Lintao County
Encyclopedia
Lintao County is administratively under the control of Dingxi
, Gansu
province. In ancient times, Lintao was centered around present day Min County
.
, a right tributary of the Yellow River
. It borders with Lanzhou
in the northeast, with Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture
in the west, and with other parts of Dingxi
Prefecture-level City in the east and south.
The county seat of Lintao County is in Taoyang Town
(洮阳镇); as it is usually the case with Chinese county seats, this is the location that most less-detailed maps label as "Lintao County" or simply "Lintao".
The Battle of Didao
was fought in the area in 255 CE, during the Three Kingdoms
era.
Located at an important Tao River
crossing, Didao City (i.e., today's Taoyang Town) was an important trade center during the Northern Song Dynasty (ca. 11-12th century), when the more northern route of the Silk Route was blocked by the Xi Xia state. It is known to have been home to hundreds of foreign merchants at the time, some of whom may have been the ancestors of today's Hui people
of Gansu.
(which, in this area, is simultaneously designated as China National Highway 212
) crosses the county from the north to the south, on its way from Lanzhou
to south-eastern Gansu. Most of the section of this highway within Lintao County has now been converted to an expressway
, designated G75 (Lanhai Expressway).
Dingxi
-Geography and climate:Dingxi City is located in central Gansu province, 98 km east of Lanzhou, giving it the nickname the "eastern gateway". The Wei River, a tributary of the Yellow River flows through the district and provides it with the majority of its water. Dingxi is semi-arid, with little...
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
province. In ancient times, Lintao was centered around present day Min County
Min County
Min County is administratively under the control of Dingxi, Gansu province. In ancient times, it was known as Lintao County.- Transport :*China National Highway 212...
.
Geography
The county is located mostly on the right (eastern) bank of the Tao RiverTao River
Tao River is a right tributary of China's Yellow River. It starts in Xiqing Mountains near the Gansu-Qinghai border, flows eastward across Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and then northward more or less along the border between Dingxi Prefecture-level City in the east and Gannan and Linxia...
, a right tributary of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
. It borders with Lanzhou
Lanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....
in the northeast, with Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture
Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture
Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture is in Western China's Gansu Province, south of the capital, Lanzhou. It is an autonomous prefecture for the Muslim Hui people, a large Chinese ethnic group. It also includes two autonomous counties for other Muslim groups, namely Dongxiang, Salar, and...
in the west, and with other parts of Dingxi
Dingxi
-Geography and climate:Dingxi City is located in central Gansu province, 98 km east of Lanzhou, giving it the nickname the "eastern gateway". The Wei River, a tributary of the Yellow River flows through the district and provides it with the majority of its water. Dingxi is semi-arid, with little...
Prefecture-level City in the east and south.
The county seat of Lintao County is in Taoyang Town
Town (China)
When referring to political divisions of China, town is the standard English translation of the Chinese 鎮 . It is a fourth-level administrative unit, i.e...
(洮阳镇); as it is usually the case with Chinese county seats, this is the location that most less-detailed maps label as "Lintao County" or simply "Lintao".
History
Until the 20th century, Lintao was known as Didao (狄道).The Battle of Didao
Battle of Didao
The Battle of Didao, also known as the Battle of Taoxi, was fought between the states of Shu Han and Cao Wei in 255 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The battle concluded with a Wei Pyrrhic victory.-Prelude:...
was fought in the area in 255 CE, during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
era.
Located at an important Tao River
Tao River
Tao River is a right tributary of China's Yellow River. It starts in Xiqing Mountains near the Gansu-Qinghai border, flows eastward across Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and then northward more or less along the border between Dingxi Prefecture-level City in the east and Gannan and Linxia...
crossing, Didao City (i.e., today's Taoyang Town) was an important trade center during the Northern Song Dynasty (ca. 11-12th century), when the more northern route of the Silk Route was blocked by the Xi Xia state. It is known to have been home to hundreds of foreign merchants at the time, some of whom may have been the ancestors of today's Hui people
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
of Gansu.
Transport
China National Highway 212China National Highway 212
China National Highway 212 runs from Lanzhou in Gansu to Chongqing. It is 1302 kilometres in length.The section from Lanzhou to Lintao has been converted into an expressway, designated G75 . From Lanzhou to the junction at Huichuan Town , G212 also doubles as China National Highway 316.-Route and...
(which, in this area, is simultaneously designated as China National Highway 212
China National Highway 212
China National Highway 212 runs from Lanzhou in Gansu to Chongqing. It is 1302 kilometres in length.The section from Lanzhou to Lintao has been converted into an expressway, designated G75 . From Lanzhou to the junction at Huichuan Town , G212 also doubles as China National Highway 316.-Route and...
) crosses the county from the north to the south, on its way from Lanzhou
Lanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....
to south-eastern Gansu. Most of the section of this highway within Lintao County has now been converted to an expressway
Expressways of China
The Expressway Network of the People's Republic of China is one of the longest in the world. The network is also known as National Trunk Highway System . The total length of China's expressways was at the end of 2010, the world's second longest only after the United States and slightly longer...
, designated G75 (Lanhai Expressway).