Jiuquan

Jiuquan is a prefecture-level city in Gansu Province, northwestern China, near the edge of the Gobi Desert. Its territory includes the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center: A Chinese spaceport in the Gobi Desert used for satellite launches and crewed spaceflight. The launch center lies within Jiuquan’s prefecture-level territory.
Gansu: A province in northwestern China bordering Mongolia and several Chinese provinces and regions. Jiuquan is one of Gansu’s prefecture-level cities.
Silk Road: A network of trade routes connecting East Asia with Central Asia and regions farther west. Routes through the Hexi Corridor linked Jiuquan’s area to long-distance trade.
Hexi Corridor oasis agriculture: Irrigated farming in the Hexi Corridor, sustained by rivers and mountain snowmelt. Oasis agriculture supports settlement across Jiuquan’s dry landscape.
Shenzhou program: China’s program for crewed spacecraft based on the Shenzhou vehicle. Crews for Shenzhou missions have launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
Suzhou District, Jiuquan: An urban district of Jiuquan that contains the city’s central urban area. It is the principal built-up core of Jiuquan.
Hexi Corridor: A narrow passage in Gansu between the Tibetan Plateau and the Gobi Desert. Jiuquan occupies the corridor’s western reaches.
Qilian Mountains: A mountain range along the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, south of the Hexi Corridor. Snowmelt from the range supplies water to Jiuquan’s oasis communities.
Long March 2F: A Chinese orbital launch vehicle designed to carry crewed Shenzhou spacecraft. This rocket has carried Shenzhou crews into orbit from the local spaceport.
Dunhuang: A county-level city in Gansu known for Mogao Caves and its position on the Silk Road. Dunhuang is administered within Jiuquan’s prefecture-level jurisdiction.

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Huo QubingBroader topic: The city’s Han foothold followed the campaigns Huo helped lead.