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Zhangjiakou 张家口市 Changchiakow, Kalgan | |
|---|---|
     Clockwise from the top: Qingshui riverfront, downtown fireworks, Tong Bridge, Qingyuan Building,Dajingmen | |
| Nicknames: Pearl of theGreat Wall (塞外明珠), Northern Gate of Beijing | |
 | |
.png) Location of Zhangjiakou City jurisdiction in Hebei | |
  Zhangjiakou Location of the city centre in Hebei Show map of Hebei Zhangjiakou Zhangjiakou (Northern China) Show map of Northern China Zhangjiakou Zhangjiakou (China) Show map of China | |
| Coordinates (Zhangjiakou municipal government):40°46′08″N114°53′10″E / 40.769°N 114.886°E /40.769; 114.886 | |
| Country | People's Republic of China |
| Province | Hebei |
| Settled | 2500 B.C. |
| Established | November 15, 1983 |
| Municipal seat | Qiaodong District |
| Government | |
| • Party Secretary | Hui Jian (回建) |
| • Mayor | Wu Weidong (武卫东) |
| Area | |
| 36,861.56 km2 (14,232.33 sq mi) | |
| • Districts | 5,266 km2 (2,033 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 716 m (2,349 ft) |
| Population (2020 census) | |
| 4,118,908 | |
| • Density | 111.7399/km2 (289.4051/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 2,722,683 |
| • Districts | 1,413,861 |
| GDP[1] | |
| • Prefecture-level city | CN¥ 136.4 billion US$ 21.9 billion |
| • Per capita | CN¥ 30,840 US$4,952 |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (China Standard) |
| ISO 3166 code | CN-HE-07 |
| Licence plate prefixes | 冀G |
| Website | www |
| Zhangjiakou | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 "Zhangjiakou", as written in Chinese | |||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 張家口 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 张家口 | ||||||||||
| Postal | Changchiakow | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Zhang FamilyPass | ||||||||||
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| Kalgan | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 喀拉幹 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 喀拉干 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Second alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 張垣 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 张垣 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | ZhangWall | ||||||||||
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| Mongolian name | |||||||||||
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Чуулалт Хаалга Хаалган | ||||||||||
| Mongolian script | ᠴᠢᠭᠣᠯᠠᠯᠲᠣ ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠯᠭᠠ ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠯᠭᠠᠨ | ||||||||||
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Zhangjiakou (/ˈdʒɑːŋdʒiˈɑːˈkoʊ/),[2] also known asKalgan[3] and by severalother names, is aprefecture-level city in northwesternHebei province inNorthern China, borderingBeijing to the southeast,Inner Mongolia to the north and west, andShanxi to the southwest. In 2020, its population was 4,118,908 inhabitants, with an area of 36,861.56 square kilometres (14,232.33 sq mi), divided into 17 counties and districts. The built-up (or metro) area, made ofQiaoxi,Qiaodong,Chongli,Xuanhua,Xiahuayuan Districts, is largely conurbated, with 1,413,861 inhabitants in 2020 in an area of 5,266 km2 (2,033 sq mi).[4]
Since ancient times, Zhangjiakou has been a stronghold of military significance and vied for by multiple sides, hence it is nicknamed the Northern Gate of Beijing. Due to its strategic position on several important transport arteries, it is a critical node for travel between Hebei andInner Mongolia and connecting northwest China, Mongolia, and Beijing.Dajingmen, an important gate and junction of theGreat Wall of China, is located here.[5]
In the south, Zhangjiakou is largely cultivated for agricultural use. In the north, Bashang is a part of the Mongolian plateau and dominated by grasslands. The forest coverage reaches 37%, earning Zhangjiakou the title of National Forest City. According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Zhangjiakou has the freshest air and the least PM 2.5 pollution of all Chinese cities north of the Yellow River. Zhangjiakou also possesses 4.6% of China's wind energy resources, and the city ranks second in solar energy use.[6]: 25–30 Zhangjiakou was one of the host cities at the2022 Winter Olympics.
Zhangjiakou is theatonalpinyinromanization of theChinese name written張家口 intraditional characters and张家口 insimplified ones, meaning "pass of theZhang family". It is writtenZhāngjiākǒu in tonal pinyin and was formerly romanized as Chang-chia-k'ou inWade–Giles and as Changchiakow inPostal Map romanization. The name is a clipping of Zhangjiakoubu (张家口堡;張家口堡;Zhāngjiākǒubǔ), "earthwork fortress of the Zhang family", named in honor of theMing-era official Zhang Wen (张文;張文;Zhāng Wén) who directed its construction from 1429. During China'sRepublican Era, the town was also known in Chinese as Zhangyuan (张垣;張垣;Zhāngyuán), "the Zhang Wall".
Until the mid-20th century, Zhangjiakou was more often known to Europeans as Kalgan from itsclassical Mongolian nameQaɣalɣan (ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠯᠭᠠᠨ), meaning barrier orbeam gate,[3] but actually a shortened form of the full nameČiɣulaltu Qaɣalɣa (ᠴᠢᠭᠤᠯᠠᠯᠲᠤ
ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠯᠭᠠ), "assembly" or "meeting gate" from its importance along Sino-Mongolian trade routes. Themodern Mongolian forms of these names areHaalgan (Хаалган) andChuulalt Haalga (Чуулалт Хаалга). TheManchu form of the name wasImiyangga Jase (ᡳᠮᡳᠶᠠᠩᡤᠠ
ᠵᠠᠰᡝ).
During the Ming dynasty, when the city was a major military outpost against theNorthern Yuan, it was also known asWucheng(武城,Wǔchéng), "Martial" or "War Town". Because of its strategic position above and northwest of Beijing, Zhangjiakou has been nicknamed "Beijing's Northern Door".[citation needed]
There are many paleolithic remains likeNihewan,Xiaochangliang, andMaquangou located in Guyuan county, which indicated human activities dating back possibly 2 million years ago.[7]
Around 2500 BC, the legendary ancestors of Chinese people,Huangdi,Yandi, andChiyou used to live in the area ofZhuolu Town, and later fought theBattle of Zhuolu andBattle of Banquan, amalgamating different tribes into a singleHuaxia tribe, thus beginning Chinese history.[7]
DuringSpring and Autumn period,Xiongnu andDonghu people inhabited the northern area whileYan State (since around 11th century BC) andDai state (since 7th century BC) occupied the southern area. In 475 BC, Dai was occupied byZhao Wuxu ofZhao State. In 300 BC,King Wuling of Zhao establishedDai Commandery, managing the area of ancient Dai state with its administrative center in Dai, currently Daiwangcheng, Yu County. During the same period of time,King Zhao of Yan sent GeneralQin Kai who was once captured byDonghu people and thus became familiar with their tactics to defeat Donghu. Following that, Yan State builtGreat Wall in its border extending from Zaoyang (currently northeast of Xuanhua) toXiangping (currently north ofLiaoyang). In 283 BC, King Zhao establishedShanggu Commandery.[7]: 15–16 In 265 BC,Li Mu, a famous general of Zhao, commanded and deployed troops in Dai to protect against Xiongnu. After arriving in Dai, initially Li Mu banned any counterattack against Xiongnu to preserve the strength for years, which however incurred the discontent of King of Zhao. As a result, Li Mu was sacked. Following Zhao troops' defeat later, King of Zhao reinstated Li Mu. Viewing Zhao troops as cowards, Xiongnu grew arrogant and underestimated Zhao's strength. Finally, Li Mu led troops and ambushed Xiongnu, causing hundreds of thousands of casualties and great damage of Xiongnu, thus ensuring decades of peace in Zhao's borderlands.
In 228 BC,Wang Jian, aQin general defeated Zhao army and occupied its capital,Handan.Jia, a son of Zhao king, escaped to Dai, currently northeast ofYu County and declared himself as theKing of Dai. In alliance withXi, King of Yan, the combined army, commanded byCrown Prince Dan was defeated at Yishui. In 222 BC,Wang Ben, a Qin general defeated Yan state and then, attacked Dai. He captured Jia and ended Dai as a state. Jia feared humiliation and committed suicide.
During theQin dynasty,Shihuangdi sentMeng Tian, commanding 300,000 troops to defend his empire from Xiongnu's attacks. They spent 10 years connecting the Great Wall of Yan, Qin andZhao, thus buildingGreat Wall of Qin, the first Great Wall of 10,000li, its 80-kilometer-long relics currently located in Batou (坝头), or Erdaogou (二道沟) in local slang, to the north of Zhangjiakou downtown area. The southern area of Zhangjiakou was under jurisdiction ofDai Commandery andShanggu Commandery.
During the Han dynasty, most part of the area belonged toYou Prefecture while some parts belonged toWuhuan,Xiongnu andXianbei.[7]: 15–16 WhenLiu Bang established theHan dynasty, he granted Dai and the title of King of Dai to his brotherLiu Zhong in 201 BC. One year later, Liu Zhong was defeated byModu Chanyu of Xiongnu and escaped, thus demoted. In 196 BC,Chen Xi, the chancellor of Zhao, rebelled against the emperor and occupied more than 20 cities soon after. As a result, Liu Bang commanded an army in person from Luoyang. During the war, the empress launched a coup d'état and killedHan Xin, the most important general who helped establish the Han dynasty. With the help ofFan Kuai andZhou Bo, Liu Bang defeated Chen Xi very soon. Following the rebellion, Liu Bang granted the title of King of Dai to his third son, Liu Heng, laterEmperor Wen of Han.[7]: 17–21
Zhangjiakou was a major battleground duringHan–Xiongnu War. In 127 BC,Xiongnu cavalry attacked Shanggu (currently Huailai), Yuyang. TheEmperor Wu of Han launched a successful counterattack. In 124 BC, Xiongnu cavalry invaded Dai Commandery. Emperor Wu orderedWei Qing commanding 100,000 troops to counterattack. Wei Qing left the Great Wall more than 600 to 700 kilometers, encircled Xiongnu's head, Youxianwang (右贤王). In 122 BC, 50,000 Xiongnu invaded Shanggu, killed hundreds of people. In next March, Huo Qubing commanded 10,000 cavalry to counterattack and achieved success. In 119 BC, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing each commanded 50,000 cavalry. Huo Qubing departed from Dai Commandery, marched 2000 li northward crossing Gobi desert. Finally, Han troops defeated Xiongnu underYizhixie completely. Following the success, a new office, the Colonel-Protector of theWuhuan (护乌桓校尉), was established in Shanggu in order to prevent contact between the Wuhuan with the Xiongnu and to use them to monitor the Xiongnu activities.[8] In 106 BC,Emperor Wu of Han organized the Western Han dynasty into 13 province-sized prefectures, each administered by a cishi (刺史) or inspector, thus putting Shanggu and Dai under the jurisdiction ofYou Prefecture.
Following theXin dynasty, Lu Fang (卢芳) rebelled against Han but was defeated. Then,Emperor Guangwu of Han granted him the King of Dai. In 48 AD, theEastern Han dynasty established Colonel-Protector of the Wuhuan in Ningcheng (宁城), Shanggu (currently, NingyuanbaoQiaodong District), representing Han's management of Wuhuan. Meanwhile, Han also opened Hu Market (胡市) to conduct regular exchanges with Wuhuan in Ningcheng. From 110 AD, Ningcheng also began to manage affairs withXianbei.[7]: 21–22
In 274, Western Jin divided Shanggu Commandery and established Guangning Commandery (廣寧郡) in Xialuo (下洛, in the west of present Zhuolu), which was disestablished duringNorthern Qi.
During the period known asSixteen Kingdoms in Chinese history when the northern China was repeatedly invaded and occupied various nomadic peoples from further north, Zhangjiakou area became part ofDai,Former Yan, ultimately ruled byNorthern Wei of Xianbei. In 310, by helping Jin'sLiu Kun, the governor of Bingzhou to fight Xiongnu state ofHan Zhao,Tuoba Yilu, the supreme chieftain of the Tuoba, was appointed Duke of Dai byWestern Jin and since 315, the King of Dai. In 376, Dai was conquered byFormer Qin state.
Former Qin fell into disarray in 383 following its defeat by Jin forces at theBattle of Fei River. In 386,Tuoba Gui, the grandson ofTuoba Shiyiqian, the last King of Dai, took the opportunity to reestablish Dai and soon changed its name from Dai to Wei. Initially, Tuoba Gui was a vassal ofLater Yan but claimed imperial title in 397 after defeatingMurong Bao of Yan inBattle of Canhe Slope. Later, Tuoba Gui was given the title ofEmperor Daowu of Northern Wei.
In 423, in order to defend itself fromRouran's invasions, Northern Wei built a Great Wall fromChicheng to the east andWuyuan to the West, and establishedHuaihuang (懷荒, in presentZhangbei), Rouxuan (柔玄, in presentShangyi), Woye (沃野, in presentWuyuan County, Inner Mongolia) as two of theSix Frontier Towns. Later on, Yuyi (御夷, in present Chicheng and Guyuan ) was added. In 523, an uprising happened in Huaihuang, thus starting the Rebellion of Six Frontier Towns, an anti-Sinicization movement among northern peoples. In 525, Du Luozhou (杜洛周) led Shanggu Uprising, leading to many similar uprising to respond, includingGao Huan's. Next year, Du Luozhou broke throughJuyong Pass and occupiedYou Prefecture.[7]: 23
In 645,Taizong of Tang had a north march inJiming Mountain (鸡鸣山) during hiscampaign against Xueyantuo. In 822, Tang established Longmen County (龍門縣份) and Huai'an County (懷安縣), thus the first appearance of Huai’an. In 866. Tang established Xinzhou (新州), the administrative center located to the west of Zhuolu. In 877,Li Keyong, the grandfather of Li Cunxu, later the emperor ofLater Tang, was serving as the deputy commander of the Shatuo troops and stationed in Yuzhou, turning this place into his base for future struggles. In 899, Wuzhou (武州) was established with its administrative center in Xuanhua. Meanwhile, Wende County (文德縣) was established, the administrative center in present Xuanhua.
During the period of Five Dynasties, Zhangjiakou area, like other places in northern China, underwent repeated changes of rules of different dynasties. In 937, in order to enlist the help fromKhitan people to defeatLater Tang,Shi Jingtang ofLater Jin (Five Dynasties) agreed to cedeSixteen Prefectures to Khitan, laterLiao dynasty, in which Xinzhou (新州, presentZhuolu), Weizhou (妫州,Huailai), Wuzhou (武州), Yuzhou (蔚州) were included. The Sixteen Prefectures held strategic locations in the north and because the Great Wall was across Zhangjiakou area, the cession left China in a vulnerable position against the invasions from the north. In 951, Yelu Ruan, theEmperor Shizong of Liao intended to attackLater Zhou in the south despite the reluctance of many subordinate tribes. While passing Huoshendian (火神淀), the west of Xinzhou, a rebellion broke out and Yelu Gecha (耶律察割) and Yelu Pendu (耶律盆都) assassinated the drunken emperor. The rebellion was put down quickly by Shizong's successor, Yelu Jing, theEmperor Muzong of Liao.
During the reign ofEmperor Jingzong of Liao, the empressXiao Yanyan often took part in politics and war. She often stationed troops in Yanzicheng (燕子城presentZhangbei), the name of which is believed to derive from Xiao Yanyan in preparations for the War against Song. Attracted by the beautiful scenery in Zhangjiakou area, she built two royal gardens, Shanghuayuan (上花園; 'Upper Garden') andXiahuayuan (下花園; 'Lower Garden', in presentXiahuayuan District). Xiao resided there often and enlisted many talent in his war with theSong dynasty.
In 1168, theEmperor Shizong of Jin traveled to Helihudongchuan (曷里滸東东川). Seeing the fully blossoming yellow flowers, he named the yellow flowers Jinlianhua (金蓮花) and the place became Jinlianchuan (金蓮川; 'River of Golden Lotus').
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In August 1211, during theBattle of Yehuling,Genghis Khan's 90,000 strong force destroyed the 450,000 strongJin dynasty army. In 1251,Möngke Khan became theKhagan of the Mongol Empire. He putKublai, his brother, in charge of affairs of northern China. Kublai established JinlianchuanMufu (金蓮川幕府), enlisting many talent of Han people likeLiu Bingzhong to assist his governance. Kublai regularly consulted them and discussed politics, religion ranging fromConfucianism,Taoism andBuddhism.
In 1307,Külüg Khan or the Emperor Wuzong of Yuan began the construction of Yuan Zhongdu (元中都) in Onggachatu (旺兀察都, north to present Zhangbei) where the court was moved. However, before full completion, Emperor Wuzong died soon and his successor Wuzong's brother,Emperor Renzong of Yuan called it off. In August 1329, during Tianli Incident following theWar of the Two Capitals, the new emperorKhutughtu Khan Kusala was poisoned to death byEl Temür in Zhongdu. Zhongdu was later destroyed in 1357 during theRed Turban Rebellion as the rebels marched towardsShangdu.
In 1370,Zhu Yuanzhang ordered his general,Tang He, to occupy Xuande (宣德), later changed to Xuanfu (宣府), Hua Yunlong to occupy Yunzhou (雲州), seated in the north of Chicheng. Xuanfu was one of theNine Garrisons of the Ming dynasty. In order to defend China proper from invasions from the north, Ming emperors, especiallyYongle Emperor (who sent the fleet ofZheng He journeying as far as East Africa) put great emphasis on the building of defensive forces in northern China, where most troops were deployed in Xuanfu, reaching 151 thousand during 1403 to 1424. Fighting Mongols,Yongle Emperor's campaigns against the Mongols mainly took place to the north of Zhangjiakou. In 1429, the official Zhang Wen began fortifying the city, which was subsequently renamed in his honor.
On September 1, 1449, while retreating from the campaign against Mongols (Oirats), the 500,000-man army was defeated and theEmperor Yingzong of Ming was captured by chasing Mongolian troops inHuailai County, which was later calledTumu Crisis. The Emperor was sent back next year but only restored his throne in 1457. In 1529, local officer Zhang Zhen (张珍) built a small gate to north, which was strengthen in 1574 and 1581. Zhangjiakoubu enjoyed a paramount strategic position, thus being called Wuheng (武城; 'Martial Town'). Therefore, Zhangjiakoubu was the origin and starting point of modern-day Zhangjiakou City.[7]: 29–31
In 1514 and 1517,Dayan Khan led Mongol troops to invade China, causing great damage. He built forts in Xuanhua andDatong and stationed 15000 troops on Ming territory. Culminating in the Battle of Yingzhou (應州大捷) in 1517, Dayan Khan was killed in the battle. From 1545, Xuanda Governor Weng Wanda (宣大總督翁萬達) began building Xuanfu Great Wall, reaching 462 li (231 km) next year. In 1545, he built Great Walls again, reaching 169 li (84.5 km), effectively defending the area of Mongol cavalry's invasion.[7]: 115
In 1571,Altan Khan of Mongols received the title "Prince of Shunyi" (Obedient and Righteous Prince) from theLongqing Emperor, thus reaching an agreement of lasting peace with Ming. Since then, the city of Zhangjiakou was transformed from a military base to an important horse market for Mongolian mounts imported into China.[7]: 40 The water-scarce city was historically the chief northern gate in theGreat Wall to China for Europeans travelling along theNorthern Tea Road throughJuyong Pass, includingIvan Petlin in 1619[9] andNicolae Milescu. From 1727[citation needed] it was an important station for theKyakhta trade between Russia and China. In early autumn long lines of camels would come in from all quarters for the conveyance of the tea chests from Zhangjiakou toKyakhta across theGobi Desert. Each caravan usually made three journeys in the winter. In the 19th century, the town had an estimated population of 70–100,000 and someRussian merchants had permanent residences and warehouses just outside the gate.[3]
In October 1909, Zhangjiakou was connected with Beijing byBeijing-Zhangjiakou Railway, the first railway solely designed and built by Chinese people.Zhan Tianyou was the chief engineer. The1911 Encyclopædia Britannica noted that, in Kalgan, "the ordinary houses have an unusual appearance, from the fact that they are mostly roofed with earth and become covered with green-sward" and that "on the way to Peking the road passes over a beautiful bridge of seven arches, ornamented with marble figures of animals". FollowingXinhai Revolution, Zhangjiakou was incorporated into Chahar Special Administrative Region, later changed toChahar Province in 1928, after the success ofNorthern Expedition ofKuomintang.
In 1937, the Japanese occupied the region and made Kalgan the capital of the autonomous Cha-nan (South Chahar) Province. The Federated Mengjiang Commission was set up to supervise the economic affairs, banking, communications, and industry of Japanese-occupied Inner Mongolia (Mengjiang).
During the second phase of the Chinese Civil War, The 35th Army underFu Zuoyi was surrounded atXinbao'an of Zhangjiakou and defeated. This caused Fu Zuo Yi to quickly strike a deal with the Communists and make peace.
In the early 1960s, at the height of Sino-Soviet tensions, Zhangjiakou was considered one of the most important cities in China formilitary strategy reasons. Zhangjiakou was aptly nicknamed, "Beijing's Northern Door", because whoever controlled Zhangjiakou was in a good position to either attack (in the case of the Soviets) or defend (in the case of the Chinese) Beijing.
Zhangjiakou hosted some of the events in the2022 Winter Olympics.[10]
Lying in between theMongolian Plateau and theNorth China Plain, Zhangjiakou has a somewhat rugged topography characterized by high mountains, deep valleys, and rocky pathways. As a result, it serves as a perfect natural screen for Beijing, which has made it a strategic priority militarily since ancient times. It is called "The Gateway to Beijing" and "The Mountain City beyond the Great Wall". The grand Yan Mountain, the towering Taihang Mountain, the vast grasslands, and the meandering Sangyang River converge here. The city government has regarded tourism as a major driving force of the city's economy and continues to develop the industry.[citation needed]
As a place where water resources for Beijing is located, ecological and sustainable development have been emphasized by local government. Due to its less impact on environment than heavy industry, tourism figures significantly in local policies of development. Possessing diverse landforms, such as plains, hills, mountains, basins and grasslands, Zhangjiakou is an ideal place for holidays, entertainment sightseeing for middle class citizens and can provide tourists with a variety of experiences. In the area, there are significant differences in different seasons. In winter, tourists can ski in Chongli Mountains; in spring, they can visit historical sites; in summer, visitors can sleep in Mongolian yurts on Zhangbei Grassland, where annual musical events were held and taste fresh mutton; while in autumn, visitors can taste Huailai wine and take a bath in nearby hot springs.[6]: 155
In today's Zhangbei county a major attraction are the ruins and museum of the former Yuan capital Zhongdu.[11]
Zhangjiakou is located in the northwest part of Hebei province, and is defined by mostly rough terrain created by theYin Mountains, with elevations increasing from southeast to northwest. The east of the prefecture marks theYan Mountains The bordering prefectures in the province areChengde to the northeast andBaoding to the south. It also bordersShanxi to the west and southwest andInner Mongolia to the northwest. The prefecture's latitude ranges from 39° 30' to 42° 10' N, or 289.2 kilometres (179.7 mi), while its longitude spans 113° 50' to 116° 30' E, or 216.2 kilometres (134.3 mi).
Zhangjiakou City is divided into three topographical regions: plateau, mountains, and basin. The former has elevations generally above 1,400 metres (4,600 ft), and consists of all of Guyuan and Kangbao Counties as well as part of Shangyi and Zhangbei Counties. This area is part of the southern end of theInner Mongolia Plateau (内蒙古高原) and accounts for one-third of the prefecture's area.[12] The basin area has elevations of 500 to 1,000 metres (1,600 to 3,300 ft) and supports a few rivers.
The urban area of Zhangjiakou is surrounded by mountains on three sides. TheQingshui River passes through the city, dividing the city into two districts,Qiaodong District andQiaoxi District.[13]
Zhangjiakou has amonsoon-influenced, continentalsemi-arid climate (KöppenBSk), with long, cold, dry, and windy winters due to theSiberian anticyclone, and hot, humid summers driven by theEast Asian monsoon; in between spring and autumn are dry and brief. Conditions are much cooler than in Beijing due in part to the elevation. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from −8.1 °C (17.4 °F) in January to 24.2 °C (75.6 °F) in July, and the annual mean is 9.2 °C (48.6 °F).
| Climate data for Zhangjiakou, elevation 773 m (2,536 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 9.8 (49.6) | 18.2 (64.8) | 27.0 (80.6) | 33.3 (91.9) | 36.8 (98.2) | 39.4 (102.9) | 41.1 (106.0) | 37.2 (99.0) | 35.9 (96.6) | 27.7 (81.9) | 20.8 (69.4) | 14.0 (57.2) | 41.1 (106.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −2.1 (28.2) | 2.6 (36.7) | 9.9 (49.8) | 18.5 (65.3) | 25.0 (77.0) | 28.9 (84.0) | 30.1 (86.2) | 28.7 (83.7) | 24.0 (75.2) | 16.3 (61.3) | 6.7 (44.1) | −0.7 (30.7) | 15.7 (60.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −8.0 (17.6) | −4.0 (24.8) | 3.1 (37.6) | 11.4 (52.5) | 18.2 (64.8) | 22.3 (72.1) | 24.3 (75.7) | 22.7 (72.9) | 17.3 (63.1) | 9.6 (49.3) | 0.7 (33.3) | −6.3 (20.7) | 9.3 (48.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −12.4 (9.7) | −9.0 (15.8) | −2.6 (27.3) | 5.1 (41.2) | 11.7 (53.1) | 16.5 (61.7) | 19.3 (66.7) | 17.8 (64.0) | 11.9 (53.4) | 4.5 (40.1) | −3.7 (25.3) | −10.5 (13.1) | 4.1 (39.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −26.8 (−16.2) | −21.9 (−7.4) | −16.5 (2.3) | −7.7 (18.1) | −1.3 (29.7) | 5.1 (41.2) | 12.5 (54.5) | 7.2 (45.0) | 1.1 (34.0) | −9.1 (15.6) | −17.5 (0.5) | −22.2 (−8.0) | −26.8 (−16.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 2.5 (0.10) | 3.1 (0.12) | 9.1 (0.36) | 20.3 (0.80) | 37.9 (1.49) | 66.3 (2.61) | 101.9 (4.01) | 78.1 (3.07) | 57.5 (2.26) | 24.8 (0.98) | 8.7 (0.34) | 2.7 (0.11) | 412.9 (16.25) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 1.7 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 7.9 | 11.2 | 11.8 | 10.8 | 8.6 | 5.2 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 73 |
| Average snowy days | 2.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 17.3 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 43 | 39 | 36 | 35 | 38 | 51 | 62 | 63 | 57 | 50 | 47 | 44 | 47 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 193.8 | 194.3 | 231.9 | 251.0 | 275.2 | 249.9 | 244.6 | 249.1 | 227.2 | 217.3 | 183.3 | 178.8 | 2,696.4 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 65 | 64 | 62 | 63 | 61 | 56 | 54 | 59 | 62 | 64 | 62 | 62 | 61 |
| Source 1:China Meteorological Administration[14][15] all-time extreme temperature[16] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Weather China[17] | |||||||||||||
| Map | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2020 census)[4] | Area (km2) | |
| Districts | |||||
| Qiaodong District | 桥东区 | Qiáodōng Qū | 422,753 | 113 | |
| Qiaoxi District | 桥西区 | Qiáoxī Qū | 393,227 | 141 | |
| Xuanhua District | 宣化区 | Xuānhuà Qū | 542,358 | 2,371 | |
| Xiahuayuan District | 下花园区 | Xiàhuāyuán Qū | 64,216 | 315 | |
| Wanquan District | 万全区 | Wànquán Qū | 216,795 | 1,158 | |
| Chongli District | 崇礼区 | Chónglǐ Qū | 105,501 | 2,326 | |
| Counties | |||||
| Zhangbei County | 张北县 | Zhāngběi Xiàn | 325,795 | 4,232 | |
| Kangbao County | 康保县 | Kāngbǎo Xiàn | 138,205 | 3,365 | |
| Guyuan County | 沽源县 | Gūyuán Xiàn | 167,587 | 3,601 | |
| Shangyi County | 尚义县 | Shàngyì Xiàn | 104,247 | 2,621 | |
| Yu County | 蔚县 | Yù Xiàn | 411,824 | 3,216 | |
| Yangyuan County | 阳原县 | Yángyuán Xiàn | 205,773 | 1,834 | |
| Huai'an County | 怀安县 | Huái'ān Xiàn | 179,949 | 1,706 | |
| Huailai County | 怀来县 | Huáilái Xiàn | 348,746 | 1,793 | |
| Zhuolu County | 涿鹿县 | Zhuōlù Xiàn | 294,013 | 2,799 | |
| Chicheng County | 赤城县 | Chìchéng Xiàn | 197,919 | 5,238 | |
The vicinity of Zhangjiakou is rich incoal andiron ore, making it an ideal location for developingiron andsteel industry. Apart from metallurgy, the city is home to one of China's most importantgrape wine industries, with theGreat Wall Wine Company being located inShacheng,Huailai County.[18]
Due to its comparatively late implementationReform and Opening policies, the scale of foreign investment in Zhangjiakou is not quite large. Currently, there are approximately 130 foreign companies settled. The amount of investmentreached 820 million US dollars. The largest one is Zhangjiakou Volvo Motor Company with investment amounting to 3.1 billion RMB, and value of output exceeding 1 billion RMB.[6]: 168 In 2022,Volvo Cars' powertrain plant at Zhangjiakou was transferred to Aurobay,[19] a joint venture betweenVolvo Cars andGeely.[20]
Due to several factors including the hosting of2022 Winter Olympic Games with its concomitant expansion of infrastructure, the opening ofhigh-speed railway in December 2019, the national strategy of coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the ratification of building a national demonstration zone of renewable energy byState Council of the People's Republic of China, Zhangjiakou economy is expected to undergo unprecedented advance in the coming years.[6]: 168
Zhangjiakou is headquarters of the65th Group Army of thePeople's Liberation Army, one of the three group armies that comprise theBeijing Military Region responsible for defending China's capital.
Zhangjiakou is home toHebei North University. The university has been improving its international network and many foreign students are now studying there. Another universityHebei University of Architecture is located in Qiaodong District. Zhangjiakou No.1 Middle School is the most famous secondary school in Zhangjiakou. Beijing No.101 Middle School was a branch of Zhangjiakou No.1 Middle School in the past.
Zhangjiakou hosted Freestyle and Nordic skiing and snowboarding excluding big air for the2022 Winter Olympics. The events were held in avenue inTaizicheng, a village inChongli District.[24] The ski resort earned over 1.54 billion yuan (US$237.77 million) in tourism during the 2015–16 snow season for a 31.6% growth over the previous season. The snow season lasted for five months from November, during which Chongli has hosted thirty-six competitions and activities, such as Far East Cup and Children Skiing International Festival. A total of twenty-three skiing camps were set up, attracting the participation of 3,800 youths.[25]
Venues currently being constructed are:
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
