Hohhot

Sister cities

• Ulan-Ude
• Okazaki

History

Yunzhong Commandery () was a historical commandery of China. Its territories were between the Great Wall and Yin Mountains, and correspond to part of modern-day Hohhot, Baotou and Ulanqab prefectures in Inner Mongolia. The central city of Yunzhong was in the suburbs of today's Hohhot. The commandery was created during King Wuling of Zhao's reign after a successful campaign against the Linhu (林胡) and Loufan (樓煩) peoples. After the establishment of Qin and Han dynasty, the commandery became the frontier between Han and the Xiongnu. In early Han dynasty, the region saw frequent Xiongnu raids. However, from Emperor Wu's reign onwards, it became an important base of military operations in the wars against the Xiongnu. In 127 BC, it was from Yunzhong that General Wei Qing led a 40,000-men strong cavalry force and conquered the modern Hetao and Ordos regions. In 2 AD, the commandery administered 11 counties, namely Yunzhong (雲中), Xianyang (咸陽), Taolin (陶林), Zhenling (楨陵), Duhe (犢和), Shaling (沙陵), Yuanyang (原陽), Shanan (沙南), Beiyu (北輿), Wuquan (武泉) and Yangshou (陽壽). The population totaled 38,303 households, or 173,270 people. During Eastern Han, 3 counties were abolished, while 3 new counties were added from Dingxiang Commandery. In 140 AD, the population was 5,351 households, or a population of 26,430. Toward the late Han dynasty, the area's population decreased sharply as residents fled from invading northern nomadic peoples, and the commandery was dissolved. The Tuoba chieftain Gui (called Tuoba Gui) was able to refound the Dai empire in 386, and later renamed his state to Wei. From his capital at Shengle (near modern Helingeer). His descendants would, step by step, conquer the north of China, divide the Later Yan realm into two parts, and subdue the Xia (407–431), the…

Geography

Located in the south central part of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot is encircled by the Daqing Shan () to the north and the Hetao Plateau to the south. The city's antipodal location is from the village of Los Menucos in Río Negro Provence, Argentina. File:Txu-oclc-10552568-nk49-11.jpg|Map including Hohhot (labeled as KUEI-SUI) (AMS, 1963) File:Hohhot 111.67286E 40.80952N.jpg|Huhhot and vicinity, LandSat-5 satellite image, 2005-07-12 Hohhot features a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk), marked by long, cold, and very dry winters; hot, somewhat humid summers; strong winds (especially in spring); and monsoonal influence. The coldest month is January, with a daily mean of , while July, the hottest month, averages . The annual mean temperature is , and the annual precipitation is , with more than half of it falling in July and August alone. Variability can be very high, however: in 1965 Hohhot recorded as little as but six years before that, as much as , of which over a third () only in July. Hohhot is a popular destination for tourists during the summer months because of the nearby Zhaohe grasslands. More recently, due to desertification, the city sees sandstorms on almost an annual basis. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 54 percent in November to 66 percent in September, sunshine is abundant year-round, the city receives 2,680 hours of bright sunshine annually. Extreme temperatures have ranged from on 6 February 1951 to on 30 July 2010, though unofficially a record low of was recorded in January 1930.