# Subei Mongol Autonomous County

The Subei Mongol Autonomous County (Chinese: 肃北蒙古族自治县; Mongolian: ᠰᠦᠪᠧᠢ ᠶᠢᠨ ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯ ᠦᠨᠳᠦᠰᠦᠲᠡᠨ ᠦ ᠥᠪᠡᠷᠲᠡᠭᠡᠨ ᠵᠠᠰᠠᠬᠤ ᠰᠢᠶᠠᠨ) is an autonomous county within the prefecture-level city of Jiuquan in the northwest of Gansu Province, China, bordering Xinjiang to the west, Qinghai Province to the southeast and Mongolia's Govi-Altai Province to the north. Containing the northernmost point in Gansu, Subei is split into two non-contiguous sections and has an area of 66,748 km$^2$ (25,772 sq mi) and had approximately 13,046 inhabitants in 2000. To the east it shares a border with Ejin Banner, Alxa League, Inner Mongolia.

## History

In the early 1930s, Birger Bohlin studied the paleontology of the region (then called Taban Buluk).
In 1937, Subei Administrate Bureau (肅北設治局) was established.
On July 22, 1950, PLA forces entered the Subei area. The county-level Subei Autonomous District (肅北自治區), predecessor of the Subei Mongol Autonomous County, was established on July 29, 1950. The area became county-level Subei Mongol Autonomous District (肃北蒙古族自治区) in 1953. In 1955, the area became Subei Mongol Autonomous County.
In September 1992, with the approval of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, the only international border crossing in Gansu Province was opened in the Mazongshan area of Subei Mongol Autonomous County.
Horse shows and races are held periodically in the county.

## Climate

A large part of Subei is in the Gobi Desert. The county has been subject to large dust storms with noted incidents in May 2011 and June 2016. There are glaciers in some parts of the county.
Climate data for Subei, elevation 2,137 m (7,011 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) | 13.6 (56.5) | 17.1 (62.8) | 21.9 (71.4) | 29.6 (85.3) | 31.7 (89.1) | 33.7 (92.7) | 36.4 (97.5) | 36.7 (98.1) | 31.4 (88.5) | 27.2 (81.0) | 19.2 (66.6) | 15.6 (60.1) | 36.7 (98.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −0.2 (31.6) | 3.3 (37.9) | 9.7 (49.5) | 16.4 (61.5) | 20.1 (68.2) | 23.8 (74.8) | 26.5 (79.7) | 25.9 (78.6) | 21.1 (70.0) | 14.5 (58.1) | 7.2 (45.0) | 1.5 (34.7) | 14.2 (57.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −8.1 (17.4) | −4.4 (24.1) | 2.2 (36.0) | 8.8 (47.8) | 13.2 (55.8) | 17.1 (62.8) | 19.4 (66.9) | 18.7 (65.7) | 13.4 (56.1) | 6.7 (44.1) | −0.1 (31.8) | −6.5 (20.3) | 6.7 (44.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −14.5 (5.9) | −11.0 (12.2) | −4.6 (23.7) | 1.4 (34.5) | 5.7 (42.3) | 10.1 (50.2) | 12.2 (54.0) | 11.5 (52.7) | 6.3 (43.3) | 0.2 (32.4) | −5.4 (22.3) | −12.6 (9.3) | −0.1 (31.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −22.4 (−8.3) | −20.5 (−4.9) | −23.8 (−10.8) | −11.9 (10.6) | −5.7 (21.7) | 0.4 (32.7) | 7.0 (44.6) | 3.4 (38.1) | −3.6 (25.5) | −9.9 (14.2) | −18.9 (−2.0) | −23.1 (−9.6) | −23.8 (−10.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 3.5 (0.14) | 3.6 (0.14) | 7.1 (0.28) | 8.3 (0.33) | 19.1 (0.75) | 36.2 (1.43) | 37.8 (1.49) | 26.9 (1.06) | 9.9 (0.39) | 3.6 (0.14) | 4.1 (0.16) | 4.4 (0.17) | 164.5 (6.48) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 3.7 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 5.9 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 4.0 | 47.4 |
| Average snowy days | 5.9 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 5.5 | 28.6 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 41 | 36 | 32 | 28 | 31 | 38 | 44 | 40 | 36 | 34 | 38 | 41 | 37 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 223.8 | 219.6 | 266.8 | 290.0 | 310.9 | 294.3 | 285.0 | 289.8 | 283.1 | 276.0 | 228.9 | 213.7 | 3,181.9 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 74 | 72 | 71 | 72 | 70 | 66 | 63 | 69 | 77 | 81 | 77 | 74 | 72 |
| Source: China Meteorological Administration ||||||||||||||
Climate data for Mazongshan, Subei, elevation 1,770 m (5,810 ft), (1991–2020 normals) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −3.5 (25.7) | 0.8 (33.4) | 7.2 (45.0) | 14.8 (58.6) | 20.8 (69.4) | 26.1 (79.0) | 28.4 (83.1) | 26.7 (80.1) | 21.0 (69.8) | 13.1 (55.6) | 4.6 (40.3) | −2.2 (28.0) | 13.2 (55.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −12.0 (10.4) | −8.0 (17.6) | −1.4 (29.5) | 6.7 (44.1) | 13.2 (55.8) | 19.0 (66.2) | 21.4 (70.5) | 19.4 (66.9) | 12.9 (55.2) | 4.4 (39.9) | −3.6 (25.5) | −10.4 (13.3) | 5.1 (41.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −18.8 (−1.8) | −15.2 (4.6) | −8.8 (16.2) | −1.0 (30.2) | 5.2 (41.4) | 11.5 (52.7) | 14.4 (57.9) | 12.3 (54.1) | 5.7 (42.3) | −2.6 (27.3) | −9.9 (14.2) | −16.5 (2.3) | −2.0 (28.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 0.6 (0.02) | 1.1 (0.04) | 2.1 (0.08) | 4.0 (0.16) | 4.5 (0.18) | 13.8 (0.54) | 16.0 (0.63) | 14.3 (0.56) | 5.2 (0.20) | 1.4 (0.06) | 1.8 (0.07) | 1.1 (0.04) | 65.9 (2.58) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 5.1 | 6.3 | 4.6 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 33.7 |
| Average snowy days | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 22.2 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 54 | 45 | 37 | 31 | 28 | 32 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 39 | 49 | 54 | 40 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 238.4 | 237.7 | 281.6 | 304.3 | 340.6 | 321.2 | 319.6 | 315.9 | 299.1 | 287.2 | 234.1 | 223.6 | 3,403.3 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 80 | 78 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 71 | 70 | 75 | 81 | 85 | 81 | 79 | 77 |
| Source: China Meteorological Administration ||||||||||||||

## Administrative divisions

Subei Mongol Autonomous County is divided into two towns and two townships. The county's administrative seat ("capital") is the town of Dangchengwan.
| Name | Simplified Chinese | Hanyu Pinyin | Mongolian (Hudum Script) | Mongolian (Cyrillic) | Mongolian (SASM/GNC) | Administrative division code |
| Towns |||||||
| Dangchengwan | 党城湾镇 | Dǎngchéngwān Zhèn | ᠳ᠋ᠠᠩ ᠴᠡᠩ ᠸᠠᠨ ᠪᠠᠯᠭᠠᠰᠤ | Даан цан ван балгас | Daŋ čeŋ van balɣasu | 620923100 |
| Mazongshan | 马鬃山镇 | Mǎzōngshān Zhèn | ᠮᠠᠽᠦ᠋ᠩᠱᠠᠨ ᠪᠠᠯᠭᠠᠰᠤ | Мазншин балгас | Mazüŋšan balɣasu | 620923101 |
| Townships |||||||
| Xirgaljin Township (Yanchiwan) | 盐池湾乡 | Yánchíwān Xiāng | ᠱᠢᠷᠭᠠᠯᠵᠢᠨ ᠰᠢᠶᠠᠩ | Шаргалжин шиян | širɣalǰin šiyaŋ | 620923201 |
| Shibaocheng Township | 石包城乡 | Shíbāochéng Xiāng | ᠱᠢᠪᠣᠣᠴᠧᠩ ᠰᠢᠶᠠᠩ | Швацэн шиян | šiboočēŋ šiyaŋ | 620923202 |

## Demographics

Subei is home to Deed Mongols (Upper Mongols) who migrated to the area. In 1996, the Mongol ethnicity population was 37.5% of the county's total population.
| Nationality | Population (2000) | Percentage |
| Han | 8,566 | 65.66% |
| Mongol | 4,112 | 31.52% |
| Tibetan | 209 | 1.60% |
| Hui | 86 | 0.66% |
| Tu | 41 | 0.31% |
| Yugur | 15 | 0.12% |
| Manchu | 7 | 005% |
| Others | 10 | 0.08% |

## Gallery

* Map including northern Subei County area (1954)
* Map including part of the modern Subei Mongol Autonomous County area (1935)