.0
(1.14)
31.6
(1.24)
22.1
(0.87)
22.7
(0.89)
21.3
(0.84)
13.3
(0.52)
18.4
(0.72)
19.6
(0.77)
14.2
(0.56)
226.2
(8.89)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 9.4 7.6 4.8 6.2 7.4 7.3 7.5 6.4 4.4 4.9 6.8 9.7 82.4
Average snowy days 14.3 10.7 4.2 1.1 0 0 0 0 0 0.7 6.2 13.4 50.6
Average relative humidity (%) 82 81 71 49 44 46 51 53 54 63 77 84 63
Mean monthly sunshine hours 93.4 125.4 211.0 270.4 320.0 318.1 328.6 317.6 281.8 237.6 131.2 79.2 2,714.3
Percent possible sunshine 32 42 56 66 69 69 71 75 77 71 46 29 59
Source 1: China Meteorological Administration[6][7]
Source 2: Weather China[5]

The Manas River forms the administrative border between Shihezi City and its eastern neighbor, Manas County. An extensive system of reservoirs (such as the Jiahezi Reservoir (夹河子水库; Jiāhézi shuǐkù, with the dam at 44°27′00″N 86°7′15″E / 44.45000°N 86.12083°E / 44.45000; 86.12083) and irrigation canals has been constructed in the area, supporting irrigated agriculture.

Education

Shihezi University is located in Shihezi. It is the second-largest university in Xinjiang, with approximately 40,000 students.

Transport

Shihezi is served by China National Highway 312, the Northern Xinjiang and the Second Ürümqi-Jinghe Railways. Reconstruction of the Shihezi Huayuan Airport began in May 2012 and it reopened on 26 December 2015.[8]

Notes

  1. ^ Locals in Xinjiang frequently observe UTC+6 (Xinjiang Time), 2 hours behind Beijing.

References

  1. ^ Xinjiang: Prefectures, Cities, Districts and Counties
  2. ^ Stanley W. Toops (August 2012). Susan M. Walcott; Corey Johnson (eds.). Eurasian Corridors of Interconnection: From the South China to the Caspian Sea. Routledge. pp. 65–66. ISBN 978-1135078751.
  3. ^ Shihezi a 'Shining Pearl in the Gobi Desert' (China.org.cn by staff reporter Wang Qian, October 3, 2004)
  4. ^ "Polysilicon Manufacturers: Global Top 10 | Bernreuter Research". Bernreuter Research. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  5. ^ a b 石河子城市介绍 (in Simplified Chinese). Weather China. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
  6. ^ 中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  7. ^ 中国气象数据网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  8. ^ "石河子花园机场正式通航". 163.com. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.

External links

  • flagChina portal
  • Shihezi economic development zone (in Chinese)
  • Shihezi party politics public information network (in Chinese)
  • Map of the City of Shihezi (in Chinese)
  • Shihezi a 'Shining Pearl in the Gobi Desert'
  • Shihezi (China) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia
Prefecture-level cities
Ürümqi
Karamay
Turpan
Kumul / Hami
Sub-provincial
autonomous prefecture
Ili Kazakh
Tacheng1
Altay1
Prefectures
Aksu
Kashgar / Kashi
Hotan / Hetian
Autonomous
prefectures
Changji Hui
Bortala Mongol
Bayingholin Mongol
Kizilsu Kyrgyz
XPCC administered
County-level cities
  • 1 Tacheng and Altay are prefectures within and under the administration of the Ili Prefecture.
Ethnic minority autonomous areas
Dong
Hui
Korean
Manchu
Miao
Mongol
Tibetan
Tujia
Uyghur
Yao
Yi
Zhuang
Others
  • v
  • t
  • e
Notes: *Provincial capitals, ★Sub-provincial cities, ☆Sub-provincial autonomous prefecture *Sub prefectural-level divisions, ✧"Comparatively larger city [zh]" (较大的市) as approved by the State Council
Provinces
Anhui
Fujian
Gansu
Guangdong
Guizhou
Hainan
  • *Haikou
  • Sanya
  • Danzhou
  • Sansha
  • *Wuzhishan
  • *Qionghai
  • *Wenchang
  • *Wanning
  • *Dongfang
  • *Ding'an County
  • *Tunchang County
  • *Chengmai County
  • *Lingao County
  • *Baisha County (Li)
  • *Changjiang County (Li)
  • *Ledong County (Li)
  • *Lingshui County (Li)
  • *Baoting County (Li and Miao)
  • *Qiongzhong County (Li and Miao)
Hebei
Henan
Hubei
Heilongjiang
Hunan
Jilin
Jiangsu
Jiangxi
Liaoning
Qinghai
Sichuan
Shaanxi
Shandong
Shanxi
Yunnan
Zhejiang
Autonomous
regions
Guangxi
Ningxia
Inner
Mongolia
Xinjiang
Tibet
Direct-administered municipalities
Special administrative regions
See also: List of prefectures in China, List of cities in China
  • v
  • t
  • e
Current
Under construction
  • Wuxing
  • Hongxing
  • Yulong
  • Wushishui
Approved
  • Jinyinchuan
  • Fangxin
  • Xiayedi
  • Tarim
  • Milan
  • Nantun
  • Beiting
  • Qianhai
  • Mosuowan
  • Tianger
Former
  • v
  • t
  • e
Largest cities in Xinjiang
Source: China Urban Construction Statistical Yearbook 2018 Urban Population and Urban Temporary Population
Rank Name Pop. Rank Name Pop.
Ürümqi
Ürümqi
Korla
Korla
1 Ürümqi 2,864,700 11 Bole 204,400 Aksu
Aksu
Karamay
Karamay
2 Korla 489,900 12 Wujiaqu 187,000
3 Aksu 460,900 13 Kuytun 174,700
4 Karamay 452,500 14 Fukang 109,200
5 Yining 372,600 15 Wusu 100,900
6 Changji 361,700 16 Tacheng 97,600
7 Shihezi 338,200 17 Aral 96,000
8 Kashgar 330,000 18 Turpan 86,200
9 Hami 245,700 19 Beitun 79,800
10 Hotan 217,900 20 Artush 78,300
  • v
  • t
  • e
Major cities
National Central Cities
Special administrative regions
Regional Central Cities
Sub-provincial cities
Provincial capitals
(Prefecture-level)
Autonomous regional capitals
Comparatively large cities
Hebei
Shanxi
Inner Mongolia
Liaoning
Jilin
Heilongjiang
Jiangsu
Zhejiang
Anhui
Fujian
Jiangxi
Shandong
Henan
Hubei
Hunan
Guangdong
Guangxi
Hainan1
Sichuan
Guizhou
Yunnan
Tibet
Shaanxi
Gansu
Qinghai
Ningxia
Xinjiang
Taiwan5
  • (none)
Other cities (partly shown below)
Prefecture-level capitals
(County-level)
Province-governed cities
(Sub-prefecture-level)
Former Prefecture-level cities
Sub-prefecture-level cities
(Prefecture-governed)
Hebei
Shanxi
Inner Mongolia
Liaoning
Jilin
Heilongjiang
Jiangsu
Zhejiang
Anhui
Fujian
Jiangxi
Shandong
Henan
Hubei
Hunan
Guangdong
Guangxi
Hainan
  • Wuzhishan*
  • Qionghai*
  • Wenchang*
  • Wanning*
  • Dongfang*
Sichuan
Guizhou
Yunnan
Tibet
  • (none)
Shaanxi
Gansu
Qinghai
  • Yushu*
  • Golmud*
  • Delingha*
Ningxia
Xinjiang
  • Changji*
  • Fukang
  • Bole*
  • Alashankou
  • Korla*
  • Aksu*
  • Artush*
  • Kashgar*
  • Hotan*
  • Yining*
  • Kuytun
  • Korgas
  • Tacheng*
  • Wusu
  • Altay*
  • Shihezi*
  • Aral*
  • Tumxuk*
  • Wujiaqu*
  • Beitun*
  • Tiemenguan*
  • Shuanghe*
  • Kokdala*
  • Kunyu*
Taiwan5
  • (none)
Notes
* Indicates this city has already occurred above.

aDirect-administered municipalities. bSub-provincial cities as provincial capitals. cSeparate state-planning cities. 1Special economic-zone cities. 2Open coastal cities.
3Prefecture capital status established by Heilongjiang Province and not recognized by Ministry of Civil Affairs. Disputed by Oroqen Autonomous Banner, Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia as part of it.
4Only administers islands and waters in South China Sea and have no urban core comparable to typical cities in China.
5The claimed province of Taiwan no longer have any internal division announced by Ministry of Civil Affairs of PRC, due to lack of actual jurisdiction. See Template:Administrative divisions of Taiwan instead.

All provincial capitals are listed first in prefecture-level cities by province.
Authority control databases Edit this at Wikidata
International
  • FAST
  • VIAF
National
  • Israel
  • United States