Qitai County

Qitai County (Chinese: 奇台县) as the official romanized name, also transliterated from Uyghur as Guqung County or Gucheng County (Uyghur: گۇچۇڭ ناھىيىسى; Chinese: 古城县), is a county in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China under the administration of the Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture. It covers an area of 16,641 square kilometres (6,425 sq mi) and as of the 2002 census^[update] had a population of 230,000.

Qitai County 奇台县 (Chinese) گۇچۇڭ ناھىيىسى (Uyghur) Kitai
County
Location of Qitai (pink) in Changji Prefecture (yellow) and Xinjiang
Qitai Location in Xinjiang Show map of Xinjiang Qitai Qitai (China) Show map of China
Coordinates: 44°01′N 89°35′E
Country	China
Region	Xinjiang
Autonomous prefecture	Changji
County seat	Qitai Town
Area
• Total	16,645 km2 (6,427 sq mi)
Population  (2020)[1]
• Total	219,811
• Density	13/km2 (34/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard[lower-alpha 1])
Area code	0994
Website	www.xjqt.gov.cn

Qitai County
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	奇台县
Traditional Chinese	奇台縣
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Qítái Xiàn other Mandarin Xiao'erjing کِ‌تَیْ ثِیًا
Alternative Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	古城县
Traditional Chinese	古城縣
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Gǔchéng Xiàn other Mandarin Xiao'erjing قُ‌چٍْ ثِیًا
Uyghur name
Uyghur	گۇچۇڭ ناھىيىسى‎
Transcriptions Latin Yëziqi Guchung Nahiyisi Yengi Yeziⱪ Guqung Nah̡iyisi SASM/GNC Guqung Nahiyisi Siril Yëziqi Гучуғ Нахийиси

Qitai County's county seat is in Qitai Town. Gucheng Township is nearby.

History

Located on one of the main routes of the Silk Road, the old Gucheng (often referred in the European writing of the past as "Ku Ch'eng-tze", Kucheng, Kuchengtze, etc., using Wade-Giles or Postal Romanization systems), was the western terminal for one of the caravan routes across the Gobi Desert. Owen Lattimore in The Desert Road to Turkestan leaves an account of his travel along this route in 1926-27.^[2]

"Under the special circumstances of the caravan trade, camel traffic usually overshoots Hami ["the most easterly point on the arterial cart roads of Chinese Turkestan"], going on all the way to Ku Ch’eng-tze. This is partly because the pastures near Ku Ch’eng-tze are more adequate to caravan needs, but still more because, transport being cheaper by camel than by cart, it is to the advantage of merchants to have their goods carried as far as possible by caravan."^[3]

Climate

Climate data for Qitai, elevation 794 m (2,605 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–2010)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	5.1 (41.2)	7.7 (45.9)	26.0 (78.8)	34.5 (94.1)	36.0 (96.8)	37.6 (99.7)	39.1 (102.4)	40.5 (104.9)	36.1 (97.0)	30.3 (86.5)	25.1 (77.2)	12.4 (54.3)	40.5 (104.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−8.9 (16.0)	−4.9 (23.2)	5.8 (42.4)	18.9 (66.0)	24.8 (76.6)	29.3 (84.7)	31.0 (87.8)	30.2 (86.4)	24.6 (76.3)	15.5 (59.9)	3.7 (38.7)	−6.4 (20.5)	13.6 (56.5)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−17.3 (0.9)	−13.0 (8.6)	−1.2 (29.8)	10.8 (51.4)	16.9 (62.4)	21.6 (70.9)	23.1 (73.6)	21.7 (71.1)	15.7 (60.3)	7.1 (44.8)	−3.2 (26.2)	−13.7 (7.3)	5.7 (42.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−23.5 (−10.3)	−19.9 (−3.8)	−7.3 (18.9)	3.6 (38.5)	9.3 (48.7)	14.0 (57.2)	15.6 (60.1)	14.0 (57.2)	8.3 (46.9)	1.0 (33.8)	−8.2 (17.2)	−19.4 (−2.9)	−1.0 (30.1)
Record low °C (°F)	−35.5 (−31.9)	−37.6 (−35.7)	−31.4 (−24.5)	−13.7 (7.3)	−3.0 (26.6)	2.2 (36.0)	6.8 (44.2)	0.1 (32.2)	−3.5 (25.7)	−12.9 (8.8)	−31.9 (−25.4)	−40.1 (−40.2)	−40.1 (−40.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	7.5 (0.30)	7.1 (0.28)	11.1 (0.44)	18.7 (0.74)	23.0 (0.91)	23.0 (0.91)	34.4 (1.35)	27.7 (1.09)	18.0 (0.71)	15.4 (0.61)	14.1 (0.56)	11.7 (0.46)	211.7 (8.36)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)	7.3	6.1	4.8	5.9	6.2	6.4	7.5	6.3	4.2	4.3	6.5	8.2	73.7
Average snowy days	15.4	12.4	6.3	2.3	0.2	0	0	0	0.1	1.6	8.1	15.5	61.9
Average relative humidity (%)	77	77	70	49	45	48	52	50	49	59	74	79	61
Mean monthly sunshine hours	144.8	171.2	238.9	265.9	303.4	301.4	300.5	298.0	274.0	240.6	168.2	127.4	2,834.3
Percent possible sunshine	50	57	64	65	66	65	65	70	75	72	59	46	63
Source 1: China Meteorological Administration[4][5]
Source 2: Weather China[6]

Climate data for Beitashan, Qitai County, elevation 1,654 m (5,427 ft), (1991–2020 normals)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−6.9 (19.6)	−4.0 (24.8)	1.9 (35.4)	11.1 (52.0)	17.3 (63.1)	22.8 (73.0)	24.6 (76.3)	23.4 (74.1)	17.5 (63.5)	9.1 (48.4)	0.5 (32.9)	−5.3 (22.5)	9.3 (48.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−12.4 (9.7)	−10.1 (13.8)	−4.1 (24.6)	4.9 (40.8)	11.1 (52.0)	16.9 (62.4)	18.7 (65.7)	17.2 (63.0)	11.2 (52.2)	3.2 (37.8)	−5.0 (23.0)	−10.5 (13.1)	3.4 (38.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−17.5 (0.5)	−15.3 (4.5)	−9.1 (15.6)	−0.1 (31.8)	5.4 (41.7)	11.1 (52.0)	13.2 (55.8)	11.8 (53.2)	6.1 (43.0)	−1.1 (30.0)	−9.5 (14.9)	−15.4 (4.3)	−1.7 (28.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	5.2 (0.20)	5.8 (0.23)	8.8 (0.35)	15.8 (0.62)	18.9 (0.74)	24.0 (0.94)	39.4 (1.55)	25.0 (0.98)	12.8 (0.50)	13.6 (0.54)	15.1 (0.59)	7.3 (0.29)	191.7 (7.53)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)	5.5	5.4	6.1	6.1	5.5	6.4	9.2	6.7	5.0	5.7	7.7	6.9	76.2
Average snowy days	8.3	8.0	9.1	5.6	2.4	0.1	0.0	0.1	1.2	6.6	10.0	9.8	61.2
Average relative humidity (%)	56	56	54	46	41	42	46	43	42	50	57	57	49
Mean monthly sunshine hours	194.7	208.5	254.8	262.9	303.2	296.2	295.5	294.7	270.6	231.5	180.4	176.2	2,969.2
Percent possible sunshine	68	70	68	64	65	63	63	69	74	70	65	65	67
Source: China Meteorological Administration[4][7]

Subdivisions

Qitai County is made up of 9 towns, 3 townships, and 3 ethnic townships.

Name	Simplified Chinese	Hanyu Pinyin	Uyghur (UEY)	Uyghur Latin (ULY)	Administrative division code	Notes
Towns
Qitai Town	奇台镇	Qítái Zhèn	گۇچۇڭ بازىرى	guchung baziri	652325100
Laoqitai Town	老奇台镇	Lǎoqítái Zhèn	لوچىتەي بازىرى (كونا گۇچۇڭ بازىرى)	lochitey baziri (kona guchung baziri)	652325101
Banjiegou Town	半截沟镇	Bànjiégōu Zhèn	بەنجەگۇ بازىرى	benjegu baziri	652325102
Jebki Town	吉布库镇	Jíbùkù Zhèn	جېبكى بازىرى	jëbki baziri	652325103
Dongwan Town	东湾镇	Dōngwān Zhèn	دۇڭۋەن بازىرى	dungwen baziri	652325104
Xidi Town	西地镇	Xīdì Zhèn	شىدى بازىرى	shidi baziri	652325105
Biliuhe Town	碧流河镇	Bìliúhé Zhèn	بىلۇخې بازىرى	biluxë baziri	652325106
Sangezhuangzi Town	三个庄子镇	Sāngèzhuāngzǐ Zhèn	سەنگىجاڭزا بازىرى	sengijangza baziri	652325107
Xibeiwan Town	西北湾镇	Xīběiwān Zhèn	شىبېيۋەن بازىرى	shibëywen baziri	652325108
Townships
Kariz Township	坎尔孜乡	Kǎn'ěrzī Xiāng	كارىز يېزىسى	kariz yëzisi	652325202
Gucheng Township	古城乡	Gǔchéng Xiāng	گۇچۇڭ يېزىسى	guchung yëzisi	652325204
Qihu Township	七户乡	Qīhù Xiāng	چىخۇ يېزىسى	chixu yëzisi	652325204
Ethnic townships
Wumachang Kazakh Ethnic Township	五马场乡 (五马场哈萨克族乡)	Wǔmǎchǎng Xiāng (Wǔmǎchǎng Hāsàkèzú Xiāng)	ۋۇماچاڭ قازاق يېزىسى	wumachang qazaq yëzisi	652325203	(Kazakh) ۋماچاڭ قازاق اۋىلى
Qorin Kazakh Ethnic Township	乔仁乡 (乔仁哈萨克族乡)	Qiáorén Xiāng (Qiáorén Hāsàkèzú Xiāng)	چورىن قازاق يېزىسى	chorin qazaq yëzisi	652325205	(Kazakh) ٴشورىن قازاق اۋىلى
Daquan Tatar Ethnic Township	塔塔尔乡 (大泉塔塔尔族乡)	Tǎtǎ'ěr Xiāng (Dàquán Tǎtǎ'ěrzú Xiāng)	داچۈەن تاتار يېزىسى	dachüen tatar yëzisi	652325208	(Tatar) Дацюань-Татар милли волосте

Transportation

In 2009, the Ürümqi–Dzungaria Railway was constructed through the Jiangjun Gobi desert in the northern part of the county. It terminates at a coal mine in Jiangjunmiao.^[8] In 2024, the Qitai Jiangbulake Airport opened.

The radio telescope project

Main article: Qitai Radio Telescope

In 2012, the officials of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Xinjiang government presided over the groundbreaking at the site of the Xinjiang Qitai Astronomical and Science Education Base.^[9] The facility, in Qitai County's Banjiegou Town (半截沟镇), will be the home of the proposed Qitai Radio Telescope.^[10] Once completed it will be the largest fully steerable single-dish radio telescope in the world.^[11][12]

Footnotes

1. Locals in Xinjiang frequently observe UTC+6 (Xinjiang Time), 2 hours behind Beijing.

1. Xinjiang: Prefectures, Cities, Districts and Counties
2. Lattimore (1929), pp. 52, 250.
3. Lattimore (1929), p. 250.
4. 中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
5. 中国气象数据网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
6. 奇台城市介绍以及气候背景分析. Weather China (in Chinese). 中国气象局公共气象服务中心. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
7. 中国气象数据网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
8. (Chinese) "新疆精伊霍、乌精二线、奎北、乌准4条铁路新线开通运营" (Four new railways enter into service in Xinjiang: the Jinghe-Yining Line, the Ürümqi-Jinghe second track, the Kuitun-Beitun Line, and the Ürümqi–Dzungaria Line) 2009-11-06
9. Groundbreaking Ceremony of Qitai Base
10. "QTT Project Proposal". Proceeds of the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory. 2012.
11. "QTT Specification". QTT International Advisory Workshop. Archived from the original on 2013-12-24. Retrieved 2013-04-08.
12. Na, Wang (May 2013). QiTai Radio Telescope. The Second China-U.S. Workshop on Radio Astronomy Science and Technology. Retrieved 11 July 2013.

References

• Lattimore, Owen (1929). The Desert Road to Turkestan. Owen Lattimore. Boston, Little, Brown, and Company. Reprinted with new introduction, 1972, AMS Press, New York, N.Y.