Baoji ( zh, s= , t= , p=Bǎojī; ) is a

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

in western

Shaanxi Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to t ...

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 Population Census of the People's Republic of China, national census conducted by the National Bure ...

, with

Fengxiang District Fengxiang District (), formerly, Fengxiang County and its ancient name is Yong county (雍县), is a district administered by Baoji City in the west of Shaanxi province, China. The county covers an area of and as of 2004 had a population of 510, ...

not yet conurbated. 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 Ye ...

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. In ancient times, such as in the Records ...

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, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

, 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 a historic inland trade route in Northwest China and Central Asia (historically known as the Western Regions), originating in the ancient Chinese capital of Chang'an (modern day Xi'an), westwards through the Hexi Corrido ...

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

Chang'an Chang'an (; zh, t=長安, s=长安, p=Cháng'ān, first=t) is the traditional name of the city now named Xi'an and was the capital of several Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE. The site has been inhabited since Neolithic time ...

to the West over the Wushaoling Mountain to Wuwei and emerging in

Kashgar Kashgar () or Kashi ( zh, c=喀什) is a city in the Tarim Basin region of southern Xinjiang, China. It is one of the westernmost cities of China, located near the country's border with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. For over 2,000 years, Kashgar ...

before linking to ancient

Parthia Parthia ( ''Parθava''; ''Parθaw''; ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Medes during the 7th century BC, was incorporated into the subsequent Achaemeni ...

. 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 is widely regarded as the "ancestor of pagoda temples in Guanzhong". History Han dynasty One theory, supported ...

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

Han Chinese The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...

. 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 of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Jin dynasty (266–420), Western Jin dyna ...

ancient China The history of China spans several millennia across a wide geographical area. Each region now considered part of the Chinese world has experienced periods of unity, fracture, prosperity, and strife. Chinese civilization first emerged in the Y ...

can visit

Zhuge Liang Zhuge Liang () (181September or October 234), also commonly known by his courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman, strategist, and inventor who lived through the End of the Han dynasty, end of the Eastern Han dynasty ( 184–220) and t ...

'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 Ra ...

still has some remaining traces of roadways built during the

Three Kingdoms period The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Western Jin dynasty. Academically, the ...

(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 Longshan may refer to: Counties * Longshan County in Xiangxi, Hunan Districts * Longshan District in Liaoyuan, Jilin Towns * Longshan Town in Zhangjiachuan Hui Autonomous County, Gansu * Longshan Town in Youyi County, Heilongjiang * Lon ...

archaeological sites have been found north of the

near the North Silk Road.

Baoji Bronze Museum

Baoji is home to the Baoji Bronze Museum which holds more than 120,000 pieces of cultural relics, primarily of

Zhou dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ) was a royal dynasty of China that existed for 789 years from until 256 BC, the longest span of any dynasty in Chinese history. During the Western Zhou period (771 BC), the royal house, surnamed Ji, had military ...

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 People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative authority of China, headed by the Premier * State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of S ...

. 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 an international airport serving the city of Xi'an, the capital of Northwest China’s Shaanxi province, as well as the whole Guanzhong area. Covering an area of , Xi’an Airport has four terminals: T1 ...

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 (), Unit 31665, formerly the 21st Group Army, is a military formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF). The 76th Group Army is one of thirteen total group armies of the PLAGF, the largest echelon of g ...

of the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

, 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 no ...

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 Qin ...

, 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) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separated rapid transit line below ground surface through a tu ...

is in the planning stages.

Education

College

* Baoji University of Arts and Sciences * Baoji Vocational & Technical College (宝鸡职业技术学院)

Sister cities

Japan

Yawata, Kyoto 270px, Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū 270px, Confluence of Kizu and Yodo Rivers is a city located in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 69,306 in 33972 households and a population density of 2800 persons per km2. The to ...

Kitakata, Fukushima is a Cities of Japan, 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 ...

Gifu, Gifu is a Cities of Japan, 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. Durin ...

Other countries

Vladimir Vladimir (, , pre-1918 orthography: ) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin, widespread throughout all Slavic nations in different forms and spellings. The earliest record of a person with the name is Vladimir of Bulgaria (). Etymology ...

, Russia *

Perchtoldsdorf Perchtoldsdorf (; colloquially ''Petersdorf'') is a market town in the Mödling District, in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is known chiefly for its winemaking. Geography It is located immediately at the Vienna city limits, south of the ...

, Austria *

Belfort Belfort (; archaic , ) is a city in northeastern France, situated approximately from the Swiss border. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Territoire de Belfort. Belfort is from Paris and from Basel. The residents of the city ...

, France *

Siddharthanagar Siddharthanagar (), formerly and colloquially still called Bhairahawa (), is a municipality and the administrative headquarter of Rupandehi District in Lumbini Province of Nepal, west of Nepal's capital Kathmandu. It is the closest city to Lumb ...

, Nepal *

Elbląg Elbląg (; ; ) is a city in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland, located in the eastern edge of the Żuławy region with 127,390 inhabitants, as of December 2021. It is the capital of Elbląg County. Elbląg is one of the ol ...

, Poland *

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

, Lebanon *

Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...

, Slovenia

International agreements

* Aalst, Belgium

References

External links

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