Shihezi

Coordinates: 44°18′19″N 86°04′49″E / 44.3054°N 86.0804°E / 44.3054; 86.0804
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Shihezi
石河子
Postal code
832000
Area code0993
Websitewww.shz.gov.cn
Shihezi
Chinese name
Hanyu Pinyin
Shíhézǐ
Uyghur nameUyghurشىخەنزە‎

Shihezi is a

sub-prefecture-level city in Northern Xinjiang, China. It has a population of 380,130 according to the 2010 census. The city is also home to Shihezi University, the second-largest comprehensive university under the Project 211
in Xinjiang.

Shihezi is the headquarter of the 8th Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and currently administered by the 8th Division. The city implemented the "division and city integration" (师市合一, shī shì héyī) management system, it shares the same leader group with the 8th Division.

History

In 1951, General Wang Zhen decided to build a new base for the People's Liberation Army and selected the location of current Shihezi. Zhao Xiguang (赵锡光) took charge in the development of the city, and established the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in 1954.

Quasimilitary-structured farms surrounding Shihezi fueled the development of the city by producing materials for the factories that have been the economic drivers of the city. In 1974, Shihezi became a city.

Administrative divisions

Shihezi contains 5 subdistricts, 2 towns, and a township-equivalent region:

Name Simplified Chinese Hanyu Pinyin
UEY
) 		Uyghur Latin (ULY) Administrative division code
Subdistricts
Xincheng Subdistrict 新城街道 Xīnchéng Jiēdào يېڭىشەھەر كوچا باشقارمىسى‎ Yëngisheher kocha bashqarmisi 659001001
Xiangyang Subdistrict 向阳街道 Xiàngyáng Jiēdào شياڭياڭ كوچا باشقارمىسى‎ Shyangyang kocha bashqarmisi 659001002
Hongshan Subdistrict 红山街道 Hóngshān Jiēdào خۇڭشەن كوچا باشقارمىسى‎ Xungshen kocha bashqarmisi 659001003
Laojie Subdistrict 老街街道 Lǎojiē Jiēdào كونا بازار كوچا باشقارمىسى‎ Kona Bazar kocha bashqarmisi 659001004
Dongcheng Subdistrict 东城街道 Dōngchéng Jiēdào دۇڭچېڭ كوچا باشقارمىسى‎ Dungchëng kocha bashqarmisi 659001005
Towns
Beiquan Town
(Shihezi Headquarters Farm of the 8th Division)* 		北泉镇
(第八师石河子总场) 		Běiquán Zhèn بېيچۇەن بازىرى‎ Bëychuen baziri 659001100
Shihezi Town 石河子镇 Shíhézǐ Zhèn شىخەنزە بازىرى‎ Shixenze baziri 659001101
township-equivalent region
152nd Regiment Farm** 一五二团 152 Tuán 152-تۇەن‎ 152-tuen 659001500
* One institution with two names.
** Administered by the 152nd Regiment of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. See also Tuntian#People's Republic of China.

Demographics

Population by ethnicity – 2010 census[2]
Ethnicity Population %
Han 349,149 91.85%
Hui 15,092 3.97%
Uyghur 7,574 1.99%
Kazakhs 3,042 0.80%
Tujia 1,500 0.39%
Mongol 624 0.16%
Manchu 620 0.16%
Kyrgyz 319 0.08%
Dongxiang 306 0.08%
Xibe 157 0.04%
Russian 138 0.04%
Others 1,609 0.43%
Total 380,130 100%

Economy

Nowadays textile and food industries are the most important in Shihezi. The railway to Wusu and Ürümqi skirts the city, while a United Nations economic development project provided a high-quality highway system for the city. The textile industry is the primary employer, although the international trade environment on textiles has brought in fluctuations in employment. As a hub to surrounding farms, the city's destiny is currently tied with theirs. Sugar beets are cultivated near Shihezi. Cultivation of cotton in the farms was accelerated in the 1990s and now dominates the economy.[3]

Shihezi is also home to a

polysilicon factory of Daqo New Energy Corp., one of the largest polysilicon producers in the world.[4]

Geography and climate

Shihezi is located at the northern foothills of the middle part of the Tian Shan range approximately 136 kilometres (85 mi) from the regional capital of Ürümqi.

Although Shihezi is almost surrounded on the east, west and north by the Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture (which also includes the city's eastern neighbor, the much older historically Hui town of Manas), it is not a part of it.

Located in an area further from the nearest seacoast than any other region on earth, Shihezi has a

continental semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk), with a large temperature differences between summer and winter. Monthly average temperatures range from −15.3 °C (4.5 °F) in January to 25.3 °C (77.5 °F), and the annual mean temperature is 7.39 °C (45.3 °F). Precipitation is very low year-round, with an annual total of only 206 millimeters (8.11 in), compared to the annual evaporation rate, which is usually more than 1,000 millimeters (39 in).[5]

Climate data for Shihezi (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 7.6
(45.7) 		6.6
(43.9) 		22.7
(72.9) 		35.4
(95.7) 		37.4
(99.3) 		39.2
(102.6) 		42.2
(108.0) 		41.0
(105.8) 		39.4
(102.9) 		33.3
(91.9) 		17.5
(63.5) 		8.3
(46.9) 		42.2
(108.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −11.0
(12.2) 		−5.8
(21.6) 		6.5
(43.7) 		20.7
(69.3) 		27.0
(80.6) 		31.7
(89.1) 		33.0
(91.4) 		31.7
(89.1) 		25.9
(78.6) 		16.5
(61.7) 		4.0
(39.2) 		−7.3
(18.9) 		14.4
(58.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) −15.6
(3.9) 		−10.6
(12.9) 		1.5
(34.7) 		13.5
(56.3) 		19.7
(67.5) 		24.5
(76.1) 		25.7
(78.3) 		23.7
(74.7) 		17.7
(63.9) 		9.1
(48.4) 		−0.5
(31.1) 		−11.3
(11.7) 		8.1
(46.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −20.2
(−4.4) 		−15.3
(4.5) 		−3.3
(26.1) 		6.7
(44.1) 		12.5
(54.5) 		17.3
(63.1) 		18.5
(65.3) 		16.3
(61.3) 		10.1
(50.2) 		2.9
(37.2) 		−4.3
(24.3) 		−15.0
(5.0) 		2.2
(35.9)
Record low °C (°F) −34.4
(−29.9) 		−36.5
(−33.7) 		−30.5
(−22.9) 		−19.4
(−2.9) 		−0.2
(31.6) 		6.6
(43.9) 		9.6
(49.3) 		3.5
(38.3) 		−0.5
(31.1) 		−8.9
(16.0) 		−28.9
(−20.0) 		−36.0
(−32.8) 		−36.5
(−33.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 10.1
(0.40) 		11.0
(0.43) 		12.9
(0.51) 		29.0
(1.14) 		31.6
(1.24) 		22.1
(0.87) 		22.7
(0.89) 		21.3
(0.84) 		13.3
(0.52) 		18.4
(0.72) 		19.6
(0.77) 		14.2
(0.56) 		226.2
(8.89)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 9.4 7.6 4.8 6.2 7.4 7.3 7.5 6.4 4.4 4.9 6.8 9.7 82.4
Average snowy days 14.3 10.7 4.2 1.1 0 0 0 0 0 0.7 6.2 13.4 50.6
Average
relative humidity
(%) 		82 81 71 49 44 46 51 53 54 63 77 84 63
Mean monthly sunshine hours 93.4 125.4 211.0 270.4 320.0 318.1 328.6 317.6 281.8 237.6 131.2 79.2 2,714.3
Percent possible sunshine 32 42 56 66 69 69 71 75 77 71 46 29 59
Source 1: China Meteorological Administration[6][7]
Source 2: Weather China[5]

The Manas River forms the administrative border between Shihezi City and its eastern neighbor, Manas County. An extensive system of reservoirs (such as the Jiahezi Reservoir (夹河子水库; Jiāhézi shuǐkù, with the dam at 44°27′00″N 86°7′15″E / 44.45000°N 86.12083°E / 44.45000; 86.12083) and irrigation canals has been constructed in the area, supporting irrigated agriculture.

Education

Shihezi University is located in Shihezi. It is the second-largest university in Xinjiang, with approximately 40,000 students.

Transport

Shihezi is served by

Second Ürümqi-Jinghe Railways. Reconstruction of the Shihezi Huayuan Airport began in May 2012 and it reopened on 26 December 2015.[8]

Notes

  1. UTC+6 (Xinjiang Time
    ), 2 hours behind Beijing.

References

  1. ^ Xinjiang: Prefectures, Cities, Districts and Counties
  2. ISBN 978-1135078751
    .
  3. China.org.cn
    by staff reporter Wang Qian, October 3, 2004)
  4. ^ "Polysilicon Manufacturers: Global Top 10 | Bernreuter Research". Bernreuter Research. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  5. ^ a b 石河子城市介绍 (in Simplified Chinese). Weather China. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
  6. ^ 中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  7. ^ 中国气象数据网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  8. ^ "石河子花园机场正式通航". 163.com. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.

External links