Xingtai (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: 邢臺; pinyin: Xíngtái; Wade–Giles: Hsing2-tʻai2), formerly known as Xingzhou and Shunde, is a prefecture-level city in southern Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It has a total area of 12,486 km2 (4,821 sq mi) and administers 4 districts, 2 county-level cities and 12 counties. At the 2020 census, its population was 7,111,106 inhabitants. It borders Shijiazhuang and Hengshui in the north, Handan in the south, and the provinces of Shandong and Shanxi in the east and west respectively.

Xingtai
邢台市
Hsingtai, Shunteh
Clockwise from top: Xingtai Liberation Monument, sculpture of Lying Bull, Xingtai Telegraph Building, city wall ruins and Huoshen Temple, Zhongxing West Street, Dakaiyuan Temple, Qingfeng Tower, statue of Guo Shoujing
Clockwise from top: Xingtai Liberation Monument, sculpture of Lying Bull, Xingtai Telegraph Building, city wall ruins and Huoshen Temple, Zhongxing West Street, Dakaiyuan Temple, Qingfeng Tower, statue of Guo Shoujing
Nickname: 
Sitting Bull City (卧牛城)
Map
Location of Xingtai City jurisdiction in Hebei
Location of Xingtai City jurisdiction in Hebei
Xingtai is located in Hebei
Xingtai
Xingtai
Location of the city center in Hebei
Xingtai is located in Northern China
Xingtai
Xingtai
Xingtai (Northern China)
Xingtai is located in China
Xingtai
Xingtai
Xingtai (China)
Coordinates (Xingtai municipal government): 37°04′18″N 114°30′17″E / 37.0717°N 114.5048°E / 37.0717; 114.5048
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceHebei
Settled3500 BC
EstablishedNovember 15, 1983
Area
 • Prefecture-level city12,432 km2 (4,800 sq mi)
 • Urban114.80 km2 (44.32 sq mi)
 • Districts[1]132.3 km2 (51.1 sq mi)
Population
 (2020 census)
 • Prefecture-level city7,111,106
 • Density570/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
 • Urban971,300
 • Urban density8,500/km2 (22,000/sq mi)
 • Districts[1]
971,000
GDP[2]
 • Prefecture-level cityCN¥ 223.6 billion
US$ 32.4 billion
 • Per capitaCN¥ 24,256
US$3,894
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code
054000
Area code0319
ISO 3166 codeCN-HE-05
Vehicle registrationE
Websitewww.xingtai.gov.cn
Xingtai
Simplified Chinese邢台
Traditional Chinese邢臺
PostalHsingtai
Literal meaning"temple of Xing"

History edit

Xingtai is the oldest city in North China.[citation needed] The history of Xingtai can be traced back 3500 years ago. During the Shang dynasty, Xingtai functioned as a capital city. During the Zhou dynasty, the State of Xing – from which the present name derives – was founded in the city. During the Warring States period, the state of Zhao made Xingtai its provisional capital. The city was known as Xindu for most of the Qin dynasty, but after the 207 BC Battle of Julu (within present-day Pingxiang County, not today's Julu County), it became known as Xiangguo. During the Sixteen Kingdoms Period, when the Later Zhao was founded by Shi Le of the Jie, the capital was again at Xiangguo. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the city was known as Xingzhou.

Sui, Tang and Song times saw the zenith of ceramics production in what was the most prolific ceramics center of northern China (rivaling the Yue ware from the South). The white ware and new technologies developed in the Xing kiln mark the transition from proto-porcelain to proper porcelain.[3] More than thirty kiln site have been excavated in different subdivisions of today's Xingtai City and a large high-tech museum have been established in Neiqiu County in 2017.[4][5][6]

During the Yuan dynasty, Ming, and Qing dynasties, Xingtai was called Shunde (Shundefu) and functioned as a prefecture in China.

Geography and climate edit

Xingtai has a continental, monsoon-influenced semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk).[7] It has hot, humid summers due to the East Asian monsoon, and generally cold, windy, very dry winters that reflect the influence of the vast Siberian anticyclone; fall is similar to spring both in temperature and lack of rainfall. In the spring, there are large sandstorms blowing in from the Mongolian steppe, accompanied by rapidly warming, but generally dry, conditions. The annual rainfall, more than half of which falls in July and August alone, is highly variable and not reliable. In the city itself, this amount has averaged to a mere 496.5 mm (19.5 in) per annum.

Climate data for Xingtai (1991–2014 normals, extremes 1971–2010)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)20.9
(69.6)
27.4
(81.3)
33.9
(93.0)
36.5
(97.7)
39.7
(103.5)
42.4
(108.3)
41.7
(107.1)
38.7
(101.7)
39.0
(102.2)
37.0
(98.6)
27.8
(82.0)
27.6
(81.7)
42.4
(108.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)3.9
(39.0)
8.2
(46.8)
14.7
(58.5)
21.9
(71.4)
27.6
(81.7)
32.3
(90.1)
32.4
(90.3)
30.7
(87.3)
26.8
(80.2)
21.2
(70.2)
12.4
(54.3)
5.5
(41.9)
19.8
(67.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)−0.7
(30.7)
3.0
(37.4)
9.1
(48.4)
16.2
(61.2)
22.1
(71.8)
26.6
(79.9)
27.8
(82.0)
26.2
(79.2)
21.6
(70.9)
15.5
(59.9)
7.1
(44.8)
0.9
(33.6)
14.6
(58.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−4.3
(24.3)
−1.0
(30.2)
4.4
(39.9)
10.9
(51.6)
16.7
(62.1)
21.4
(70.5)
23.7
(74.7)
22.4
(72.3)
17.3
(63.1)
10.8
(51.4)
3.0
(37.4)
−2.5
(27.5)
10.2
(50.4)
Record low °C (°F)−20.2
(−4.4)
−15.6
(3.9)
−10.9
(12.4)
−4.9
(23.2)
5.0
(41.0)
9.9
(49.8)
15.7
(60.3)
13.2
(55.8)
5.6
(42.1)
−1.7
(28.9)
−9.2
(15.4)
−17.4
(0.7)
−20.2
(−4.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)2.9
(0.11)
6.4
(0.25)
10.3
(0.41)
22.0
(0.87)
43.4
(1.71)
50.1
(1.97)
151.0
(5.94)
117.5
(4.63)
59.8
(2.35)
23.1
(0.91)
15.1
(0.59)
3.9
(0.15)
505.5
(19.89)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)1.93.02.95.06.58.511.69.77.55.14.02.568.2
Average snowy days3.43.41.20.20000001.33.312.8
Average relative humidity (%)52504751535571746861615758
Mean monthly sunshine hours138.0149.7189.8221.4247.4215.6179.5188.7172177.2144.4134.52,158.2
Percent possible sunshine45495156564941454752484549
Source 1: China Meteorological Administration[8][9]
Source 2: Weather China[10]

Air quality edit

According to a survey made by "Global voices China" in February 2013, 7 cities in Hebei including Xingtai, Shijiazhuang, Baoding, Handan, Langfang, Hengshui and Tangshan, were among China's 10 most polluted cities; Xingtai ranked 1st in the list and had the worst air quality.[11] In 2020, the improvement rates of Xingtai's comprehensive air quality index and PM2.5 average concentration ranked first in Hebei Province. The average annual concentration of PM2.5 has successfully withdrawn from the "top ten" in China.

Xingtai earthquake edit

A major earthquake, known as the Xingtai earthquake, with magnitude 6.8 on the Richter scale and epicenter in Longyao County occurred in the early morning of March 8, 1966. It was followed by 5 earthquakes above magnitude 6 on the Richter scale that lasted until March 29, 1966. The strongest of these quakes had a magnitude of 7.2 and took place in the southeastern part of Ningjin County on March 22. The earthquake damage included 8,064 dead, 38,000 injured and more than 5 million destroyed houses.[12]

Administrative divisions edit

Map including Xingtai (labeled as HSING-T'AI (SHUNTEH) 邢台) (AMS, 1954)
Map
NameChinesePinyinPopulation (2020)Area (km2)
Xiangdu District襄都区Xiāngdū Qū362,857116
Xindu District信都区Xìndū Qū798,7701941
Renze District任泽区Rènzé Qū342,869431
Nanhe District南和区Nánhé Qū350,384405
Lincheng County临城县Línchéng Xiàn199,793797
Neiqiu County内丘县Nèiqiū Xiàn260,000788
Baixiang County柏乡县Bǎixiāng Xiàn168,761268
Longyao County隆尧县Lóngyáo Xiàn480,447749
Ningjin County宁晋县Níngjìn Xiàn745,3891,032
Julu County巨鹿县Jùlù Xiàn346,007631
Xinhe County新河县Xīnhé Xiàn134,095366
Guangzong County广宗县Guǎngzōng Xiàn280,603504
Pingxiang County平乡县Píngxiāng Xiàn323,675406
Wei County威县Wēi Xiàn496,230994
Qinghe County清河县Qīnghé Xiàn421,582500
Linxi County临西县Línxī Xiàn326,968542
Nangong City南宫市Nángōng Shì396,718861
Shahe City沙河市Shāhé Shì431,746859
Xingtai Economic Development Area邢台经济开发区Xíng Tái Jīng Jì Kāi Fā Qū182,585-
Xingdong New Area邢东新区Xíng Dōng Xīn Qū63,367-

Xingtai Economic Development Area and Xingdong New Area belong to Xiangdu District.

Economy edit

Xingtai is the most important base for natural resources in North China, producing 20 million metric tonnes of coal annually. It also features the largest power plant in the southern part of this region of China, with an output of 2.06 GW.[13]

Transport edit

Located on the Beijing−Guangzhou, the Beijing−Kowloon, the Xingtai-Huanghua and Xingtai-Heshun Railways, as well as the Beijing−Shenzhen, Daqing-Guangzhou, Taihangshan, Xingtai-Hengshui, Qingdao−Yinchuan, and Dongying-Lvliang Expressways and Xingtai Dalian Airport. Xingtai is a transport hub connecting the Eastern, Northern, and Central China.

Notable persons edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, ed. (2019). China Urban Construction Statistical Yearbook 2017. Beijing: China Statistics Press. p. 46. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  2. ^ 河北省统计局、国家统计局河北调查总队. 《河北经济年鉴-2018》. 中国统计出版社. ISBN 978-7-5356-7824-9. Archived from the original on 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  3. ^ Song, Xiaoyan (October 11, 2018). "The Most Ancient White Porcelain in China". China Today. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  4. ^ Song, Xiaoyan (April 12, 2013). "Significant Results from the Excavation of Xing Kiln Site in 2012". Chinese Archaeology. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  5. ^ "Chinese Xingyao Museum". Shijiazhuang Municipality Official Website. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  6. ^ "Xing Kiln Museum / YCA". ArchDaily. May 29, 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  7. ^ Peel, M. C. and Finlayson, B. L. and McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633-1644. ISSN 1027-5606.
  8. ^ 中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Experience Template" 中国气象数据网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  10. ^ 邢台 - 气象数据 -中国天气网 (in Chinese). Weather China. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  11. ^ Bildner, Eli (27 February 2013). "Interactive Maps of China's Most–and Least–Polluted Places". Global Voices China. newsmotion.org. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  12. ^ "Major earthquakes on Chinese mainland since 1966" by the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Houston
  13. ^ 邢台市情介绍 (in Simplified Chinese). Xingtai People's Government. Retrieved 2011-05-20.

External links edit