Liqu () is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Baota District,

Yan'an Yan'an (; ), alternatively spelled as Yenan is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanbei region of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Shanxi to the east and Gansu to the west. It administers several counties, including Zhidan (formerly Bao'an ...

Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichu ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. Liqu is located in the northeast of central Baota District, bordered by to its north, to its south, to its east, and

Qiaogou Subdistrict Qiaogou Subdistrict () is a subdistrict in Baota District, Yan'an, Shaanxi Province, China. The subdistrict spans an area of , and has a population of 69,345 as of 2010. History Qiaogou as an administrative unit dates back to 1972, when the Qi ...

to its west. The town spans an area of , and has a population of 21,167 according to the

2010 Chinese Census The 2010 Chinese census, officially the Sixth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China (中華人民共和國第六次全國人口普查), was conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China wi ...

History

After

Liu Bobo Helian Bobo (; Middle Chinese Guangyun: ; 381–425), né Liu Bobo (劉勃勃), courtesy name Qujie (屈孑), formally Emperor Wulie of Xia (夏武烈帝), was the founding emperor of the Xiongnu-led Hu Xia dynasty of China. He is generally cons ...

established the Great Xia dynasty in 407 CE, he built the ancient city of Fenglin (), which was located in present-day Zhoujiawan Village () in Liqu. Fenglin's location, on a mountainous terrace north of the

Yan River The Yan River () is a river in Shaanxi, China. The river flows from its source, the Xingzi River () in Jingbian County, in the prefecture-level city Yulin, Shaanxi, Yulin, and then flows through neighboring Yan'an, finally flowing into the larger ...

, made the city easy to defend. Fenglin was a

walled city A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

, and the city's walls were approximately high and anywhere between to thick.

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

scientist

Shen Kuo Shen Kuo (; 1031–1095) or Shen Gua, courtesy name Cunzhong (存中) and pseudonym Mengqi (now usually given as Mengxi) Weng (夢溪翁),Yao (2003), 544. was a Chinese polymathic scientist and statesman of the Song dynasty (960–1279). Shen wa ...

called the city as dense as a stone, and noted how difficult it would be to attack the city. The city was colloquially known as Helian City (), after Liu Bobo's alternative name Helian Bobo. In 577 CE, Fenglin County () was established, and was seated in the city of Fenglin.

general

Di Qing Di Qing (1008–1057), formerly romanized as Ti Ch'ing, was a Chinese military general of the Northern Song dynasty. Biography Di Qing was born to a poor family in Xihe, Fenzhou (汾州西河; present-day Fenyang, Shanxi). He sported tattoos ...

once renovated it. The county existed intermittently until 1072, when it was abolished by

Emperor Shenzong of Song Emperor Shenzong of Song (25 May 1048 – 1 April 1085), personal name Zhao Xu, was the sixth emperor of the Song dynasty of China. His original personal name was Zhao Zhongzhen but he changed it to "Zhao Xu" after his coronation. He reigned fr ...

and demoted to a

. Today, the site of Fenglin is used as farmland. In 1972 the

people's communes The people's commune () was the highest of three administrative levels in rural areas of the People's Republic of China during the period from 1958 to 1983, until they were replaced by townships. Communes, the largest collective units, were divi ...

of Liqu and Nianzhuang () were established. In 1984, the people's communes were abolished, and Liqu was re-established as a town, and Nianzhuang was re-established as a

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

. By 1996, Liqu spanned an area of , and had a population of approximately 16,000. That same year, Nianzhuang Township had a total area of , and a population of about 5,000. In 2001, Nianzhuang Township was merged into Liqu.

Geography

Liqu is located in the northeast of central Baota District, bordered by to its north, to its south, to its east, and

to its west. The

flows through the

Administrative divisions

Liqu administers 2 residential communities and 24 administrative villages.

Residential communities

The town's 2 residential communities are as follows: * Jingqu Community () * Yangshan Community ()

Administrative villages

The town's 24 administrative villages are as follows: * Dongcun Village () * Xicun Village () * Zhoujiawan Village () * Chaiya Village () * Miaogou Village () * Gaomaowan Village () * Zhujiagou Village () * Yaliping Village () * Goumen Village () * Yangshan Village () * Zhangzhuang Village () * Zhongzhuang Village () * Lijiagou Village () * Wangzhuang Village () * Caojiagou Village () * Hujiapo Village () * Lijiagou Village () * Shagelao Village () * Nianzhuang Village () * Yangxingzhuang Village () * Liuzhuang Village () * Wangjiabian Village () * Shuangtian Village () * Zhangxingzhuang Village ()

Demographics

According to the

, Liqu has a population of 21,167. A 2008 survey put the town's population at about 28,000 residents living in 5,360

households A household consists of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is impo ...

. Of this, 16,863 people lived in 4,110

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating Plant, plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of Sedentism, sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of Domestication, domesticated species created food ...

households, 6,158 people lived in 1,328 non-agricultural households, and 4,979 or so people were found to be temporary residents. The

2000 Chinese Census The 2000 Chinese census, officially the Fifth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China (), was conducted by the government of the People's Republic of China with 1 November 2000 as its zero hour. The total population was calcula ...

recorded a population of 17,343 in the town. A 1996 estimate put Liqu's population at approximately 16,000. Nianzhuang Township (), which would be merged into Liqu in 2001, had a population of about 5,000 in 1996, giving the combined area a total population of about 21,000.

Transportation

The Shenmu–Yan'an railway passes through Liqu. is located in the

. National Highway 210 also passes through Liqu. The town was located away from the now-defunct Yan'an Ershilipu Airport. The region is now served by

Yan'an Nanniwan Airport Yan'an Nanniwan Airport is a dual-use military and public airport serving the city of Yan'an in northern Shaanxi Province. It is located in Liulin Town (), Baota District, southwest of the city center. Yan'an was formerly served by Yan'an E ...

References

{{Authority control Baota District Township-level divisions of Shaanxi Towns in China