The Hexi Corridor, one of China's three historic landmarks, is located on the picturesque northwestern border of Gansu Province, from its location on the west side of the Yellow River, and is named after its corridor-like shape. This narrow strip of more than 1,000 kilometers is 200 kilometers long from north to south, but only 2 kilometers at its narrowest point. It has a land area of nearly 700,000 square kilometers, bordering the magnificent Loess Plateau to the east and the rich Tarim Basin to the west. It is bordered by the majestic Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the south and the vast Mongolian Plateau to the north.
The Hexi Corridor is like a mysterious but important link, which not only communicates the cultural exchanges between the East and the West, but also tugs at the heartstrings of the country. Tracing back to 121 B.C., when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty made a wise decision, appointed the young and promising general Huo Qubing as a hussar general, led the army to brave the treacherous Xiongnu territory, after a year-long hard battle, we finally recovered the Hexi Corridor, and on this basis set up the famous Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan and Dunhuang four cities as a basis"Four counties in Hexi"Carry out standardized governance. This major victory allowed the Hexi Corridor to be truly integrated into the Chinese dynastic system for the first time, and from then on, the Xiongnu had to flee to Mobei and never get their hands on the Central Plains, and the Han Empire thus held a gateway to the Western world.
In order to consolidate the territorial security of the Hexi Corridor, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty vigorously implemented it"A large number of immigrants filled the vacancies in Hexi's troops, so that the number of guards in Hexi reached an astonishing 300,000 to protect this precious land for the country. Since then, successive imperial courts have attached great importance to the defense of the Hexi Corridor and have adhered to it, regarding it as a strategic town and a choke point connecting the Western Regions. In particular, the two great emperors of the Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Qianlong, used this place as a base to successfully quell the rebellion of the Dzungar tribes.
Speaking of the importance of the Hexi Corridor, we might as well review the history of the Tang and Song dynasties. When the Hexi Corridor was occupied by the Tibetan Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty was in a difficult situation, unable to effectively maintain contact with the front and rear, and even lost the vital Protectorate of the Western Regions. The Song Dynasty, on the other hand, was unable to control the Hexi Corridor and was trapped in the Central Plains and was often interfered with by the Western Xia. Today, the Hexi Corridor still plays a pivotal role in China, as the lifeline connecting inland Xinjiang, it plays the role of a bridge between Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and the hinterland, and maintains the security and stability of China's border areas.
It is worth mentioning that it is this famous Hexi Corridor that has become modern China"The key parts and important corridors in the Belt and Road Initiative are the blood of energy security for us. For example, the well-known West-to-East Gas Transmission Project, West-to-East Power Transmission Super High Voltage Transmission Network, Lanxin Railway and G312 National Highway, etc., all of these roads, railways and pipelines pass through this treasure land. Therefore, no matter how scientific and technological progress is, the important position of the Hexi Corridor is still unshakable, and its strategic value is still irreplaceable.
Let's enjoy the magnificent schematic diagram of the West-East Gas Pipeline!
Amazingly, the climate in the northwest of China is unusually dry, but just under the vast Qilian Mountains, there are more than 2,000 square kilometers of glaciers as a source of energy, which give birth to brilliant lakes and rivers, forming a magnificent Hexi Corridor. The three majestic rivers of Heihe, Shule River and Shiyang River meander and nourish a huge area of 1The fertile soil of 90,000 square kilometers blesses many corridor cities such as Zhangye, Wuwei and Dunhuang and their hard-working people.
Amazingly, the Hexi Corridor has a large area of arable land of about 30 million mu, and the area of grassland is almost 1300 million acres. In addition, abundant sunlight, short frost-free periods, and scarce agricultural disasters make agriculture and animal husbandry the dominant industries here. Therefore, the Hexi Corridor is known as the "granary of Northwest China", and it is also the country's largest foreign seed production industry base for corn, vegetables, flowers and other famous crops.
This magical land also has its own unique charm - the Hexi Corridor is extremely rich in mineral resources. For example, coal, iron, gold, nickel, etc., it is especially worth mentioning that iron ore reserves account for more than 70% of Gansu Province. Not to mention, Jinchang's nickel reserves are even more than imagined, as high as an astonishing 5.5 million tons, ranking third in the world, paving the way for China's aerospace and military equipment industry.
Looking back on history, whether in ancient times or in today's China, the Hexi Corridor has always maintained its vital position. However, it is a pity to understand that today, the ecological environment of the corridor has far exceeded the carrying capacity, and problems such as grassland degradation and land desertification have gradually emerged. Therefore, we should pay more attention to and do our best to protect this dear homeland.