() is a

prefecture-level city A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. During the Republican era, many of China' ...

in western

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 ...

province, People's Republic of China. Since the early 1990s, Baoji has been the second largest city in

Geography

The prefecture-level city of Baoji had a population of 3,321,853 according to the 2020 Chinese census, inhabiting an area of . The built-up (or metro) area made of 3 urban districts had a population of 1,475,962 inhabitants as of the

2020 Chinese census The Seventh National Population Census of the People's Republic of China (), also referred to as the 2020 Chinese Census, was the seventh national census conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China. Census w ...

, Fengxiang District not being conurbated yet. Surrounded on three sides by hills, Baoji is in a valley opening out to the east. Its location is strategic, controlling a pass on the

Qin Mountains The Qinling () or Qin Mountains, formerly known as the Nanshan ("Southern Mountains"), are a major east–west mountain range in southern Shaanxi Province, China. The mountains mark the divide between the drainage basins of the Yangtze and Yellow ...

between the

Wei River The Wei River () is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization. The source of the Wei River is close to ...

valley and the

Jialing River The Jialing River, formerly known by numerous other names, is a major tributary of the Yangtze River in the Sichuan Basin. It is named after the Jialing Valley in Feng County, Shaanxi through which it flows. The Jialing River's most notable c ...

History

Thriving early in the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

, it has roots to 2000 BC. Today it is a large industrial center. Railways first reached Baoji in 1937 and have been key to its modern growth. SeidenstrasseGMT

Passing through Baoji is the ancient

Northern Silk Road The Northern Silk Road is an ancient trackway in northern China originating in the early capital of Xi'an and extending north of the Taklamakan Desert to reach the ancient kingdoms of Parthia, Bactria and eventually Persia and Rome. It is the nort ...

, the northernmost route of about in length, which connected the ancient Chinese capital of

Chang'an Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi ...

to the West over the Wushao Ling Mountain to Wuwei and emerging in

Kashgar Kashgar ( ug, قەشقەر, Qeshqer) or Kashi ( zh, c=喀什) is an oasis city in the Tarim Basin region of Southern Xinjiang. It is one of the westernmost cities of China, near the border with Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Pakistan ...

before linking to ancient

Parthia Parthia ( peo, 𐎱𐎼𐎰𐎺 ''Parθava''; xpr, 𐭐𐭓𐭕𐭅 ''Parθaw''; pal, 𐭯𐭫𐭮𐭥𐭡𐭥 ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Med ...

. Baoji is considered the gateway between western and eastern China since most trains from Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an pass through here on their way to Gansu, Sichuan, Xinjiang and Tibet (Lhasa).

Famen temple Famen Temple () is a Buddhist temple located in Famen town (), Fufeng County, 120 kilometers west of Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. It was widely regarded as the "ancestor of pagoda temples in Guanzhong". History Han dynasty One theory, supported b ...

, home to one of Buddha's finger bones, is in Baoji County. The Baoji area was home to the legendary Yandi, one of the

Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...

forefathers. His tomb is in the southern part of the city and his temple is in the north. People who are interested in the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...

ancient China The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the '' Book of Documents'' (early chapte ...

can visit

Zhuge Liang Zhuge Liang ( zh, t=諸葛亮 / 诸葛亮) (181 – September 234), courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman and military strategist. He was chancellor and later regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He is r ...

's Memorial Temple, about from Baoji.

Ancient trackways

Mount Taibai Mount Taibai () is a mountain located on the border between Mei, Taibai and Zhouzhi counties in the south west of Shaanxi Province, China. The mount's highest point, Baxian Tower (), rises to a height of and is the tallest in the Qinling Range ...

still has some remaining traces of roadways built during the

Three Kingdoms Period The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...

(220−280 CE) which are all generally unusable due to decay. They remain a popular attraction because they were built by making wood plank bridges along the side of the mountain. To the South of Baoji lies the beginning of the plank road into the

. There are also several natural sites such as the Jialing Jiang Fountainhead with its small waterfalls and forests. To the north is Bei Puo, a giant hill made of loess with a panoramic view of the city and a landscape dotted with small farming villages that offer local cuisine. A number of Longshan archaeological sites have been found north of the

near the North Silk Road.

Baoji Bronze Museum

Baoji is home to the

Baoji Bronze Museum The Baoji Bronzeware Museum () is an archaeology museum in Baoji, Shaanxi, China. It has a collection of more than 120,000 pieces of cultural relics through the ages, most of them are Zhou dynasty bronze wares. Baoji Bronze Ware Museum's present ...

which holds more than 120,000 pieces of cultural relics, primarily of

Zhou dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...

descent.

Administrative divisions

Climate

Economy

Industrial Zone

Established in 1992, Baoji Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was approved as a national hi-tech zone by

State Council State Council may refer to: Government * State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of South Korea, headed by the President * State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative auth ...

. It has a long-term planned area of . The transportation system around the zone includes

Xi'an Xianyang International Airport Xi'an Xianyang International Airport is the main airport serving Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, as well as the whole Guanzhong area. Covering an area of , it is the largest airport in Northwest China, and the second largest airport in Northern C ...

and National Highway 310. Its encouraged industries are auto parts, electronics, IT, pharmaceutical and bioengineering industry and new materials.

Military

Baoji is the headquarters of the

21st Group Army The 76th Group Army (), formerly the 21st Group Army, is a military formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Forces (PLAGF). The 76th Group Army is one of twelve total group armies of the PLAGF, the largest echelon of ground force ...

of the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...

, one of the two group armies that comprise the

Lanzhou Military Region The Lanzhou Military Region was one of seven military regions in the People's Republic of China. It directed all People's Liberation Army and People's Armed Police forces in Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, and Ngari Prefecture in n ...

responsible for defending China's northwest borders.

Transportation

The G85 Yinchuan-Kunming Expressway,

China National Highway 310 China National Highway 310 (G310) runs northwest from Lianyungang, Jiangsu towards Anhui, Henan, Shaanxi provinces, and ends in Tianshui, Gansu. It was originally 1613 kilometres in length, but was later extended westward to Gonghe County in Qing ...

, and G30 Lianyungang-Khorgas Expressway are major highways that run through Baoji. The city is serviced by the Baoji South on the Xi'an-Baoji and Baoji-Lanzhou sections of the Xuzhou-Xinjiang high speed railway. The Longhai, Baocheng and Baozhong railways also call at Baoji railway station. A

metro system Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...

is in the planning stages.

Education

College

* Baoji University of Arts and Sciences * Baoji Vocational & Technical school

High school

* Baoji middle school

Sister city

Japan

Yawata is a city located in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. the city has an estimated population of 70,433 and a population density of 2,893 persons per km². The total area is 24.35 km². The city was founded on November 1, 1977 and currently has a ...

, Kyoto Prefecture *

Kitakata, Fukushima is a city located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 46,269 in 16,769 households, and a population density of 83 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Kitakata was once written '北方', which me ...

Gifu is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku ...

Gifu Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, F ...

Other countries

Belfort Belfort (; archaic german: Beffert/Beffort) is a city in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Northeastern France, situated between Lyon and Strasbourg, approximately from the France–Switzerland border. It is the prefecture of the Territo ...

, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, France *

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

References

External links

Baoji City Government Website
{{Authority control Cities in Shaanxi National Forest Cities in China