The Chinese city named for a legendary vat of alcohol poured into a spring
In short: Jiuquan, a sprawling desert prefecture in Gansu Province, carries a name rooted in ancient folklore. It commemorates a Han general who supposedly shared a precious container of spirits with his soldiers by emptying it into a local water source. Today, this historic Silk Road outpost serves a modern, celestial purpose.
Founded in 111 BC as a strategic military garrison near the Yumen Pass, Jiuquan has long functioned as a vital node for trade and defense. Its history is a turbulent chronicle of shifting empires: it was occupied by the Tibetan Empire in 763, seized by Xixia in 1028, and later served as a center for the rhubarb trade. By the time the Qing general Zuo Zongtang reclaimed the city in 1873, it had been completely destroyed, necessitating a swift reconstruction.
The city's geography is as vast as its history. Occupying over 191,000 square kilometers in northwestern China, it features a cold desert climate with significant diurnal temperature fluctuations. This arid, sunny environment—receiving over 3,000 hours of bright sunshine annually—proved ideal for the development of the nation's space infrastructure. While the city is the primary urban center associated with the nearby spaceport, the actual launch facility, established in 1958, sits over 100 kilometers away across the provincial border in Inner Mongolia.
Modern Jiuquan remains a critical logistical hub, connected by the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway and major national highways. Its identity is a blend of ancient military heritage and cutting-edge aerospace achievement. From the 2003 launch of Shenzhou 5, which carried Yang Liwei into orbit, to its historical status as a gateway for explorers like Bento de Góis, the city remains a pivotal point where China's past and future intersect. Whether through its role in the early Silk Road or its current status as a launchpad for human spaceflight, Jiuquan continues to command a unique position in the nation's narrative.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Jiuquan
- Also: Wikidata — Jiuquan · CC0
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