Scenic area · Industrial centre · Ningxia
Zhongwei
中卫
Where the Tengger Desert meets the Yellow River
Zhongwei is a prefecture-level city in western Ningxia where the Yellow River enters the region along the edge of the Tengger Desert. It is known for Shapotou, where dunes run down to the river and where straw-grid sand fixation was developed to protect the Baotou–Lanzhou railway, for the goji berries of Zhongning, and as a national hub for data centres.
Key facts
Overview
Zhongwei's name comes from the Ming garrison (卫) established here. The city lies on a strip of irrigated land between the Yellow River and the dunes of the Tengger, and its counties stretch south into the dry uplands of Haiyuan.
In the 1950s engineers and local workers laid grids of straw into the sand at Shapotou to stop dunes burying the new railway, a technique later used across China's deserts. Since the 2010s the dry, cool climate and cheap power have attracted large data centres, and Zhongwei is a node of the national programme to process eastern data in the west.
Names and nicknames
沙都
“sand capital”
Local epithet for a city on the edge of the desert.
枸杞之乡
“home of goji”
Referring to Zhongning county, the traditional centre of goji cultivation.
History
The area was a frontier district from the Qin and Han onwards. The Ming founded the Zhongwei garrison in 1403. The Haiyuan earthquake of 1920, centred in what is now Zhongwei's territory, was one of the deadliest of the twentieth century. The Baotou–Lanzhou railway, completed in 1958, crossed the Tengger here.
1403
Zhongwei garrison
The Ming established the military garrison that gave the city its name.
16 December 1920
Haiyuan earthquake
A great earthquake centred in Haiyuan killed well over 200,000 people.
1958
Baotou–Lanzhou railway
The line crossed the dunes at Shapotou, protected by straw-grid sand barriers.
2004
Prefecture-level city
Zhongwei was made a prefecture-level city.
Landmarks
Nature
Shapotou
沙坡头
Dunes sloping to the Yellow River, with sheepskin rafts, sand-sliding and the straw grids of the desert research station.
Temple or shrine
Gao Temple
高庙
A tall wooden temple complex in the city centre, shared by Buddhist, Daoist and Confucian worship.
Nature
Tengger Desert
腾格里沙漠
Desert lakes and dunes north of the city.
Neighbourhoods
Shapotou district
沙坡头区
The urban district, including the old town and the desert area.
Zhongning
中宁
County downstream, centre of goji growing and trading.
Food
Haozi noodles
蒿子面
Springy noodles made with the seed flour of a desert artemisia, served in lamb broth.
Goji
枸杞
Eaten dried, in tea and in soups; fresh berries appear in summer.
Culture
Zhongwei's culture is shaped by the river and the desert: sheepskin rafts, once used for transport on the Yellow River, are kept alive for visitors, and the history of sand control is a source of local pride. Haiyuan county in the south is predominantly Hui.
Getting around
- Zhongwei South is on the high-speed line between Yinchuan and Lanzhou; Zhongwei station is a junction of the Baotou–Lanzhou and Zhongwei–Taiyuan railways.
- Zhongwei Shapotou Airport serves domestic flights; Shapotou lies west of the city.
Day trips
Tonghu grassland
通湖草原
Lake and grassland inside the Tengger Desert, reached by desert vehicle.
Haiyuan
海原
Upland county with the fault scarps of the 1920 earthquake.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Zhongwei Municipal People's Government — Zhongwei Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Ningxia — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
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