Wuhai

Wuhai (Chinese: 乌海市; Mongolian: Üqai qota, Mongolian cyrillic.Үхай хот) is a prefecture-level city and regional center in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, and is by area the smallest prefecture-level division of the region. It is located on the Yellow River between the Gobi and Ordos deserts. Wuhai became a single city occupying both banks of the Yellow River with the amalgamation in 1976 of Wuda on the left (west) bank (then administrated by Bayan Nuur League) together with Haibowan on the right (east) bank (then administrated by Ikh Juu league). Wuhai is one of very few cities with an antipode which is not only on land (as opposed to open ocean), but which is another inhabited city; the antipode of Wuhai is almost exactly on the city of Valdivia, Chile. Football commentator and Television host Huang Jianxiang is born here.
The modern location of Wuhai was originally composed of two towns: Wuda which lied on the western side of the Yellow River and Haibowan which was located in the eastern side of the river. Wuda became a coal mining town around 1864 when it was settled by Chinese laborers. Slightly later, Haibowan was settled by Chinese farmers around 1900. Wuda and Haibowan were merged as Wuhai in 1976.
In the second year of the Yuanshuo era (127 BCE) of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the Han forces defeated the Loufan and Baiyang kings of the Xiongnu, reclaiming the Henan region (covering the area south of the Wujia River in present-day Bayannur League and the Ordos Plateau). The existing Jiuyuan Commandery was renamed Wuyuan Commandery, and the Shuofang Commandery was newly established, with its administrative seat at Sanfeng County (located at the present-day Taoshengjing site, also known as the Mami Tukou Temple ancient city, in the Hateng Taohai Sumu of Dengkou County, Bayannur League). Shuofang Commandery comprised ten counties, including Woye County, which was established in what is now the Haibowan area. In the third year of the Yuanshou era (120 BCE), the walled town of Woye County was constructed (the present-day Beixindi ancient city in Haibowan District). In the second year of the Yuanshou era (121 BCE), after the southern Xiongnu king Hunye submitted to Han authority, the Wuda region became the northern territory of Wuwei Commandery.
During the Wei Jin dynasties, the present-day Wuda region was controlled by the Western Xianbei tribes. In the second year of the Daxing era (319 CE) of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Jie chieftain Shi Le rose to power, conquering vast territories across the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and establishing the Later Zhao state. The Haibowan area at that time belonged to Shuofang Commandery of Shuozhou under Later Zhao. Later, it was successively ruled by the Former Liang, Later Liang, and Northern Liang states.
In the second year of the Jianyuan era (366 CE) of the Former Qin, the region was later taken over by Former Qin and Former Yan, with the area west of the Yellow River falling under Former Qin and coming under the rule of the Di leader Fu Jian. The Haibowan region was then part of Shuofang Commandery under Former Qin.
In the second year of the Huangchu era (395 CE) of Later Qin, the Qiang leader Yao Xing rose to power, seizing the western territories of Former Qin and establishing Later Qin. Yao Xing set up Shuofang Commandery in the northern frontier regions, which included the present-day Haibowan area.
In the 16th year of the Taiyuan era (391 CE) of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Wei prince Tuoba Gui attacked the Tiefu tribe of Liu Weichen in Shuofang Commandery (which governed the southern part of present-day Bayannur League and the northern part of the former Yekejuu League). After Liu Weichen's defeat, his forces scattered, and his territory was fully incorporated into the Wei domain.
In the third year of the Yixi era (407 CE) of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Tiefu Xiongnu leader Helian Bobo grew powerful, establishing the Xia state in the area of present-day the Ordos region (formerly Yekejuu League) and northern Shaanxi, with its capital at Tongwan City (north of present-day Jingbian County, Shaanxi, commonly known as Baichengzi). At its height, Xia's territory extended north to the Yellow River, with Youzhou established at Dacheng (southeast of present-day Hanggin Banner in the Ordos region), encompassing the southern part of Bayannur League and the Ordos Plateau.
In the fourth year of the Shengguang era (431 CE), the Xia state was conquered by the Tuoba Xianbei-led Northern Wei, and its territories were absorbed into Northern Wei's domain.
Wuhai has an area of 1,754 km (677 sq mi) and, as of 2000, 427,553 inhabitants (243.76 inhabitants/km).
Wuhai city is divided into three districts:
Wuhai experiences a cool arid climate (Köppen: BWk), characterized by freezing, dry winters and hot summers. Spring is dry, with occasional dust storms, followed by early summer heat waves. Summer tends to be hot with the greatest precipitation occurring in July and August. Because of the aridity, there tends to be considerable diurnal variation in temperature, except during the summer. The monthly 24-hour average temperature range from −8.1 °C or 17.4 °F in January to 26.1 °C or 79.0 °F in July, while the annual mean is 10.1 °C or 50.2 °F. Approximately 45 percent of the average annual precipitation falls in July and August.
The city's economy is heavily based on coal mining, electric power generation, metal-working and chemical industries, but also on fruit (grapes, winemaking) and dairy farming. Wuhai is a stop on the Baotou-Lanzhou rail line, and an airport was opened in 2003.
Rock art in six places at the foot of the Zhuozi Shan (Mount Zhuozhi) has been dated back to the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, the Warring States period, and the Han dynasty.
Wuhai is served by Wuhai Airport with flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other cities.
The under-construction Baotou–Yinchuan high-speed railway will provide connections to Baotou and Yinchuan at a design speed of 250km/h.
Wuhai lies on a major Yellow River train route, connecting a large number of cities in Inner Mongolia, central and southern China. Travel time from Beijing by train is approximately 20 hours and from Baotou about a 4-hour train journey.
The Wuhai Yellow River Road Bridge is one of the Yellow River crossings in the city.
Wuhai is located at the junction of North China and Northwest China, serving as an important transportation hub between the two regions.
Highways
Railways
Aviation
Wuhai Airport was opened to air traffic in December 2003. It is located 15 kilometers north of Wuhai city and is classified as a 3C-level flight zone. The terminal building covers an area of 12,500 square meters. The airport currently operates routes to Hohhot, Beijing, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Baotou, Yulin, Yinchuan, Taiyuan, Haikou, Ordos, Shijiazhuang, Hangzhou, and Chengdu.
Although Wuhai in general is lacking large higher educational institutions, in the early 2007 a major foreign investment was injected into the development of a local flight training base for Chinese airline cadets located in Wuhai Regional Airport (ICAO abbrev. "ZBUH"). The flight base has 8 to 14 Diamond DA40 light training aircraft providing flight lessons for over 130 students designated to train at this base. Convenient airport location close to the city, low levels of pollution and relatively fair weather/visibility factors allow flight training approximately 300 days per year (subject to military restrictions). The arrival of Beijing Panam International Aviation Academy also laid a foundation for the first ever foreign community in Wuhai, composed mostly of foreign Flight Instructors from various ICAO countries working on annual contracts for BPIAA.
At the end of 2008, following the World economic recession, the company, previously belonging to an American AIG Insurance Corporation, fell into financial difficulties and stopped operating awaiting injection of the new investment funds either from the Chinese government or independent investors.
Wuhai's dining scene consists of numerous small bars and restaurants, catering for a range of Chinese, Mongolian and western cuisines. Popular dining choices are:
Hot pot serving a type of Chinese meat and vegetable fondue in a traditional "uni-pot" way or a modern "personal pot" styles. Pots are filled with either creamy or spicy soups and set on fire which is built into the table. Thinly-sliced meat, vegetables and flat noodles are served uncooked. It is up to the customer to add the ingredients to the hot-pot sitting on the table where it's cooked in seconds.
Mongolian BBQ serving a variety of meats (mostly beef, lamb, and chicken) roasted on open fire and seasoned with local spices.
Traditional Chinese Han restaurants are widely available. Serving a great variety of noodles and rather oily meat dishes.
Mongolian Mn-Mye dishes, served in a large traditional wok for the whole table to share. Hundreds of ingredient combinations could be ordered by a customer by ticking boxes on a menu order form while visiting these specialist restaurants. Once ordered, the Mn-Mye chef combines the requested ingredients in a wok, adds fresh chilly peppers, ginger, garlic, coriander and other indigenous spices.
Western restaurants, serving a variety of foods catering for the European and American tastes are also available.
A number of very modern gyms with an average membership fee between $40 and US$60 per months are available for use in the city center and other convenient locations. Shi Ji Yuan Hotel offers good 25m swimming pool facilities (attendance fee around $2. No lifeguard). A modern round mini-stadium building, located in the middle of town, offers new tennis and basketball playgrounds as well as some ThaiJi and KungFu classes.
Mountain climbing is extremely popular activity among the locals and foreigners alike. There is a long mountain ridge located to the south-east of the city, a short walk away from its SE corner. Mountain peaks range from 400m AGL to 700m AGL and take approximately 1 to 2 hours to conquer, depending on your physical abilities. Beginner level climbers are likely to enjoy this hike. For the more advanced mountaineers, the highest peak to the south of the city is standing almost 1000m AGL tall and may be a little more challenging to climb. City charges no fees for mountain-climbing activities and welcomes anyone to try.
A full-size western-style bowling alley is located in the NW part of the city, near a central street roundabout.
Wuhai has been the center of public outrage when it was revealed that money originally assigned to build low income housing project was used to build extravagant office buildings instead
According to the 2006 official statistics by the local government, 45,344 households totaling 146,306 people, or over 30% of total population in the urban area, lived in shacks in the slums. These low income families had to deal with problems including the lacks of drainage, clean water supply and poor hygiene conditions. As a result, a housing project was planned to rebuild the area, starting in February, 2006. The plan called for 15% completion by the end of 2007, 40% completion respectively in 2008, and 2009, and the remaining by the end of 2010. In reality, however, the plan failed to materialize because not a single penny was provided. Subsequent investigation by auditing authorities and media investigation revealed that the CYN 150 million funds that were supposed used as the initial funding was used to build luxury office buildings instead.