From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Baotou (Chinese: 包头; Pinyin: Bāotóu Mongolian :Bugat hot ) is a prefecture-level city and the largest city in Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. Its name is said to derive from a phrase meaning "place with deer" in the Mongolian language, and an alternate name in Chinese is "Deer City" (Chinese: 鹿城; Pinyin: Lùchéng).

Baotou is situated on the northern bank of the Yellow River on its Great Bend (Chinese: 河套; Pinyin: hétào). The city has an elevation of about 1,050 meters. At the end of 2006, Baotou had 2.43 million registered residents. The city has an estimated population of 1,301,768, the metropolitan area 1,750,000 (2006).

History

The area now known as Baotou was inhabited since ancient times by nomads, most notably the Mongols. Compared to the capital, Hohhot, Baotou's construction as a city came relatively late, being incorporated as a town in 1809. The city's site was chosen because it was in an arable region of the Yellow River's Great Bend. A railway was constructed in 1931, and the city began spurring some industrial sites. A German-Chinese joint-venture in 1934 constructed the Baotou Airport and opened a weekly route connecting Baotou with Ningxia and Lanzhou. On September 19, 1949, after the September 19 Rebellion, Baotou fell under Communist control. The People's Government was formed in February 1950. In the early Communist years Baotou served as an industrial centre, with a significant portion of its economy coming from its steel production, and it continues this reputation until this day.

Transportation

Baotou is a terminus for both the Baolan Railway and the Jingbao Railway, heading for Lanzhou in the west and Beijing in the east, respectively. The city is served by two main railway stations, Baotou East Railway Station, and Baotou Railway Station.

Baotou Airport serves the city with regular service to Beijing, Shanghai and Taiyuan. The city is connected by the Hubao Expressway to Inner Mongolia's capital, Hohhot.

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