Artush

Artush (/ɑːrˈtʊʃ/ ar-TUUSH; also transliterated as Artux^[3] or Atush) is a county-level city and the capital of Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang, China. The government seat is in Guangming Road Subdistrict.^[4] As of 2018, it has a population of 285,507 people, 81.4 per cent of whom are Uyghurs.^[5]

Artush 阿图什市 (Chinese) ئاتۇش شەھىرى (Uyghur) ارتىش شاارى (Kyrgyz) Artux, Atush
County-level city
Tomb of Sultan Satuk Bughra Khan
Artush Location in Xinjiang Show map of Southern Xinjiang Artush Artush (Xinjiang) Show map of Xinjiang Artush Artush (China) Show map of China
Coordinates (Artush municipal government): 39°42′58″N 76°10′06″E
Country	China
Autonomous region	Xinjiang
Autonomous prefecture	Kizilsu
Municipal seat	Guangming Road Subdistrict
Area [1]
• Total	15,697.78 km2 (6,060.95 sq mi)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	290,936
• Density	19/km2 (48/sq mi)
Demographics
• Major ethnic groups	81.4% Uyghurs 11% Kyrgyz 7.3% Han Chinese
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard[a])
Website	www.xjats.gov.cn (in Chinese)

Artush
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	阿图什
Traditional Chinese	阿圖什
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Ātúshí Wade–Giles A1-tʻu2-shih2
Uyghur name
Uyghur	ئاتۇش‎
Transcriptions Latin Yëziqi Atush Yengi Yeziⱪ Atux SASM/GNC Atux Siril Yëziqi Атуш
Kyrgyz name
Kyrgyz	ارتىش Артыш Artysh

Artush is the political, economic and cultural center of Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture.^[6]

History

Shipton's Arch

Artush-man skull, dated 10,000 BP, excavated in Arghu village, Artush

In the Han Dynasty, it was a component of Shule, a significant town on the historic Silk Road, and continues to thrive in trade and business. In 60 BC, the Han Dynasty established the Protectorate of the Western Regions.^[7] Subsequently, in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Artush fell under the authority of the Chief Official of the Western Regions, which later became part of Western Turkic Khaganate. In 649, it was incorporated into the Shule Governor's Office of the Protectorate General to Pacify the West.^[8]

In 840, the Uyghur Khaganate and other tribes established the Kara-Khanid Khanate, of which Artush was a region. Artush became part of the Chagatai Khanate during the Yuan Dynasty. During the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Artush was part of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate. The Yarkent Khanate was created during the Ming Dynasty, with Artush as one of its territories.^[9]

In 1759, the Qing authorities quelled the turmoil in the large and tiny Hezhuo, placing Artush under the authority of the Minister of Kashgar, referred to as Astu Altush, while Aqimu Burke was established in Atushi Zhuang to oversee local governance. In 1884, Atushi was incorporated into Gansu-Xinjiang Province [zh].^[10][11]

In January 1943, Artush County was established.^[1][12] In 1949, it was part of Kashgar Prefecture. On July 14, 1954, the Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture was founded, and Atushi County was placed under its administration, subsequently recognized as the capital of the Autonomous Prefecture. In June 1986, Atushi County was dissolved, leading to the establishment of the city of Atushi.^[1][12]

At 10:23 pm on January 19, 2020, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck in Artush.^[3]

Geography and climate

It is situated in the northwest part of the Tarim Basin, south of the Tien Shan mountains. Like most of Xinjiang, Artush has a cool arid climate (Köppen BWk) with hot summers, freezing winters and little precipitation and low humidity year-round. The annual mean temperature is 13.1 °C (55.6 °F) and the annual mean precipitation around 95 millimetres or 3.74 inches. Most of this limited precipitation falls from erratic thunderstorms in the summer months, although at this time relative humidity averages less than 35 percent.

Artush is situated at the western periphery of the Tarim Basin, on the southwestern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, characterized by high mountains, ravines, and valleys, with terrain that gradually ascends from south to north.^[13]

Artush features undulating high mountains and minor plains, with the topography elevated in the north and declining in the south, gradually dropping from the southwest to the east, resulting in a complex terrain. The northern section of the city features a prominent mountainous region, characterized by the Maydan and Kara Tirzhek mountains of the Tianshan Mountains, along with undulating hills and mountain ranges. The central region comprises the middle highlands and low hills, interspersed with the Tugu Baiti and Harajun basins. The southern region features an intermountain floodplain, integral to the Kashgar delta, characterized by flat topography.^[13]

Climate data for Artush, elevation 1,268 m (4,160 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2010)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	19.0 (66.2)	18.6 (65.5)	28.4 (83.1)	34.9 (94.8)	36.0 (96.8)	39.5 (103.1)	41.0 (105.8)	41.8 (107.2)	37.0 (98.6)	30.9 (87.6)	25.1 (77.2)	18.9 (66.0)	41.8 (107.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	0.0 (32.0)	6.0 (42.8)	15.2 (59.4)	23.3 (73.9)	27.8 (82.0)	31.7 (89.1)	33.5 (92.3)	32.2 (90.0)	27.7 (81.9)	20.5 (68.9)	11.1 (52.0)	2.0 (35.6)	19.2 (66.7)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−5.0 (23.0)	0.8 (33.4)	9.7 (49.5)	17.2 (63.0)	21.6 (70.9)	25.3 (77.5)	27.1 (80.8)	25.9 (78.6)	21.3 (70.3)	13.9 (57.0)	5.1 (41.2)	−2.7 (27.1)	13.4 (56.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−9.0 (15.8)	−3.9 (25.0)	4.4 (39.9)	11.5 (52.7)	15.8 (60.4)	19.3 (66.7)	21.0 (69.8)	19.8 (67.6)	15.3 (59.5)	7.9 (46.2)	0.1 (32.2)	−6.3 (20.7)	8.0 (46.4)
Record low °C (°F)	−20.5 (−4.9)	−20.7 (−5.3)	−7.9 (17.8)	−0.1 (31.8)	4.1 (39.4)	8.1 (46.6)	11.4 (52.5)	11.5 (52.7)	6.5 (43.7)	−2.2 (28.0)	−12.6 (9.3)	−19.9 (−3.8)	−20.7 (−5.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	3.3 (0.13)	8.2 (0.32)	6.8 (0.27)	6.0 (0.24)	15.8 (0.62)	14.8 (0.58)	14.5 (0.57)	15.5 (0.61)	10.9 (0.43)	5.8 (0.23)	3.1 (0.12)	3.6 (0.14)	108.3 (4.26)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)	2.2	2.3	1.9	2.0	4.1	5.5	5.6	4.7	3.9	1.3	0.7	2.2	36.4
Average snowy days	6.2	3.9	1.0	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.0	5.5	17.7
Average relative humidity (%)	63	51	37	29	31	31	33	37	40	43	52	65	43
Mean monthly sunshine hours	147.7	154.2	175.4	210.1	261.9	293.1	307.3	283.3	240.7	227.9	181.4	135.3	2,618.3
Percent possible sunshine	49	50	47	52	59	66	68	68	66	67	62	47	58
Source: China Meteorological Administration[14][15]

Administrative divisions

Artush includes three subdistricts, one town, six townships and one other area:^[16][1][17]

Name	Simplified Chinese	Hanyu Pinyin	Uyghur (UEY)	Uyghur Latin (ULY)	Kyrgyz (Arabic script)	Kyrgyz (Cyrillic script)	Administrative division code
Subdistricts
Xingfu Road Subdistrict (Bext Road Subdistrict)	幸福路街道	Xìngfúlù Jiēdào	بەخت يولى كوچا باشقارمىسى	bext yoli kocha bashqarmisi	باقىت جولۇ كۅچۅ باشقارماسى	Бакыт жолу көчө башкармасы	653001001
Guangming Road Subdistrict (Nurluq Road Subdistrict)	光明路街道	Guāngmínglù Jiēdào	نۇرلۇق يولى كوچا باشقارمىسى	nurluq yoli kocha bashqarmisi	نۇرلۇق جولۇ كۅچۅ باشقارماسى	Нурлук жолу көчө башкармасы	653001002
Xincheng Subdistrict	新城街道	Xīnchéng Jiēdào	يېڭى شەھەر كوچا باشقارمىسى	yëngi sheher kocha bashqarmisi	جاڭى شاار كۅچۅ باشقارماسى	Жаңы шаар көчө башкармасы	653001003
Towns
Ustun Artush Town (Shang'atushi[18])	上阿图什镇	Shàng'ātúshí Zhèn	ئۈستۈن ئاتۇش بازىرى	Üstün Atush baziri	ۉستۉن ارتىش شاارچاسى	Үстүн Артыш шаарчасы	653001100
Süntag Town[18]	松他克镇	Sōngtākè Zhèn	سۇنتاغ بازىرى	suntagh baziri	سۇنتاق شاارچاسى	Сунтак шаарчасы	653001101
Azak Town	阿扎克镇	Āzhākè Zhèn	ئازاق بازىرى	Azaq baziri	ازاق شاارچاسى	Азак шаарчасы	653001102
Townships
Agu Township[18]	阿湖乡	Āhú Xiāng	ئاغۇ يېزىسى	Aghu yëzisi	اغۇۇ ايىلى	Агуу айылы	653001102
Katyaylak Township[18]	格达良乡	Gédáliáng Xiāng	كاتتايلاق يېزىسى	kattaylaq yëzisi	كەتتئيلئك ايىلى	Кеттийлек айылы	653001104
Karajül Township[19] (Karajol Township[18])	哈拉峻乡[20]	Hālājùn Xiāng	قاراجول يېزىسى	qarajol yëzisi	قاراجۉل ايىلى	Кара-Жүл айылы	653001105
Tugurmiti Township	吐古买提乡	Tǔgǔmǎití Xiāng	تۈگۈرمىتى يېزىسى	tügürmiti yëzisi	تەگىرمەتى ايىلى	Тегирмети айылы	653001106

Other:

• Red Flag Farm of 3rd Division, XPCC (兵团农三师红旗农场)

Economy

Artush's economy is primarily agriculture, the agricultural products are mainly cotton, grapes, and sheep.

Industries in Artush include salt-making, cotton-ginning, food processing and cooking oil processing. Agricultural products include wheat, corn, sorghum, sesame, rice and others, and the local specialty is the common fig. Sheep are the main livestock in Artush.^[12]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2000	200,345	—
2010	240,368	+1.84%
2015	269,317	+2.30%
2018	285,507	+1.96%
Sources:[1][21][5]

As of 1997^[update], 81.5% of the population of Artush was Uyghur.^[22]

As of 1999^[update], 79.68 per cent of the population of Artush were Uyghur and 7.21 per cent of the population were Han Chinese.^[23]

As of 2015^[update], 216,651 (80.44%) of the 269,317 residents of Artush were Uyghurs, 30,174 (11.20%) were Kyrgyz, 21,754 (8.08%) were Han Chinese and 738 were from other ethnic groups.^[21]

As of 2018^[update], the population of Artush was 285,507.

Ethnic composition of Artush City, 2018 Nationality Percentage Uyghurs   81.4% Kyrgyz   11.0% Han   7.3% Hui   0.1% Others   0.2% Source:[5]

Transportation

Artush is served by the Southern Xinjiang Railway.^[12]

Historical maps

Historical English-language maps including Artush:

• 
  Map including Artush A-t'u-shih (DMA, 1983)
• 
  Map including Artush (labeled as A-T'U-SHIH (ARTUSH)) (AMS, 1966)^[b]
• 
  From the Operational Navigation Chart; map including Artush (A-t'u-shih) (DMA, 1980)^[c]
• 
  Map including Artush (A-t'u-shih) (DMA, 1984)^[d]

Notes

1. Locals in Xinjiang frequently observe UTC+6 (Xinjiang Time), 2 hours behind Beijing.
2. From map: "DELINEATION OF INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES MUST NOT BE CONSIDERED AUTHORITATIVE"
3. From map: "The representation of international boundaries is not necessarily authoritative."
4. From map: "The representation of international boundaries is not necessarily authoritative"

References

1. 阿图什市历史沿革 [Artux City Historical Development] (in Simplified Chinese). XZQH.org. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2020. 2000年第五次人口普查，阿图什市常住总人口200345人，{...}2003年，全市总面积15697.78平方千米，{...}2010年第六次人口普查，阿图什市常住总人口240368人，其中：幸福路街道21786人，光明路街道36316人，松他克乡36849人，阿扎克乡38574人，阿湖乡16189人，上阿图什乡45847人，格达良乡16248人，哈拉峻乡15931人，吐古买提乡9009人，兵团农三师红旗农场3619人。
2. Xinjiang: Prefectures, Cities, Districts and Counties
3. Mu Xuequan, ed. (19 January 2020). "5.2-magnitude quake hits Xinjiang: CENC". Xinhua News Agency. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2020. the city of Artux in Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
4. 阿图什市概况. xzqh.org. 2015-01-29. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
5. 3-7 各地、州、市、县(市)分民族人口数 [3-7 Population by Nationality by Prefecture, State, City and County (City)]. tjj.xinjiang.gov.cn (in Chinese). Statistical Bureau of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. 2020-06-10. Archived from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
6. 克孜勒苏柯尔克孜自治州党委史志办 (1994). 克孜勒苏柯尔克孜自治州地理志 (in Chinese). Contemporary China Publishing House. p. 28. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
7. 新疆概览 (in Chinese). Xinjiang People's Press. 2001. p. 307. ISBN 978-7-228-03579-3. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
8. 旅游中的新疆. 了解新疆, 认识新疆丛书 (in Chinese). Xinjiang People's Press. 2003. p. 32. ISBN 978-7-228-07994-0. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
9. 新疆维吾尔自治区地方志编纂委员会. 新疆通志. 新疆维吾尔自治区地方志丛书 (in Chinese). Xinjiang People's Press. p. 168. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
10. 阿图什市地方志编纂委员会 (1996). 阿图什市志. 新疆维吾尔自治区地方志丛书 (in Chinese). 新疆大学出版社. p. 56. ISBN 978-7-5631-0771-1. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
11. 克孜勒苏柯尔克孜自治州党委史志办 (1994). 克孜勒苏柯尔克孜自治州地理志 (in Chinese). Contemporary China Publishing House. p. 13. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
12. Xia Zhengyi 夏征农; Chen Zhili 陈至立, eds. (September 2009). 辞海：第六版彩图本 [Cihai (Sixth Edition in Color)] (in Chinese). Shanghai: Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House. p. 0017. ISBN 9787532628599.
13. 阿图什市地方志编纂委员会 (1996). 阿图什市志. 新疆维吾尔自治区地方志丛书 (in Chinese). 新疆大学出版社. p. 14. ISBN 978-7-5631-0771-1. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
14. 中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
15. "Experience Template" 中国气象数据网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
16. 2019年统计用区划代码和城乡划分代码：阿图什市 [2019 Statistical Area Numbers and Rural-Urban Area Numbers: Artux City] (in Simplified Chinese). National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China. 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2020. 统计用区划代码 名称 653001001000 幸福路街道 653001002000 光明路街道 653001003000 新城街道 653001100000 上阿图什镇 653001200000 松他克乡 653001201000 阿扎克乡 653001202000 阿湖乡 653001204000 格达良乡 653001205000 哈拉峻乡 653001206000 吐古买提乡 653001500000 兵团农三师红旗农场
17. 阿图什市行政区划 (in Simplified Chinese). Artux People's Government. 12 June 2019. Archived from the original on 24 November 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2020. 阿图什市于1986年经国务院批准撤县设市，辖7乡、3场、2个街道办事处
18. Xie Yuzhong 解玉忠 (2003). 地名中的新疆 (in Simplified Chinese). Ürümqi: 新疆人民出版社. pp. 189–190. ISBN 7-228-08004-1.
19. Karajül (Approved - N) at GEOnet Names Server, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
20. 生物景观类 (in Simplified Chinese). Artush People's Government. 12 June 2019. Archived from the original on 24 November 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2020. 柳树林距哈拉峻乡政府驻地约26千米，占地数十亩。
21. 3-7 各地、州、市、县(市)分民族人口数 (in Simplified Chinese). شىنجاڭ ئۇيغۇر ئاپتونوم رايونى 新疆维吾尔自治区统计局 Statistic Bureau of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Archived from the original on 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2017-09-03.
22. 1997年阿图什市行政区划 [1997 Artush City Administrative Divisions] (in Simplified Chinese). XZQH.org. 31 December 2010. Retrieved 7 August 2020. 克孜勒苏柯尔克孜自治州辖市，州府驻地。位于自治州西南部，与吉尔吉斯斯坦接壤。面积1.5万平方千米，人口18.4万，有柯尔克孜、维吾尔、汉、回、哈萨克、塔吉克等16个民族，其中维吾尔族占81.5％，辖2街道7乡。（本页根据《中国政区大典》整理，1997年左右资料）
23. Morris Rossabi, ed. (2004). Governing China's Multiethnic Frontiers (PDF). University of Washington Press. p. 179. ISBN 0-295-98390-6.