Major Economic Indicators (2010)
Wuzhong is located in the middle part of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, bordering the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the northeast and northwest. It covers an area of 20,200 sq km. Its population is 1.37 million.
Wuzhong belongs to temperate arid climate with plenty of sunshine. The average annual temperature of the city is 7.7-9.2°C, while the average annual precipitation is 200 mm.
Wuzhong is replete with mineral and tourism resources. Reserves of coal, Dolostone and limestone amount to 11.1 billion, 1.8 billion and 4.9 billion tons, respectively. Qingtong Bird Island is the second largest after Qinghai Bird Island in Northwest China. There are more than 100 types of birds living and multiplying here.
Transportation around Wuzhong is very convenient. Although there is no airport located in the city, Yinchuan Hedong Airport is only 40 km away to the north, and operates flights to most major cities. In addition, the Baotou-Lanzhou Railway, the Zhongwei-Yinchuan Railway, State Highway 109, State Highway 211 and the Beijing-Tibet Expressway run across the city.
Before the Ming Dynasty, Wuzhong was called Guling Zhou. It was the political, economic, military and cultural center of the Ningxia area. Earlier, during the Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties periods, it was a transportation hub, national granary and park, and the second most important city after Chang'an in western China.
Currently, the Hui account for approximately 50.2% of Wuzhong's population. The city is the hometown of the Chinese Muslims, an industrial base for Muslim products and a cultural center for the Hui minority.
Wuzhong attracts tourists because of its beautiful scenery and unique Muslim culture. Except for Qingtong Bird Island, the 108 Lamaist Stupas, a pagoda forest of 108 Lamaist brick stupas, is the most famous spot in Wuzhong. The pagoda complex has a unique layout and ranks among the top three pagoda complexes in China. The other two are the pagoda forest of Shaolin Temple in Henan and Lingyan Temple in Shandong. Tongxin Great Mosque is also worth visiting.
Since Wuzhong is an important national grain production base, it is rich in wheat, rice, fruits and vegetables. In Wuzhong, Yellow River carp and pearl rice are really unique for guests coming from the outside world.
