Linxia City - Geography

Geography

Administratively, Linxia City is an incorporated county-level city. Unlike many Chinese county-level cities, which include a county-size expanse of the countryside, the boundaries of Linxia City include only a fairly small area (88.6 km2), stretched along the Daxia River, which in this region flows towards the northeast. The wide fertile valley of the river is flanked by loess plateau escarpments on both sides, and the countryside beyond these limits, to the northwest and southeast of the valley, belongs to a separate administrative unit, called Linxia County. Linxia City borders on Linxia County in the southwest as well, but in the northeast it has a short border with Dongxiang Autonomous County.

The main urban area of Linxia City (i.e., the city proper) is located roughly in the center of the city's administrative boundaries, on the left (northwestern) bank of the Daxia River. Administratively, the County-level City of Linxia is divided into 10 township-level units: 6 jiedao within the main urban area, and four towns (formerly, townships) in the adjacent rural and semi-rural areas upstream and downstream of the central city and across the river from it.

The central business district of Linxia City, corresponding to the former walled city of Hezhou, is located a couple of kilometers to the north of the Daxia River, and contains the city's more upscale shopping and entertainment precincts, as well as the prefectural government. The old city wall is gone, but its existence is remembered in many place names: Xi Guan Lu ("West Gate Street"), Chengjiao ( "Corner of the City Wall") Mosque, Nanmen Guangchang (南门广场, "South Gate Square") with Nanguan ("South Gate") Mosque, Dongguan ("East Gate") neighborhood, Bei Chengjiao Gongbei ("The Gongbei at the Northern Corner of the City Wall", a.k.a. Yu Baba Gongbei). A small river, called Hongshui He, flows along what must have been the southern part of the city wall. The main street within this central area is Tuanjie Lu ("Unity Street"), running north-south.

The area between the former south gate (Nanguan) and to the Daxia River is primarily commercial, with vibrant markets taking up much of the street space on market days. Beyond Nanguan, Tuanjie Lu becomes Jiefang Lu ("Liberation St"), and, after reaching the river, it continues south as Provincial Highway 309.

Many of the city's mosques and gongbei shrines are located in the historically Muslim district to the west and southwest of the city center. Hongyuan Square, with Hongyuan Park, the Prefecture Museum, and a sports complex are in this area as well.

The northeast of this city is mostly a modern multi-story residential area. Campuses of a number of educational institutions as well as the local garrison compound are located there.

A major landmark of Linxia City is the Taoist temple, Wanshou Guan. Its pagoda is perched on top of the loess plateau bluff that forms the natural northern limit for the city expansion. Great views of the city open from the bluff, and the pagoda can be seen from everywhere in the city as well.