The Former Liang ( Chinese : 前涼 ; pinyin : Qián Liáng ; 301–376) was a dynastic state , and one of the Sixteen Kingdoms , in Chinese history . It was founded by Zhang Shi of the Han Chinese Zhang family. Its territories included present-day Gansu and parts of Ningxia , Shaanxi , Qinghai and Xinjiang .
87-698: All rulers of the Former Liang remained largely titularly under the court of the Eastern Jin dynasty as the Duke of Xiping except Zhang Zuo who proclaimed himself emperor (or king). However, at times the other Former Liang rulers also used the king title when imposed on them when they were forced to submit to their powerful neighbour states—initially the Former Zhao , then the Later Zhao , and finally
174-704: A Di -ruled state that had briefly unified northern China. In the aftermath of that battle, the Former Qin state splintered, and Jin armies recaptured the lands south of the Yellow River . The Eastern Jin was eventually usurped by General Liu Yu in 420 replaced with the Liu Song dynasty . The Eastern Jin dynasty is considered the second of the Six Dynasties . During the Three Kingdoms period,
261-650: A subarctic climate ( Dwc ) – with winter temperatures sometimes dropping to −40 °C (−40 °F). Most of the limited precipitation is delivered in the summer months: winters are so dry that snow cover is confined to very high altitudes and the snow line can be as high as 5,500 metres (18,040 ft) in the southwest. Gansu is divided into fourteen prefecture-level divisions : twelve prefecture-level cities and two autonomous prefectures : The fourteen Prefecture of Gansu are subdivided into 86 county-level divisions (17 districts , 5 county-level cities , 57 counties , and 7 autonomous counties ). Secretaries of
348-463: A bitter blow from which they never quite recovered. There was also conflict between the various northern immigrant clans. This led to a virtual balance of power, which somewhat benefited the emperor's rule. Special "commanderies of immigrants" and "white registers" were created for the massive amounts of northern Han Chinese who moved south during the Eastern Jin. The southern Chinese aristocracy
435-596: A critical era for the Mahayana school in China. Dharmarakṣa 's 286 translation of the Lotus Sutra was the most important one before Kumārajīva 's 5th-century translation. It was said that there were 1,768 Buddhist temples in the Eastern Jin. Furthermore, Taoism advanced chemistry and medicine in China, whereas the contribution of Mahayana was concentrated in philosophy and literature. Gansu Gansu
522-637: A heavily outnumbered Eastern Jin force inflicted a devastating defeat on the state of Former Qin at the Battle of Fei River . After this battle, the Former Qin—which had recently unified northern China—began to collapse, and the Jin dynasty recovered the lands south of the Yellow River . Some of these lands were later lost, but the Jin regained them once more when Liu Yu defeated the northern states in his northern expeditions of 409–416. Despite successes against
609-461: A lengthy period of internal turmoil within the state as he left behind his 10-year-old son Zhang Yaoling on the throne. Shortly after ascending, Yaoling was deposed by his uncle and regent, Zhang Zuo . In 354, Zhang Zuo declared himself emperor (or king), being the only Former Liang ruler to fully reject Jin's suzerainty. In 355, a distant relative, Zhang Guan , overthrew him and installed Zhang Chonghua's five-year-old son, Zhang Xuanjing , to take
696-473: A practice that was upheld by most of his successors. Zhang Shi is considered the de facto founder of the Former Liang, establishing Guzang as its capital in 317. After Zhang Shi's assassination in 320, his brother, Zhang Mao took power. He came into conflict with the Former Zhao, who were expanding westward to compete with their rival Later Zhao . In 323, Zhang Mao submitted to the Former Zhao, receiving
783-588: Is Mandarin. Gansu is among the poorest administrative divisions in China, ranking last in GDP per capita as of 2019. The state of Qin originated in what is now southeastern Gansu, and later established the first imperial dynasty in Chinese history. The Northern Silk Road ran through the Hexi Corridor , which passes through Gansu, resulting in it being an important strategic outpost and communications link for
870-530: Is a province in Northwestern China . Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou , in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at 453,700 square kilometres (175,200 sq mi), Gansu lies between the Tibetan and Loess plateaus and borders Mongolia 's Govi-Altai Province , Inner Mongolia and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to
957-435: Is abbreviated as 甘 ( Gān ) or 陇 ( Lǒng ), and was also known as Longxi ( 陇西 ; 'west of Long') or Longyou ( 陇右 ; 'right of Long') prior to early Western Han dynasty , in reference to Mount Liupan between eastern Gansu and western Shaanxi . Until 1987, Gansu was rendered in the postal romanization and Wade-Giles as Kansu , which gradually replaced by pinyin starting in 1958. The spelling of
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#17327651534571044-850: Is not exactly known. Then the lodged Huaide County was also established in Jiankang, around 320. According to the Book of Song : 晉永嘉大亂,幽、冀、青、並、兗州及徐州之淮北流民,相率過淮,亦有過江在晉陵郡界者……又徙流民之在淮南者于晉陵諸縣,其徙過江南及留在江北者,並立僑郡縣以司牧之。徐、兗二州或治江北,江北又僑立幽、冀、青、並四州……(After Disaster of Yongjia, the refugees from You, Ji, Qing, Bing, Yan and Xu provinces came across the Huai River, some even came across the Yangtze River and stayed in Jinling Commandery... The lodged administrative divisions were established to govern them. The seats of Xu and Yan provinces perhaps were moved to
1131-537: Is one of the Chinese provinces with smallest per capita area of arable land. Agricultural production includes cotton , linseed oil , maize , melons (such as the honeydew melon , known locally as the Bailan melon ), millet , and wheat . Gansu is known as a source for wild medicinal herbs which are used in Chinese medicine . However, pollution by heavy metals, such as cadmium in irrigation water, has resulted in
1218-518: Is part of Shiyang River Basin . The landscape in Gansu is very mountainous in the south and flat in the north. The mountains in the south are part of the Qilian Mountains , while the far western Altyn-Tagh contains the province's highest point, at 5,830 metres (19,130 ft). A natural land passage known as Hexi Corridor , stretching some 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) from Lanzhou to
1305-487: Is popular among the Han and nine ethnic groups of Gansu. The cuisine of Gansu is based on the staple crops grown there: wheat , barley , millet , beans , and sweet potatoes . Within China, Gansu is known for its lamian (pulled noodles), and Muslim restaurants which feature authentic Gansu cuisine. Religion in Gansu (2012) According to a 2012 survey around 12% of the population of Gansu belongs to organised religions,
1392-442: Is well known for the quality of its greenish celadon porcelain wares, which immediately followed the development of proto-celadon . Jar designs often incorporated animal, as well as Buddhist, figures. Examples of Yue ware are also known from the Jin dynasty. After the fall of Chang'an and the execution of Emperor Min of Jin , Sima Rui, posthumously known as Emperor Yuan , was enthroned as Jin emperor in 318. He reestablished
1479-560: The Book of Jin : 今九域同規,大化方始,臣等以為宜皆蕩除末法,一擬古制, 以土斷 ,定自公卿以下,皆以所居為正,無復懸客遠屬異土者。 然承魏氏凋弊之跡,人物播越,仕無常朝,人無定處,郎吏蓄於軍府,豪右聚於都邑,事體駁錯,與古不同。謂九品既除,宜先開移徙,聽相並就。且明貢舉之法,不濫於境外,則冠帶之倫將不分而自均,即 土斷 之實行矣。 Hence, it was perhaps initially proposed by these two people, but was only seriously implemented during the Eastern Jin and the Southern dynasties. Taoism was polarized in the Jin dynasty. The Jin emperors repressed Taoists harshly, but also tried to exploit it, given
1566-409: The Battle of Fei River in 383, he managed to escape to the Eastern Jin. He became a Jin official and was restored to his family's title of Duke of Xiping before dying in 406. His son, Zhang Dayu attempted to restore his family's state in 386, but was killed in 387 by Lü Guang , the founder of Later Liang . Despite the chaos that plagued Former Liang in its later years, it also saw the emergence of
1653-742: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Gansu Committee : The Secretary of the CCP Gansu Committee is the highest-ranking office within Gansu Province. Governors of Gansu : The Governorship of Gansu is the second highest-ranking official within Gansu, behind the Secretary of the CPC Gansu Committee. The governor is responsible for all issues related to economics , personnel , political initiatives,
1740-524: The Former Qin . As the early rulers did not explicitly declare their independence, the official year of Former Liang's establishment is up to interpretation, but no earlier than 301, the year when Zhang Gui was appointed Inspector of Liang province . Historiographers gave the state the prefix of "Former" to distinguish it from the Di -led Later Liang that came after them, along with the other Liang states of
1827-572: The Jade Gate , is situated within the province. It is bound from north by the Gobi Desert and Qilian Mountains from the south. Gansu generally has a semi-arid to arid continental climate ( Köppen BSk or BWk ) with warm to hot summers and cold to very cold winters, although diurnal temperature ranges are often so large that maxima remain above 0 °C (32 °F) even in winter. However, due to extreme altitude, some areas of Gansu exhibit
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#17327651534571914-511: The Jianxing reign era and adopted the Eastern Jin's reign eras, thus fully recognizing their sovereignty. Later, he attempted to get the Jin commander, Huan Wen , to coordinate a campaign with him against Qin but was ignored. In 376, Former Qin invaded Former Liang, prompting Tianxi to surrender and ending the state. Zhang Tianxi served as a mid-level official under the Qin, but in the aftermath of
2001-653: The Mogao Caves , as these Buddhist grottoes are widely believed to have been first constructed by the monk, Le Zun (樂尊) near Dunhuang in 366. Shengping 升平 361–363 Xian'an 咸安 372–376 Jin dynasty (266%E2%80%93420)#Eastern Jin (317–420) The Jin dynasty or Jin Empire , sometimes distinguished as the Sima Jin or the Two Jins , was an imperial dynasty in China that existed from 266 to 420. It
2088-659: The Sima clan—with its most accomplished individual being Sima Yi —rose to prominence within the kingdom of Cao Wei that dominated northern China. Sima Yi was the regent of Cao Wei, and in 249 he instigated a coup d'état known as the Incident at Gaoping Tombs , the Sima clan began to surpass the Cao clan's power in the kingdom. After Sima Yi's death in 251, Sima Yi's eldest son Sima Shi succeeded his father as regent of Cao Wei, maintaining
2175-853: The Uyghur Khaganate , a Buddhist Yugur (Uyghur) state called the Ganzhou Uyghur Kingdom was established by migrating Uyghurs from the khaganate in part of Gansu that lasted from 848 to 1036 AD. Along the Silk Road , Gansu was an economically important province, as well as a cultural transmission path. Temples and Buddhist grottoes such as those at Mogao Caves ('Caves of the Thousand Buddhas') and Maijishan Caves contain artistically and historically revealing murals . An early form of paper inscribed with Chinese characters and dating to about 8 BC
2262-550: The Western Regions like Kucha to submit to him. In the mid-fourth century, it is believed that Former Liang could have maintained control over much of modern day Gansu and Xinjiang , as well as portions of Qinghai and Ningxia . Zhang Jun also established ties with the Cheng-Han dynasty in southwestern China. Under him, the Former Liang began to use the ranks and titles of the imperial court, as well as imitating
2349-515: The environment and the foreign affairs of the province. The Governor is appointed by the Gansu Provincial People's Congress , which is the province's legislative body. Despite recent growth in Gansu and the booming economy in the rest of China, Gansu is still considered to be one of the poorest provinces in China. For several years, it has ranked as one of the provinces with lowest GDP per capita . Its nominal GDP for 2017
2436-803: The geographical centre of China, marked by the Center of the Country Monument at 35°50′40.9″N 103°27′7.5″E / 35.844694°N 103.452083°E / 35.844694; 103.452083 ( Geographical centre of China ) . Part of the Gobi Desert is located in Gansu, as well as small parts of the Badain Jaran Desert and the Tengger Desert . The Yellow River gets most of its water from Gansu, flowing straight through Lanzhou. The area around Wuwei
2523-409: The qiaoren : the qiaozhou ( 僑州 , 'province'), qiaojun ( 僑郡 , 'commandery'), and qiaoxian ( 僑縣 , the lodged county), these lodged administrative divisions were merely nominal without possessing actual domain, or rather, they were local government in exile; what could scarcely be denied was their significance in Jin's legitimacy for the northern territory as somewhat an announcement. Furthermore, it
2610-536: The Chinese empire. The city of Jiayuguan , the second most populated city in Gansu, is known for its section of the Great Wall and the Jiayu Pass fortress complex. Gansu is a compound of the names of Ganzhou (now the main urban district and seat of Zhangye ) and Suzhou (an old name and the modern seat of Jiuquan ), formerly the two most important Chinese settlements in the Hexi Corridor . Gansu
2697-504: The Eastern Jin throughout its 104-year existence. The local aristocrat clans of the south were often at odds with the immigrants from the north. As such, tensions increased, and rivalry between the immigrants and southern locals loomed large in the domestic politics of the Jin. Two of the most prominent local clans, the Zhou ( 周 ) clan of Yixing and the Shen ( 沈 ) clan of Wuxing , were dealt
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2784-480: The Jin dynasty conquered Eastern Wu in 280 and united China proper, thus ending the Three Kingdoms period. The period of unity was relatively short-lived, as the Jin state was soon weakened by corruption, political turmoil, and internal conflicts. Emperor Wu's son Zhong, posthumously known as Emperor Hui , was developmentally disabled . Emperor Wu died in 290, and in 291 conflict over his succession caused
2871-513: The Jin dynasty with its capital in Jiankang (modern Nanjing ), inaugurating the Eastern Jin (317–420). The Eastern Jin dynasty remained in near-constant conflict with its northern neighbors for most of its existence, and it launched several invasions of the north with the aim of recovering its lost territories. In 383, the Eastern Jin inflicted a devastating defeat on the Former Qin ,
2958-449: The Jin government at Jiankang (present-day Nanjing ), which became the dynasty's new capital. This marked the start of the Eastern Jin period. One of Sima Rui's titles was the prince of Langya , so the recently established northern states , who denied the legitimacy of his succession, occasionally referred to his empire as "Langya". The Eastern Jin period witnessed the pinnacle of menfa ( 門閥 'gentry clan') politics. The authority of
3045-485: The Jin refugees Sima Fei [ zh ] ( 司馬朏 ) and Sima Chuzhi [ zh ] ( 司馬楚之 ). They both married Xianbei princesses. Sima Fei's wife was named Huayang ( 華 陽 公主 ), who was a daughter of Emperor Xiaowen ; Sima Chuzhi's son was Sima Jinlong , who married a Northern Liang princess who was a daughter of the Lushuihu king Juqu Mujian . More than fifty percent of Tuoba Xianbei princesses of
3132-613: The Northern Wei were married to southern Han Chinese men from the imperial families and aristocrats from southern China of the Southern dynasties who defected and moved north to join the Northern Wei. Much later, Sima Guang (1019–1086), who served as chancellor for the Song and created the comprehensive history Zizhi Tongjian , claimed descent from the Jin dynasty (specifically, Sima Fu , brother of Sima Yi ). The uprising of
3219-497: The Sima clan's tight grip on the Cao Wei political scene. After Sima Shi's death in 255, Sima Shi's younger brother Sima Zhao became the regent of Cao Wei. Sima Zhao further assisted his clans' interests by suppressing rebellions and dissent. In 263, he directed Cao Wei forces in conquering Shu Han and capturing Liu Shan (the son of Liu Bei ), marking the first demise of one of the Three Kingdoms. Sima Zhao's actions awarded him
3306-696: The Sixteen Kingdoms, Southern Liang , Northern Liang and Western Liang . The founding of the Former Liang can be traced back to Zhang Gui . He was a Han Chinese official under the Western Jin dynasty who claimed descent from Zhang Er , the King of Changsha during Emperor Gaozu of Han’s era. Zhang Gui was appointed as provincial inspector by the imperial court in 301. Along with his two sons, Zhang Mao and Zhang Shi, he made Guzang (姑臧, in modern Wuwei, Gansu ) his main base and worked closely with
3393-720: The Western Jin ended the Three Kingdoms period and reunited China proper for the first time since the end of the Han dynasty . From 291 to 306, a series of civil wars known as the War of the Eight Princes were fought over control of the Jin state which weakened it considerably. In 304, the dynasty experienced a wave of rebellions by non- Han ethnicities termed the Five Barbarians , who went on to establish several short-lived dynastic states in northern China . This inaugurated
3480-588: The Western Jin in its war against the Xiongnu -led Han dynasty (renamed to Former Zhao in 319), as did his son and successor Zhang Shi . After Emperor Min of Jin’s capture and execution, Zhang Shi sent envoys to the prince, Sima Rui at Jiankang in the south, urging him to take the throne. The dynasty was re-established as the Eastern Jin in 318, but despite his endorsement, Zhang Shi refused to adopt Sima Rui’s new reign era. Instead, he continued to use Emperor Min’s reign era, Jianxing (建興) within his territory,
3567-458: The area north of the Yangtze River, where the lodged You, Ji, Qing, Bing provinces were established.) The lodged Pei, Qinghe, Xiapi, Dongguang, Pingchang, Jiyin, Puyang, Guangping, Taishan, Jiyang, and Lu commanderies were established when Emperor Ming ruled. The rebellions and invasions occurring in Jianghuai area led to more refugees switching to settle in the south of the Yangtze River, where
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3654-432: The chaotic and bloody Sixteen Kingdoms era of Chinese history, in which states in the north rose and fell in rapid succession, constantly fighting both one another and the Jin. Han-Zhao , one of the northern states established during the disorder, sacked Luoyang in 311 , captured Chang'an in 316, and executed Emperor Min of Jin in 318, ending the Western Jin era. Sima Rui , who succeeded Emperor Min, then reestablished
3741-516: The cradles of ancient Chinese civilisation. In prehistoric times, Gansu was host to Neolithic cultures. The Dadiwan culture , from where archaeologically significant artifacts have been excavated, flourished in the eastern end of Gansu from about 6000 BC to about 3000 BC. The Majiayao culture and part of the Qijia culture took root in Gansu from 3100 BC to 2700 BC and 2400 BC to 1900 BC respectively. The Yuezhi originally lived in
3828-575: The devastating War of the Eight Princes . The dynasty was greatly weakened by this civil conflict, and it soon faced more upheaval when the Upheaval of the Five Barbarians began in 304. During this unrest, the Jin capital Luoyang was sacked by Han-Zhao ruler Liu Cong in 311, and Jin emperor Sima Chi, posthumously known as Emperor Huai , was captured and later executed. Emperor Huai's successor Sima Ye, posthumously known as Emperor Min ,
3915-623: The emperors was limited, while national affairs were controlled by powerful immigrant elite clans like the Wang ( 王 ) clans of Langya and Taiyuan , the Xie ( 謝 ) clan of Chenliu , the Huan ( 桓 ) clan of Qiao Commandery , and the Yu ( 庾 ) clan of Yingchuan . Among the people, a common remark was that " Wang Dao and Sima Rui , they dominate the nation together" ( 王與馬,共天下 ). It was said that when Emperor Yuan
4002-507: The end of Zhang Jun's reign, and shortly after Chonghua ascended, Zhao launched an invasion on Liang. The Liang general, Xie Ai initially repelled the invaders, but they still lost their territory south of the Yellow River . During and after the Later Zhao collapse in the early 350s, Chonghua attempted to reclaim lost land and expand eastward, but his efforts were frustrated by the new and rising Former Qin dynasty. His death in 353 began
4089-438: The five barbarians led to one in eight northerners migrating to the south. These immigrants were called qiaoren ( 僑人 'lodged people'), accounting for one-sixth of the population of the south at the time. With consideration of the material loss refugees had experienced before arrival, they were exempt from the diao ( 調 ) tax, and other services. Those whose registers were bound in white paper were called baiji ( 白籍 ), while
4176-516: The flag, trappings, and carriage of the Emperor roughly twenty-one years into his reign. His state's immense wealth was exemplified by his extravagant building projects, most notably the five palaces he built south of Guzang. In 345, he proclaimed himself Acting Prince of Liang, all while still recognizing Jin as his overlord. Zhang Jun died in 346 and was succeeded by his son Zhang Chonghua. Relations between Former Liang and Later Zhao had soured near
4263-580: The hands of his co-regent and Xuanjing's uncle, Zhang Tianxi . Tianxi was the last of Xuanjing's regents, as in 363, he deposed his nephew and assumed power for himself. Infighting within the Former Liang left the state severely weakened. Several pro-Eastern Jin rebellions broke out in 356 and they once more lost all their territory south of the Yellow River. Faced with pressure from the Former Qin, they were also forced to submit to them as vassals. During his regency and reign, Zhang Tianxi finally discarded
4350-408: The imperial hierarchy. As a result, popular Taoist religions were considered heterodoxy while the official schools of the court were supported, but the popular schools like Tianshi Taoism were still secretly held dear and promulgated amongst ordinary people. Disunity, disintegration, and chaos also made Buddhism more popular, in part due to the focus on addressing suffering. The Jin dynasty marked
4437-443: The industrial sector contributed the most to Gansu's economy. The most important industries are petrochemicals, non-ferrous metallurgy , machinery and electronics. The province is also an important base for wind and solar power. As a result of environmental protection policies, the industry sector is not growing. The manufacturing sector has been shrinking for several years and has low investment numbers. According to some sources,
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#17327651534574524-484: The largest groups being Buddhists with 8.2%, followed by Muslims with 3.4%, Protestants with 0.4% and Catholics with 0.1%. Around 88% of the population may be either irreligious or involved in Chinese folk religion , Buddhism, Confucianism , Taoism, and folk religious sects . Muslim restaurants are common, and feature typical Chinese dishes, but without any pork products, and instead an emphasis on lamb and mutton . Gansu has many works of Buddhist art, including
4611-468: The local population to ensure the dynastic rule of his family. Due to the stability in the area, Former Liang became a refuge for those fleeing the chaos of the heartland. Zhang Gui also developed the region by promoting agriculture and establishing new schools. Despite his influence in Liang, Zhang Gui never declared independence and remained a Jin official up to his death in 314. Likewise, his successors for
4698-587: The locally sourced petrol from the Yumen Laojunmiao oil wells beginning in the summer of 1939, producing 250,000 tons of crude oil in those war years. Lanzhou and Lhasa were designated to be recipients of a new railway. The Kuomintang Islamic insurgency in China (1950–1958) was a prolongation of the Chinese Civil War in several provinces including Gansu. Gansu has an area of 454,000 square kilometres (175,000 sq mi), and
4785-406: The lodged Huainan Commandery was established afterwards. However, carrying these out was more complex than the policy was formulated. Several actual counties were under the jurisdiction of the lodged commanderies. A few lodged administrative divisions are still retained in China nowadays. For instance, Dangtu County was originally located in the area of Bengbu , however, the lodged Dangtu County
4872-412: The most part nominally retained their status as Jin officials, maintaining their legitimacy by maintaining ties with the Jin court . As a result of the migration of refugees from the collapsing Western Jin , there was an influx of literati who fled to Former Liang rather than the Jin court-in-exile in the south, which resulted in the Former Liang becoming a cultural center of North China. Zhang Gui aided
4959-470: The northern states like the Battle of Fei River, paranoia in the royal family and a constant disruptions to the throne often caused loss of support for northern campaigns. For example, lack of support by the Jin court was a major cause of Huan Wen's failure to recover the north in his expeditions. Additionally, internal military crises—including the rebellions of generals Wang Dun and Su Jun , but also lesser fangzhen ( 方鎮 'military command') revolts—plagued
5046-401: The others with registers bound in yellow paper were called huangji ( 黃籍 ). When the crisis had subsided, this preferential increasingly seemed a heavy burden on the people, arousing dissatisfaction in the natives. Hence, tu duan was an increasingly important issue for the Eastern Jin. The Eastern Jin court established three levels of administrative divisions which served as strongholds for
5133-406: The poisoning of many acres of agricultural land. The extent and nature of the heavy metal pollution is considered a state secret. The industrial sector in Gansu was developed after completion of the Longhai railway in 1953 and blueprinted in the first five-year plan of China . It was a major recipient of China's investment in industrial capacity during the Third Front campaign. Until 2014,
5220-565: The present-day area of Ningxia in 1920, and another with a magnitude of 7.6 killed 275 in 1932. The Muslim Conflict in Gansu (1927–1930) was a conflict against the Guominjun . While the Muslim General Ma Hongbin was acting chairman of the province, Muslim General Ma Buqing was in virtual control of Gansu in 1940. Liangzhou District in Wuwei was previously his headquarters in Gansu, where he controlled 15 million Muslims. Xinjiang came under Kuomintang (Nationalist) control after their soldiers entered via Gansu. Gansu's Tienshui
5307-900: The province is also a center of China's nuclear industry. As stipulated in the country's 12th Five Year Plan, the local government of Gansu hopes to grow the province's GDP by 10% annually by focusing investments on five pillar industries: renewable energy, coal, chemicals, nonferrous metals, pharmaceuticals and services. A large part of Gansu's economy is based on mining and the extraction of minerals , especially rare earth elements . The province has significant deposits of antimony , chromium , coal , cobalt , copper , fluorite , gypsum , iridium , iron , lead , limestone , mercury , mirabilite , nickel , crude oil , platinum , troilite , tungsten , and zinc among others. The oil fields at Yumen and Changqing are considered significant. Gansu has China's largest nickel deposits accounting for over 90% of China's total nickel reserves. Since 2014,
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#17327651534575394-417: The province is also spelled in Mandarin Phonetic Symbols II (1986) and Tongyong Pinyin (2002) adopted by Taiwan , who would later adopt Hanyu Pinyin in 2009. Gansu's name is a compound name first used during the Song dynasty . It is a combination of the names of two prefectures ( 州 ) in the Sui and Tang dynasty : Gan (around Zhangye ) and Su (around Jiuquan ). Its eastern part forms part of one of
5481-437: The rest of the province is rapidly losing population. Most of the inhabitants of Gansu speak dialects of Northern Mandarin Chinese . On the border areas of Gansu one might encounter Tu , Tibetan , Mongolian , Uyghur and the Kazakh language . Most of the minorities also speak Chinese. A unique variety of Chinese folk music popularly identified with the local peoples of Gansu include the "Hua'er" (flowery melodies) , and
5568-431: The ruler of the new Song dynasty (which is referred to as the Liu Song dynasty by historians in order to prevent confusion with the Song dynasty established in 960). Sima Dewen was then asphyxiated with a blanket in the following year. In the north, Northern Liang , the last of the Sixteen Kingdoms , was conquered by Northern Wei in 439, ushering in the Northern dynasties period. The Xianbei Northern Wei accepted
5655-562: The service sector is the largest economic sector of Gansu. Tourism is a sector that is becoming of increased importance. The following economic and technological zones are situated in Gansu: Gansu province is home to a little more than 25 million people. As of 2020, 47.7% of the population was rural, but much relocation in recent years has reduced this. Gansu is 89.4% Han and also has Hui , Tibetan , Dongxiang , Tu , Uyghurs , Yugur , Bonan , Mongolian , Salar and Kazakh minorities. Gansu province's community of Chinese Hui Muslims
5742-721: The south at different times resulted in distinct groups of aristocratic lineages. In 403, Huan Xuan , the son of esteemed general Huan Wen , usurped the Jin throne and declared the dynasty of Huan Chu . Huan Xuan was soon toppled by Liu Yu , who reinstated Jin rule by installing Sima Dezong on the throne, posthumously known as Emperor An . Meanwhile, the civilian administration suffered, as there were further revolts led by Sun En and Lu Xun, and Western Shu became an independent kingdom under Qiao Zong . In 419, Liu Yu had Sima Dezong strangled and replaced by his brother Sima Dewen, posthumously known as Emperor Gong . Finally, in 420, Sima Dewen abdicated in favour of Liu Yu, who declared himself
5829-414: The throne. Zhang Guan acted as regent but later considered usurping the throne before he was killed by Song Hun . Song Hun and his brother, Song Cheng , were members of the prominent Song clan of Dunhuang and served as Xuanjing's regents in succession, during which they discarded Zhang Zuo's imperial title. In 361, Song Cheng was assassinated by the general, Zhang Yong , who soon suffered the same fate at
5916-447: The title of King of Jin, the last achievable rank beneath that of emperor. He was granted the title because his ancestral home was located in Wen County , on the territory of the Zhou -era state of Jin , which was centered on the Jin River in Shaanxi . Sima Zhao's ambitions for the throne were visible, but he died in 265 before any usurpation attempt could be made, passing the opportunity to his ambitious son Sima Yan . The Jin dynasty
6003-468: The title of King of Liang and the nine bestowments , while internally retaining his Jin title of Duke of Xiping. The Former Liang reached its peak under Zhang Jun , who succeeded his uncle Zhang Mao in 324. After the Later Zhao conquered Former Zhao in 329, he rejected Later Zhao's authority at first, but was eventually pressured into submission. Regardless, in 335 his forces marched across the sands and expanded his territory, forcing several oasis states in
6090-427: The vast majority of its land is more than 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above sea level . It lies between the Tibetan Plateau and the Loess Plateau , bordering Mongolia ( Govi-Altai Province ) to the northwest, Inner Mongolia and Ningxia to the north, Shaanxi to the east, Sichuan to the south, and Xinjiang to the west. The Yellow River passes through the southern part of the province. The province contains
6177-491: The very western part of Gansu until they were forced to emigrate by the Xiongnu around 177 BC. The State of Qin , known in China as the founding state of the Chinese empire , grew out from the southeastern part of Gansu, specifically the Tianshui area. The Qin name is believed to have originated, in part, from the area. Qin tombs and artifacts have been excavated from Fangmatan near Tianshui, including one 2200-year-old map of Guixian County . In imperial times, Gansu
6264-616: The way it had been used near the end of the Han era in the Yellow Turban Rebellion . Amidst the political turmoil of the era, many successful merchants, small landowners, and other moderately comfortable people found great solace in Taoist teachings and a number of major clans and military officers also took up the faith. Ge Hong emphasized loyalty to the emperor as a Taoist virtue; he even taught that rebels could never be Taoist immortals, which made Taoism more palatable to
6351-632: The west of Yumenguan and the Qilian Mountains , at the northwestern end of the province, the Yuezhi , Wusun , and other nomadic tribes dwelt ( Shiji 123), occasionally figuring in regional imperial Chinese geopolitics . By the Qingshui treaty, concluded in 823 between the Tibetan Empire and the Tang dynasty, China lost much of western Gansu province for a significant period. After the fall of
6438-491: The west, Sichuan to the south and Shaanxi to the east. The Yellow River passes through the southern part of the province. Part of Gansu's territory is located in the Gobi Desert . The Qilian mountains are located in the south of the Province. Gansu has a population of 26 million, ranking 22nd in China . Its population is mostly Han , along with Hui , Dongxiang and Tibetan minorities. The most common language
6525-453: Was about 767.7 billion yuan (US$ 113.70 billion) and per capita of 29,326 RMB (US$ 4,343). The province also has a large difference in wealth between regions and urban versus rural areas. The poorest areas are Dingxi, Longnan, Gannan and Linxia. According to analysts, the local economy failed to gather momentum while other provinces did manage to increase their economic growth. Due to poor natural conditions such as aridness, Gansu
6612-489: Was also an action done to appease the refugees' homesickness, which was evoking their desire to reacquire what had been lost. During the rule of Emperor Yuan, Emperor Ming, and Emperor Cheng, the lodged administrative divisions were concentrated in the area south of the Huai River and the Lower Yangtze Plain. At first there was the lodged Langya Commandery within lodged Fei County in Jiankang, but when it began
6699-487: Was an important strategic outpost and communications link for the Chinese empire, as the Hexi Corridor runs along the "neck" of the province. The Han dynasty extended the Great Wall across this corridor, building the strategic Yumenguan (Jade Gate Pass, near Dunhuang ) and Yangguan fort towns along it. Remains of the wall and the towns can be found there. The Ming dynasty built the Jiayuguan outpost in Gansu. To
6786-468: Was another Dungan revolt from 1895 to 1896 . As a result of frequent earthquakes, droughts and famines, the economic progress of Gansu was significantly slower than that of other provinces of China until recently. Based on the area's abundant mineral resources it has begun developing into a vital industrial center. An earthquake in Gansu at 8.6 on the Richter scale killed around 180,000 people mostly in
6873-527: Was bolstered by Hui Muslims resettled from Shaanxi province during the Dungan Revolt . Gansu is also a historical home, along with Shaanxi , of the dialect of the Dungans , who migrated to Central Asia . The southwestern corner of Gansu is home to a large ethnic Tibetan population. Modern Gansu is dominated by Lanzhou city and Linxia Hui prefectures, their growth hides the stark fact that much of
6960-651: Was discovered at the site of a Western Han garrison near the Yumen pass in August 2006. The Xixia or Western Xia dynasty controlled much of Gansu as well as Ningxia . The province was also the origin of the Dungan Revolt of 1862–77. Among the Qing forces were Muslim generals, including Ma Zhan'ao and Ma Anliang , who helped the Qing crush the rebel Muslims. The revolt had spread into Gansu from neighbouring Qinghai. There
7047-418: Was established in where it is now, and the latter replaced the former, inheriting its place name. The tu duan ( 土斷 ) is the abbreviation for yi tu duan ( 以土斷 , means classifying people according to their present habitation to register). It was a policy to ensure the ancient hukou system working since the Western Jin. These terms were first recorded in the biographies of Wei Guan and Li Chong included in
7134-478: Was formed from the offspring of these migrants. Particularly in the Jiangnan region, Celestial Masters and the nobility of northern China subdued the nobility of southern China during the Jin dynasty. Southern China overtook the north in population due to depopulation of the north and the migration of northern Chinese to southern China. Different waves of migration of aristocratic Chinese from northern China to
7221-496: Was founded by Sima Yan , eldest son of Sima Zhao , who had previously been declared the King of Jin. There are two main divisions in the history of the dynasty. The Western Jin (266–316) was established as the successor to Cao Wei after Sima Yan usurped the throne from Cao Huan . The capital of the Western Jin was initially in Luoyang , though it later moved to Chang'an (modern Xi'an ). In 280, after conquering Eastern Wu ,
7308-545: Was founded by Sima Yan, who was known posthumously as Emperor Wu (the "Martial Emperor of Jin"). After succeeding his father as the King of Jin and regent of Cao Wei in 265, Sima Yan declared himself emperor of the Jin dynasty in February 266 and forced the final Wei ruler Cao Huan to abdicate. Emperor Wu permitted Cao Huan to live with honor as the Prince of Chenliu, and buried him with imperial ceremony. Under Emperor Wu,
7395-400: Was holding court, he even invited Wang Dao to sit by his side so they could jointly accept congratulations from ministers, but Wang Dao declined the offer. In order to recover the lands lost during the fall of the Western Jin, the Eastern Jin dynasty launched several military campaigns against the northern states, such as the expeditions led by Huan Wen from 354 to 369. Most notably, in 383,
7482-657: Was the site of a Japanese-Chinese warplane fight. Gansu was vulnerable to Soviet penetration via Xinjiang. Gansu was a passageway for Soviet war supplies for the Republic of China during the Second Sino-Japanese War . Lanzhou was a destination point via a road coming from Dihua (Ürümqi). The Gonxingdun Aerodrome was one of several air bases where the Chinese Air Force operated in defense of Gansu. Gansu provided wartime China with most of
7569-600: Was then also captured and executed by Han-Zhao forces when they seized Chang'an (present-day Xi'an ) in 316. This event marked the end of the Western Jin. The surviving members of the Jin imperial family, as well as large numbers of Han Chinese from the North China Plain , subsequently fled to southern China. These refugees had a large impact on the lands they moved to—for example, they gave Quanzhou 's Jin River its name upon their settlement there. The Jin dynasty
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