Coordinates	56°51′45″N35°55′27″N
Name	Xining
Official name	西宁市
Native name	西宁ཟི་ནིང་Silung
Settlement type	Prefecture-level city
Map caption1	Location of Xining City in Qinghai
Dot x	|dot_y
Pushpin map	China
Pushpin map caption	Location within China
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	People's Republic of China
Subdivision type1	Province
Subdivision name1	Qinghai
Subdivision type3	County-level divisions
Subdivision type4	Township divisions
Leader title	CPC Xining
Leader title1	Mayor
Established title2
Established title3
Unit pref
Area footnotes
Area total km2	7372
Area land km2
Area urban km2	343
Area metro km2	343
Population as of	2010 Census
Population total	2208708
Population density km2	auto
Population metro	1198304
Population density metro km2	auto
Population urban	1198304
Population density urban km2	auto
Population blank1 title
Population blank1
Timezone	China Standard Time
Utc offset	+8
Coordinates type	city
Coordinates region	CN-63
Coordinates display	inline,title
Elevation footnotes
Elevation m	2275
Postal code type	Postal code
Postal code	810000
Area code	971
Blank name	License plate prefixes
Blank info	青A
Website	http://www.xining.gov.cn/
Footnotes	}}

Xining in Chinese; Silung or Ziling in Tibetan (), ; Wylie: Zi-ning) is the capital of Qinghai province, People's Republic of China, and the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau. It has 2,208,708 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,198,304 live in the built up area made of 4 urban districts.

History

Xining has a history of over 2100 years and was a chief commercial hub on the Hexi Corridor caravan route to Tibet, handling especially timber, wool and salt in ancient times. The trade along the Hexi Corridor was part of a larger trade corridor along the Northern Silk Road, whose use was intensified in the first century BC after efforts by the Han Dynasty to control this route.

Under the Han dynasty (''206 BC–AD 220'') a county there called Linqiang controlled the local Qiang tribesmen. It was again a frontier county under the Sui (581–618) and Tang (618–907) dynasties; during the 7th and early 8th centuries it was a center of constant warfare with the Tuyuhun and (later) the Tibetan peoples. In 763 it was overrun by the Tibetans and while under Tibetan control was known to the Chinese as ''Qingtangcheng''. Recovered by the Song dynasty in 1104, it received the name Xining (meaning "peace in the west") and has been the seat of a prefecture or superior prefecture under that name since that time. With the rise of Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism), which began in the 7th century AD, Xining became an important religious center; Qinghai's largest lamasery, a holy place to the Yellow Hat sect of Buddhists, was located at Kunbum, some 19 km to the southeast.

A major earthquake occurred May 22, 1927 and measured 8.6 on Richter scale. It was one of the deadliest earthquakes with a total count of 200,000 deaths. It also caused large land fractures.

Xining was the extraterritorial capital of the Koko Nor territory and remained in Gansu until 1928, when it became the provincial capital of the newly established independent province of Qinghai. Xining was given municipal status in 1945.

Under Governor 1928's reign, Xining, like the rest of Qinghai, underwent industrialization and modernization. In 1947 the USA sold Ma Bufang a piped water (sewage) system which was installed in Xining. Ma Bufang also promoted education. He made businessmen methodically clean up Xining by serving as insect exterminators, killing flies and neatly throwing them away.

Since the late 1950s, when the Liujia Gorge Dam and hydroelectric project came into operation in neighboring Gansu province, Xining has been linked by a high-tension electrical grid to both Liujia and Lanzhou. It also uses local coal from mines at Datongxian to the north. A modern woolen mill was installed at Xining before 1957. The city also has a leather industry and is a market for salt from the Qaidam region. During the late 1950s medium-sized iron and steelworks were built there, supplying metal to Lanzhou.

Construction of a highway to the mineral-rich Qaidam basin and completion in 1959 of a link to the Chinese rail network via Lanzhou in Gansu province has spurred industrial development. This effort was part of a plan of the central government to rapidly exploit oil and pasturage in the Xining area beginning in the 1950s.

Geography

Xining is located in the eastern part of Qinghai Province and lies on the Huangshui River. It has a total area of 350 km².

Xining is located on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the upper reaches of the Huangshui River. It is the political, economic, and cultural center of Qinghai Province with an average altitude of about . Human activity in the region can be traced to 2,100 years ago. During the Western and Eastern Han dynasties, owing to its developing agriculture, Xining was paid noticed due to its economic and military significance. As well as being an important hinge between the Central Plains and the western part of China in ancient times, Xining was an important link in the Silk Road. It continues to be an important rail and road link to the hinterlands of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Xining has also been dubbed the Summer Resort Capital of China owing to its cool summer, with a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen ''BSk''). Conditions are influenced by the aridity and high altitude. Lows are cold or cool throughout the year, and highs are often more than warmer than lows. Monthly daily averages range from in January to in July; the year averages at . Rainfall falls mainly from May to September, and the area is often dry and sunny, with nearly 2680 hours of bright sunshine per year.

River management

In 2007, the World Bank lent US$1 billion to aid river treatment in Xining, including Sanxian County's anti-flooding project, with an added US$1 billion dollars to support infrastructure. Qinghai has invested large amounts in the treatment of Huangshui Main River and Nanchuan River, totalling 24.5 km. However, a treatment on a 40 kilometer river course and 10 flash flood relief channels remain pending due to lack of equipment. In Sanxian County, a 108.4 meter long river course and 80 flash flood relief channels need treatment.

City Scape

Economy

The GDP per capita was ¥19,494 (ca. US$2,800) in 2008, ranked no. 382 among 659 Chinese cities. Its main industries are wool spinning and textiles, fur, meat, milk, salt, and light processing industries.

Economic and Technological Development Zones

Xining Economic & Technological Development Zone

Xining Economic & Technological Development Zone (ZETDZ) was approved as state-level development zone in July 2000. It has a planned area of 4.4 square kilometers. XETDZ lies in the east of Xining, the capital city of Qinghai province, 5 kilometers away from downtown. Located in the east of the province, Xining stands at the upper reaches of the Huangshui River-one of the Yellow River's branches. The city is surrounded by the mountains with an average elevation of 2261 meters and the highest at 4393 meters. Xining Economic and Technological Development Zone (XETDZ) is the first of its kind at the national level on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is established to fulfill the nation's strategy of developing the west.

XETDZ enjoys a convenient transportation system, connected by the Xining-Lanzhou expressway and run through by two main roads, the broadest roads of the city. It is 4 kilometers away from the railway station, 15 kilometers from Xi'ning Airport, a grade 4D airport with 14 airlines to other cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu and Xi'an. Xi'ning is Qinghai province's passage to the outside world, a transportation center with more than ten highways, over one hundred roads and two railways, Lanzhou-Qinghai and Qinghai-Tibet Railways in and out of the city.

It focuses on the development of following industries: chemicals based on salt lake resources, nonferrous metals, and petroleum and natural gas processing; special medicine, foods and bio-chemicals using local plateau animals and plants; new products involving ecological and environmental protection, high technology, new materials as well as information technology; and services such as logistics, banking, real estate, tourism, hotel, catering, agency and international trade.

Demographics

According to the 2010 Census, the prefecture-level city of Xining has a population of 2,208,708 inhabitants, 229,508 persons more than in 2000 (and the demographic growth for the period 2000-2010 was of 1.1% per year).

At present, four districts, three counties, and a national economic and technological development zone are under the administration of the local government. With a population of more than two million, Xining is the first city on the upper reaches of the Yellow River to achieve a population in the millions. There are about 37 nationalities living here, though it is only the Han, Hui, Monguor (Tu people in Chinese - 土族) and Tibetan who are numerically significant. Local traditions and customs are influenced by the Tibetans, Monguor, Muslims, and Han. On 2010 Census numbers, Han Chinese represent 74.04% of the total population of Xining, while Hui (16.26%), Tibetan (5.51%) and Tu (2.6%) are the main minority groups in the city

Administrative divisions

The municipality oversees seven districts and counties. The data here are presented in km² and in population according to 2010 Census:

! Map	! #	! English Name	! Simplified	! Traditional	! Pinyin	! Area	! Population	! Density
1		城中区	城中區	Chéngzhōng Qū	11	296,987	26,999
2	Chengdong District	城东区	城東區	Chéngdōng Qū	115	359,688	3,128
3	Chengxi District	城西区	城西區	Chéngxī Qū	79	242,627	3,071
4	Chengbei District	城北区	城北區	Chéngběi Qū	138	299,002	2,167
5	Huangyuan County	湟源县	湟源縣	Huángyuán Xiàn	1,609	136,632	85
6	Huangzhong County	湟中县	湟中縣	Huángzhōng Xiàn	2,430	437,835	180
7	Datong Hui and Tu Autonomous County	大通回族土族自治县	大通回族土族自治縣	Dàtōng Huízú Tǔzú Zìzhìxiàn	3,090	435,937	139

Education

Colleges and universities

Qinghai University (青海大学)

Qinghai Normal University (青海师范大学)

Qinghai University for Nationalities (青海民族大学)

Transportation

Xining is situated in a fertile mountain basin in the valley of the Huangshui (river), a tributary of the Yellow River, that acts as a river port. The city lies about 200 km west of Lanzhou in Gansu province, on what was traditionally the main trade route from northern China into Tibet and the Qaidam Basin. These routes are now followed by modern highways.

Railway

Since 1959 Xining has been connected by rail to the main Chinese system at Lanzhou; this railway extends into the Qaidam area via Haiyan near Qinghai Lake to Golmud and extends, since 2006, to Lhasa in Tibet.

Air

Xining Caojiabu Airport serves the area with regularly scheduled passenger flights to major Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Kunming, Xi'an, and Wuhan.

Highway

China National Highway 214

Tourism

Located in the southwest part of Xining City, the Kumbum Monastery or Ta'er Monastery is one of six famous monasteries in the Gelug (also called Yellow Hat Sect) of Tibetan Buddhism. Having a history of over 600 years, the Dongguan Mosque, located in the Xining City Zone, is one of the most famous mosques in the northwest region of China. It has splendid and diversiform towers, walls and halls in the mosque. Another unique religious structure is the Beishan Si (North Mountain Temple), a Taoist facility. The Xining region is also replete with natural scenic attractions. One is the Sun and Moon Mountain which divides Qinghai Province into two parts - the stock-raising area and the farming area. Another not-to-be-missed destination is the Qinghai Lake and Bird Island. This alluring body of water is home to hundreds of thousands of birds. About 35 kilometers west of Xining City in Datong County, you can experience the magical power of Laoye Mountain. Every year on the 6th day of the 6th lunar month, the traditional singing festival attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Food

As the capital of Qinghai province, Xining almost boasts all varieties of local flavors. Xining's cuisine is distinct from other varieties of Chinese cities using mainly food products native to the area. Food here is substantial, but quite inexpensive.

A unique feature of dishes in Xining is that they are given names after the surname of their initiator. Here are some of the most famous: Liangfen (bean jelly) is made from pea powder and cut into short strips. Liangfen is served with vinegar, chili and mashed garlic, mustard and salt to enhance the taste the dish. Niangpi is a popular snack made of flour and baking soda. It can be found anywhere in Xining for four-yuan. The most famous version of this snack is called Mazhong Niangpi and can be found in the Mojia Jie. Zasui Tang is a soup cooked with lamb and oxen entrails. Locals often eat this snack for breakfast. The hot soup helps warm people during the winter. Muslim Yoghurt is a must while in Xining – this breakfast is a kind of substance made by local Muslim families and is served in small bowls for one-yuan. Terrine is a popular snack in Xining. It is a small hot pot which contains beef, mutton, been curd and vermicelli. Mutton Eaten with Fingers is the most famous snack in Qinghai Province. It is made of fresh mutton and served with a little salt. This snack is the favorite food of the herdsmen of Qinghai Province.

In Xining, some restaurants serve varieties of 'plateau flavor', such as Feng'er Liji (a round lamb tenderloin), Danbai Chongcao Ji (a medicine cuisine made of chicken, Chinese caterpillar fungus and eggs), Jinyu Facai (pork wrapped in flagelliform nostoc and shaped as a goldfish) among others. These dishes are often cooked by the locals at home.

There are also many small restaurants offering noodles. Gan Ban is a very common noodle dish. Perhaps Mian Pian, which means "noodle leaves" is the most common noodle plate among the Qinghai people.

On the streets, many Muslims sell spicy lamb brochettes.

Due to the cold climate, residents of Xining are also fond of strong spirits - Xining has the reputation of being one of the heaviest regions of alcohol consumption in China.

References

External links

Xining Government Website

Category:Xining Category:Cities in Qinghai Category:Provincial capitals in China Category:Amdo

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Coordinates	56°51′45″N35°55′27″N
Name	Abigail Washburn
Background	solo_singer
Born	November 10, 1979
Origin	Evanston, Illinois
Instrument	Vocals, Clawhammer Banjo
Genre	AmericanaOld-time music
Label	Nettwerk
Website	www.afterquakemusic.com }}

Abigail Washburn (born November 10, 1979 in Evanston, Illinois, USA) is an American clawhammer banjo player and singer. She performs and records as a soloist, as well as with the old-time bands Uncle Earl and Sparrow Quartet.

Biography

Washburn was born in Evanston, Illinois and spent her elementary and part of her junior high school years in a suburb of Washington, D.C.. She attended high school in Minnesota, then attended Colorado College, where she was the school's first East Asian studies major. Following this, she spent some time living in China, where she had dreams of being a lawyer (having first visited that nation in 1996). She then spent three years in Vermont before moving to Nashville, Tennessee.

In Tennessee, she met KC Groves, one of the founding members of the band Uncle Earl and she went on to spend five years touring with the band. The "all G'earl" group has released two records on the Rounder Records record label, ''She Waits for the Night'' (2005) and ''Waterloo, TN'' (2007), which was produced by John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin.

Washburn entered a songwriting contest at MerleFest (a bluegrass music festival in North Carolina), winning second place for her song "Rockabye Dixie", and gaining the attention of the Nettwerk record label.

Her first solo album, ''Song of the Traveling Daughter,'' was produced by Béla Fleck and features Ben Sollee, a cellist, and Jordan McConnell, guitarist for the Canadian traditional and soul music fusion band The Duhks. Two songs were recorded in the Mandarin Chinese language, which she learned while living in China.

In 2005, Washburn returned to China with a group called the Sparrow Quartet, composed of Sollee, Fleck and Grammy Award nominated fiddler Casey Driessen. The group then recorded an EP, ''Abigail Washburn The Sparrow Quartet.''

In 2008, Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet recorded a full-length album, ''Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet.'' It was produced by Béla Fleck and composed and arranged by the foursome.

After the release of the album, Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet turned their attention to touring North America, with appearances at festivals including New Orleans Jazz & Heritage, MerleFest, Bonnaroo Music Festival, Vancouver Folk Festival and others. They returned to China for performances during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The quartet was later featured on National Geographic Live and, in 2009, each participated in the Clearwater Concert, a benefit concert in honor of Pete Seeger's 90th birthday that featured many of the world's most well-known musicians.

Inspired by a 2008 volunteer experience for Sichuan Quake Relief in China, Abigail joined forces with Shanghai Restoration Project's David Liang in March 2009 to create Afterquake. The benefit EP (a portion of each sale benefits Sichuan Quake Relief) was released on May 12, 2009, the one-year anniversary of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake. Over the course of two weeks, Washburn & Liang recorded and produced the entire project, which features electronic mixes of student voices and sounds from the disaster zone, in Sichuan, China.

In early 2010, Washburn began recording her second solo album with producer Tucker Martine and collaborator Kai Welch .

Personal life

In August 2007, Washburn was reported as being the "girlfriend" of Béla Fleck. In September 2008, Fleck was alleged to be the "boyfriend" of Abigail Washburn. In May 2009, the ''Bluegrass Intelligencer'' satirized the upcoming wedding of Washburn and Fleck, joking that the couple promise to have a "male heir" who will be the "Holy Banjo Emperor". In February 2010, ''The Aspen Times'' reported that Washburn had become Fleck's wife in the previous year. In a July 2010 interview, Washburn said she first met her husband in Nashville at a square dance—she was dancing and he was playing.

Discography

Year	Album details	Peak positions
		! width="55"	! width="55"
2005		* Release date: August 2, 2005	* Label: Nettwerk Records	3	—
2011		* Release date: January 11, 2011	* Label: New Rounder	2	9

Afterquake Music

''Afterquake'' EP (2009)

The Sparrow Quartet

''The Sparrow Quartet'' EP (2006)

''Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet'' (2008)

Uncle Earl

''She Waits for Night'' (2005)

''Waterloo, Tennessee'' (2007)

References

External links

Abigail Washburn official site

Afterquake official site

Article on Abigail Washburn's close relationship with China

Bluegrass Over Beijing, by Ron Gluckman

Abigail Washburn interview from Popmatters

Official Myspace

Official Facebook Page

Review of 'City of Refuge' by Folk Radio UK

Profile of Abigail Washburn on PBS NewsHour

Listening

Abigail Washburn at NPR Music

Audio interview from National Public Radio ''Morning Edition'' program

Audio samples from ''Song of the Traveling Daughter''

Category:American singers Category:American banjoists Category:Old-time musicians Category:People from Evanston, Illinois Category:1979 births Category:Living people

it:Abigail Washburn

The Qinghai–Xizang railway, Qingzang railway, or Qinghai–Tibet railway (; ), is a high-altitude railway that connects Xining, Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, in People's Republic of China.

The total length of Qingzang railway is 1956 km (1215 mi). Construction of the 815 km (506 mi) section between Xining and Golmud was completed by 1984. The 1142 km (709 mi) section between Golmud and Lhasa was inaugurated on 1 July 2006 by president Hu Jintao: the first two passenger trains were "Qing 1" (Q1) from Golmud to Lhasa, and "Zang 2" (J2) from Lhasa. This railway is the first to connect the Tibet Autonomous Region to any other province, which, due to its altitude and terrain, is the last province-level entity in mainland China to have a conventional railway. Testing of the line and equipment started on 1 May 2006. Passenger trains run from Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xining and Lanzhou.

The line includes the Tanggula Pass, which, at 5,072 m (16,640 feet) above sea level, is the world's highest rail track. The 1,338 m Fenghuoshan tunnel is the highest rail tunnel in the world at 4,905 m above sea level. The 4,010-m Guanjiao tunnel is the longest tunnel from Xining to Golmod and the 3,345-m Yangbajing tunnel is the longest tunnel from Golmod to Lhasa. More than 960 km, or over 80% of the Golmud-Lhasa section, is at an altitude of more than 4,000 m. There are 675 bridges, totalling 159.88 km, and about 550 km of the railway is laid on permafrost.

Stations

In the Golmud to Lhasa part of the line, 45 stations are open, 38 of which are unstaffed, monitored by the control center in Xining. Thirteen more stations are planned.

Trains and tickets

The trains are specially built for high altitude environment. The diesel locomotives used on Golmud-Lhasa section were made by GE in Pennsylvania, and the passenger carriages are Chinese-made 25T carriages: on train T27/T28, between Beijing West and Lhasa, Bombardier Sifang Transportation (BSP) made carriages on the Golmud-Lhasa section in deep green/yellow or deep red/yellow. Signs in the carriages are in Tibetan, Simplified Chinese and English. The operational speed is 120 km/h, 100 km/h over sections laid on permafrost. The 1,142-km Qinghai–Tibet railway from Golmud to Lhasa was completed on 12 October 2005. It opened to regular trial service on 1 July 2006.

Apart from hard seat tickets, there is an extra charge for forward-facing seats and berths. Compared with standard pricing for the same class, the soft seat, hard sleeper and soft sleeper tickets have an added charge of 0.09, 0.10 or 0.16 yuan per kilometre per person respectively.

A ''Passenger Health Registration Card'' is required to take the train between Golmud and Lhasa. The card can be obtained when purchasing the ticket. Passengers must read the health notice for high-altitude travel and sign the agreement on the card to take the train. On 28 August 2006 a 75-year-old Hong Kong man was reported to be the first passenger to die on the train, after he had suffered heart problems in Lhasa but insisted on travelling to Xining.

At the beginning, only three daily trains were available: Beijing–Lhasa (every day), Chengdu/Chongqing–Lhasa (each every other day), Lanzhou/Xining–Lhasa. Shanghai/Guangzhou–Lhasa service were added in October 2006. In July 2010, Shanghai–Lhasa service became daily, and one more daily service between Xining and Lhasa were added, but the service then suspended as winter low season came.

Oxygen and medical supply

From October 2006 five pairs of passenger trains run between Golmud and Lhasa, and one more pair between Xining and Golmud. The line has a capacity of eight pairs of passenger trains, and the carriages are specially built and have an oxygen supply for each passenger. Every passenger train has a doctor.

Construction

A projected railway to Tibet was included in Dr. Sun Yat-sen's proposal in 1917–1920 to build 100,000 km. of track across the entire country.

Since the formation of the Tibetan Autonomous Region in early 1950s, the Chinese government pursued Dr. Sun's aim of a railway to Tibet. Engineers were sent to investigate the possibility, but a shortage of technology and money prevented the project from starting.

The capital of the Qinghai Province, Xining, became connected with the rest of the country by rail in 1959, when the Lanqing Railway from Lanzhou was completed.

The 815 km section of the future Qinzang Railway from Xining to Golmud, Qinghai opened to traffic in 1984. But the remaining 1,142 km section from Golmud to Lhasa could not be constructed until technical difficulties of building railroad tracks on permafrost were solved. This section was formally started on 29 June 2001, finished on 12 October 2005, and signalling work and track testing took another eight months. It was completed in five years at a cost of $3.68 billion.

Track-laying in Tibet was launched from both directions, towards Tanggula Mountain and Lhasa, from Amdo Railway Station on 22 June 2004. On 24 August 2005, track was laid at the railway's highest point, the Tanggula Pass, 5,072 m (16,640 feet) above sea level.

There are forty-four railway stations, among them Tanggula Mountain railway station, at 5,068 m the world's highest (Cóndor station, at 4,786 m, on the Rio Mulatos-Potosí line, Bolivia, and La Galera station at 4,777 m, in Peru, being the next highest). The Qingzang Railway project involved more than 20,000 workers and over 6,000 pieces of industrial equipment, and is considered one of China's major accomplishments of the 21st century.

Bombardier Transportation provided 361 high-altitude passenger carriages with special enriched-oxygen and UV-protection systems, delivered between December 2005 and May 2006. Fifty-three are luxury sleeper carriages for tourist services.

The construction of the railway was part of the China Western Development strategy, an attempt to develop the western provinces of China, which are much less developed than eastern China. The railway will be extended to Zhangmu via Shigatse (日喀则) to the west, and Dali via Nyingchi (林芝) to the east. A further extension is planned to link Shigatse with Yadong near the China-India border (Map ). The railway is considered one of the greatest feats in modern Chinese history by the government, and as a result is often mentioned on regular TV programs. Chinese-Tibetan folk singer Han Hong has a song called ''Tianlu'' (Road to Heaven; 天路) praising the Qingzang Railway.

Future extensions

In a meeting between Chinese and Nepalese officials on 25 April 2008, the Chinese delegation announced that country's intention to extend the Qingzang railway from Lhasa to Zhangmu (Nepali: Khasa) on the Nepalese border. Nepal had requested that the railway be extended to enable trade and tourism between the two nations. Construction of the extension is planned to be completed by 2013. On 17 August 2008, a railway spokesman confirmed plans to add six more rail lines to the Qinghai-Tibet railway. The six new tracks include one from Lhasa to Nyingchi and one from Lhasa to Xigaze, both in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Three tracks will originate from Golmud in Qinghai province and run to Chengdu in Sichuan province, Dunhuang in Gansu province, and Korla of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The sixth will link Xining, capital of Qinghai, with Zhangye in Gansu. The six lines are expected to be completed and put into operation before 2020. Construction work of the Lhasa–Shigatse extension has been started on September 26, 2010.

Potential link to India

Although the Chinese Ministry of Railways spokesman of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway has announced extending the railway southward to Shigatse, it has not confirmed a further extension eventually with India, Bangladesh and other railway networks, however the land bridge concept from time to time rumors in various newspapers.

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway once opened to traffic was not only a change in Tibet's history without railway, but also will change China and India, two Asian powers who do not have a railway on the border. In the original construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, some had forecast that China will add an overseas extension of the Qinghai-Tibet railway to the border towns of East Asia, South Asia through this route.

The extension to the Shigatse region and Nyingchi has been confirmed by the relevant government departments in Tibet. In fact, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway will be connecting close to India. An official in charge of the Tibet Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission had pointed out: "Tibet Railway is completed, with Lhasa as the basis, will be built east of Lhasa to Nyingchi line from Lhasa to Shigatse west building line of the south building of the Qinghai-Tibet Shigatse to East Asia and other three Railway Line. These extensions will be opened to traffic within a decade. then, the three railway extension will form a large Y-shape, the length will be over two thousand kilometers. "

Although the Chinese government has never planned an extension to India's railway, many people have embarked on the possibility of this. Qinghai People's Congress, Vice Secretary General Liu Palit is one of them. In an interview, "21st Century Business Herald" interview, he supported a motion to establish a connection between the Pacific and Indian railway bridge on land, possibly linking the east coast port city of Lianyungang, eastern China, Xi'an, Lanzhou, Xining, Lhasa, Shigatse, through Nepal, and finally arriving in Patna, India, New Delhi, Mumbai and Karachi (Pakistan), China and India and Pakistan to achieve rail transport.

Liu Palit thinks has stated regarding the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in South Asia continental bridge, "The past is not the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, which route is the only choice, now, starting from Tibet, a land bridge political more meaningful. " If the idea of ​​the railway arrived in Nepal's plains region of Nepal, it is very easily connected with the Indian railway network. Experts said that "if the railway opened in Nepal, but also enable the railway system in India and Bangladesh, Nepal and China through connectivity, all countries will benefit."

As India has been extending its railway near the Nathu La pass with China, and China has plans to extend the Qinghai-Tibet railway to near its border with Nathu La, a petition was set up to promote the idea that both countries could link up their respective proportions for train services between the two countries. As of 26 Aug 2011, the petition had 77 members.

Engineering challenges

There are many technical difficulties for such a railway. About half of the second section was built on ''barely permanent permafrost''. In the summer, the uppermost layer thaws, and the ground becomes muddy. Chinese engineers dealt with this problem by building elevated tracks with foundations sunk deep into the ground, building hollow concrete pipes beneath the tracks to keep the rail bed frozen, and using metal sun shades. Similar to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System portions of the track are also passively cooled with ammonia based heat exchangers.

The air in Tibet is much thinner, with a oxygen partial pressure being 35% to 40% below the partial pressure at sea level. Special passenger carriages are used, and several oxygen factories were built along the railway. At this altitude in these latitudes, water in toilets must be heated to prevent freezing. The Chinese government claimed that no construction workers died during the construction due to altitude sickness related diseases. The railway passes the Kunlun Mountains, an earthquake zone. A magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck in 2001. Dozens of earthquake monitors have been installed along the railway.

Economic and environmental impact

With limited industrial capacity in Tibet, the Tibetan economy heavily relies on industrial products from more developed parts of China. Transport of goods in and out of Tibet was mostly through the Qingzang Highway connecting Tibet to the adjacent Qinghai province, which was built in the early 1950s. The length and terrain have limited the capacity of the highway, with less than 1 million tons of goods transported each year. With the construction of the Qingzang railway, the cost of transportation of both passengers and goods should be greatly reduced, allowing for an increase in volume—the cost per tonne-kilometer will be reduced from 0.38 RMB to 0.12 RMB. It is projected that by 2010, 2.8 million tons will be carried to and from Tibet, with over 75% carried by the railway. This is expected to help support the Tibetan economy.

The environmental impact of the new railway is an ongoing concern. The increase in passenger traffic will result in greater tourism and economic activity on the Tibetan Plateau.

Wood is the main fuel source for rural inhabitants in certain regions of Tibet. The damage to the ecosystem caused by cutting trees for fuel takes years to recover due to slow growth caused by Tibet's harsh environmental conditions. The railway would make coal, which is not produced in Tibet, an affordable replacement. However, the increase in fuel combustion due to increased human activity in an already-thin atmosphere may affect the long term health of the local population.

Before the railway, the purchasing power of 100 RMB in Lhasa was only commensurate with 54 RMB in coastal regions of China mainly due to high transport costs, the railway could elevate the living standards along the railway.

Trash and excrement are collected into two sealed containers in each car (not thrown on the tracks), they are taken out at the big stations.

The effects of this railway on wild animals such as Tibetan antelope and plants are currently unknown. Thirty-three overpasses were constructed specifically to allow continued animal migration. Here is the Google Maps satellite image of one such bridge.

There are concerns from the China Meteorological Administration that melting of permafrost caused by global warming in Tibet on which part of the railway is placed could threaten the railway during the century.

Criticism

China has been criticised by Tibetan Independence groups for having built the railway to strengthen its political control over Tibet.

In particular, groups such as the International Campaign for Tibet have alleged that the railway will marginalize Tibetans in the Tibet Autonomous Region by encouraging further Han immigration from the rest of China.

Fleet

361 Bombardier Sifang Power (Qingdao) Transportation Ltd./Power Corporation of Canada/China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Industry (Group) Corporation High-Grade Coach - 308 standard cars and 53 special tourist cars

GE Transportation NJ2 locomotive (78 GE designation C38AChe locomotives were built)

Qishuyang Locomotive Factory DF8CJ 9000 series locomotive - similar to the Bombardier Transportation-GE Transportation Blue Tiger diesel electric locomotive

Scenery from the train window

Since the opening of Qingzang Railway, the good views of the train windows have come to be known to many people:

Xining to Golmud： Qinghai Lake Golmud to Lhasa： Kunlun Pass, the east part of Kunlun Mountains (Hoh Xil Mountains to Bayan Har Mountains), Yuzhu Peak and its Glacier Fenghua Mountain Tunnel Kekexili Grassland

Tuotuo River Bridge Tanggula Railway Station, Tanggula Mountains, Tanggula Mountain Amdo Grassland Tsonag Lake Nagchu Grassland Nyenchen Tanggula Mountains Damxung Grassland Lhasa River Bridge

The Gallery of the Scenery from the Train Window:

See also

Kashmir Railway

PeruRail

References

External links

Railway map of China

China Travel Guide - Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Environmental Protection Along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, US Embassy report

''The Guardian'', 20 September 2005, "The railway across the roof of the world"

Wired Magazine, July 2006, "Train to the Roof of the World"

Tibet railway construction

Tibet railway videos

Actual Images published in the Wired Magazine

CCTV report regarding the railroad

A train travelling near the Tsonag Lake, Cuonahu railway station.

"The train to Tibet", The New Yorker, 16 April 2007

Life on the Tibetan Plateau: Train to Lhasa

Detailed Map of Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Trains to Lhasa on Seat 61

Category:Railway lines in the People's Republic of China Category:Mountain railways Category:Rail transport in Tibet Category:Rail transport in Qinghai Category:Railway lines opened in 2006

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Coordinates	56°51′45″N35°55′27″N
Airline	China Southern Airlines中国南方航空公司''Zhōngguó Nánfāng Hángkōng Gōngsī
Logo	China Southern Logo.svg
Logo size	250
Fleet size	422
Destinations	121
Iata	CZ
Icao	CSN
Callsign	CHINA SOUTHERN
Parent	China Southern Airlines Co., Ltd.
Founded	1981
Aoc	C4XF535F
Headquarters	Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
Key people
Hubs
Focus cities
Frequent flyer	Sky Pearl Club
Lounge	Sky Pearl Lounge
Alliance	SkyTeam
Website	http://www.csair.com/ }}

China Southern Airlines () (, , ) is an airline headquartered in Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. It is the world's fifth-largest airline measured by passengers carried, and Asia's largest airline in terms of both fleet size and passengers carried. It is also the fourth-largest airline in the world in domestic passenger traffic and the sixth-largest in scheduled domestic passenger-kilometres flown. From its main hubs at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport, the airline flies to 121 destinations using a fleet of 422 aircraft.

China Southern Airlines was established on July 1, 1988 following the restructuring of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Since then, the airline acquired and merged with a number of domestic airlines, becoming one of China's "Big Three" airlines (alongside Air China and China Eastern Airlines). China Southern Airlines is a member of SkyTeam. The airlines's logo is a red kapok on a blue vertical tail fin.

In 2010, China Southern Airlines carried 76.5 million domestic and international passengers with an average load factor of 79.2%. The airline reported a net profit of CNY5.8 billion ($883 million) in 2010.

History and development

China Southern Airlines was established in 1988, following the government's decision to split the operating divisions of Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) into separate airlines. The CAAC was restructured in late 1984 and divided into four major airlines, among which was China Southern Airlines, which became a separate identity on July 1, 1988. with operations starting in 1989. Although controlled by the CAAC, China Southern quickly established relationships with Western companies; in 1990, it launched a maintenance joint-venture with Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa and Lockheed called Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Co. (GAMECO). During 1991, six million passengers were carried, and with 38 Boeing jet airliners, China Southern was serving 90 domestic cities and 17 international destinations. In 1992, the airline raised US$537 million in revenue, and posted a $102 million profits; on 17 December 1992, China Southern also signed an order for six Boeing 777s, split between four standard -200 series and two longer-range -200ERs. China Southern, along with a number of Chinese airlines, was granted financial independence during the year, with a resultant drawback being the purchase of fuel and airport fees.

Foreign investments

In 1994, the Chinese government opened the possibility foreign investments in its airlines; China Southern and United Airlines quickly started talks on the matter. To raise its operating standards and distance itself from mostly unprofitable second- and third-tiers domestic airlines, the carrier signed agreements with a number of U.S. carriers regarding staff training and aircraft maintenance, with the ultimate aim of being listed on the . Revenue for the year doubled, although profits did not increase significantly due to the costs associated with the airline's growth.

The first of the six Boeing 777s arrived on 28 December 1995, The following year, China Southern was the first to place its Boeing 777s into non-stop services across the Pacific Ocean, connecting Guangzhou and Los Angeles. Three years later, Boeing 777's were deployed to Sydney and Melbourne. Despite the airline's effort on raising international capacity from the start, domestic traffic made up 80% of the airline's revenue. As a result, it signed a codeshare agreement during the mid-1990s to further increase international traffic.

In order to keep pace with fast developments, China Southern Airlines entered the capital market to optimise its financial structure. The airline is successfully listed on the Hong Kong and New York Stock Exchanges in July 1997, raising $600–$700 million. It followed up in 2003 at the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Mergers and acquisitions

In July 2000, the CAAC announced that the ten airlines under its direct management will be merged into three airline groups, revolving around Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern itself. On 4 August, China Southern absorbed Zhongyuan Airlines. The following year it acquire China Northern Airlines and China Xinjiang Airlines. In 2004, the merger was completed. As a result, China Southern Airlines became one of the "Big Three" carriers in the country. Since then, it has successively took over shareholding stocks and joined the equity in numerous Chinese carriers. The airline is the major shareholder of Xiamen Airlines (51%) and Chongqing Airlines (60%). It also invests in Sichuan Airlines.

On 29 September 2003, the airline placed an order with Airbus for 4 Trent 700-powered Airbus A330-200s, to be delivered from 2005. This was part of the order placed in April by the China Aviation Supplies Imp. & Exp. Group covering 30 aircraft. The first example was delivered on 28 February 2005, thereby giving China Southern the title of the first mainland Chinese A330 operator. One month earlier, on 28 January 2005, the airline placed a commitment order for 5 Airbus A380-800s, becoming the first Chinese airline to so, with delivery in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Ironically, PRC officials also placed an order for 60 7E7s on the same day for six airlines. The aircraft would be delivered between 2008 and 2010. However, due to delivery delays, the aircraft was not delivered in time for the Olympics and as of May 2010, the first of the aircraft are scheduled to arrive sometime in 2011. Boeing used the event to official designate the aircraft the ''Boeing 787''.

On the same day, a China Southern Airlines Boeing 777-200 originating from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport landed in Taipei, becoming the first mainland Chinese to land in the Republic of China since 1949, when the Kuomintang were involved in the war with the Communist Party of China. The flight carried 234 passengers home after the Lunar New Year. Within three years, in July 2008, a China Southern Airlines Airbus A330 carrying 230 tourists again landed in Taipei. The governments of the two countries agreed to allow directs flights between the countries in June, ending six-decades of limited air travel between the two Chinas. Following the flight, China Southern Airlines Chairman and pilot of the flight, Liu Shaoyong, said, "From today onward, regular commercial flights will replace the rumbling warplanes over the skies of the Taiwan Strait, and relations between the two sides will become better and better. "

On 6 September 2005, China Southern Airlines along with CASGC placed an order for a further 10 Airbus A330 wide-body airliners: 8 A330-300s and 2 A330-200s. Aircraft deliveries were due to begin in December 2007 and continue through 2008. It followed up with another Airbus order on 7 July 2006, when it confirmed a deal covering the purchase of 50 more A320 narrowbodies for delivery from 2009. The order included 13 A319-100s, 20 A320-200s and 17 A321-200s, reportedly worth $3.3 billion at list price. In December 2005, China Southern Airlines along with CASGC, announced an order with Boeing for 9 Boeing 737-700s and 11 Boeing 737-800s.

Recent developments

In June 2006, China Southern Airlines confirmed another order of 3 Boeing 737-700s and 7 Boeing 737-800s. The deliveries would continue through 2010. On 18 October 2006, China Southern Airlines placed an order for 6 Boeing 777 freighters, striding forward a brand new step in its cargo development. The aircraft would be delivered from November 2008 to July 2010.

On 20 August 2007, China Southern Airlines announced its intention for an order of 25 Boeing 737-700s and 30 Boeing 737-800s, which will be delivered from May 2011 to October 2013. It was a mere two months before, on 23 October 2007, China Southern Airlines announced that it had placed an order for 10 additional Airbus A330-200s. The order has a listed price of US$1.677 billion and the aircraft will be delivered from March 2010 to August 2012.

On January 21, 2010, China Southern announced an order for an additional 20 A320-200s scheduled for delivery from 2011 - 2013 due to the falling fuel costs and surging passenger demand.

In March, the Chinese carrier issued new shares in Hong Kong and Shanghai 2010 to raise 10.75 billion yuan ($1.57 billion) in a bid to pay off outstanding loans. In December, CNY810 million ($121.5 million) was injected by China Southern Airlines into its subsidiary Xiamen Airlines to fund its fleet expansion.

In November 2010, China Southern Airlines signed an agreement with Airbus for the purchase of six A330s and 30 A320s-200. The specific variant of A330 is not identified.

On January 11, 2011, China Southern announced a lease for 10 Embraer E-190 to be delivered from the second half of 2011.

On January 27, 2011, China Southern was awarded the four star ranking by Skytrax. It is currently the largest 4 star airline to hold this title.

On June 15, 2011 China Southern made its inaugural flight to Vancouver, Canada opening up a new passenger and trade routes including China Southern Cargo's first flight on on July 5, 2011.

Destinations

China Southern Airlines flies to 169 countries worldwide, including code-share destinations. It maintains a strong presence in the domestic market, with its main hubs being Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport, along with other focus cities in Changchun, Changsha, Dalian, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Ürümqi, Wuhan and Zhengzhou. The airline plans to develop Chongqing and Ürümqi as hubs as well to exploit the domestic market potential.

The airline provides services to 65 international destinations. Most of the international flights link between Guangzhou and world cities. There are also plenty of international flights operated through Beijing, Urumqi (notably to Central Asia) and Dalian (to Japan, South Korea, and Russia). China Southern Airlines has developed an extensive network to Southeast Asia and also becomes the largest Chinese airline to Australia.

Alliance

On August 28, 2004, China Southern Airlines signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the airline alliance SkyTeam. On November 15, 2007, the airline was officially welcomed as the 11th member of SkyTeam, becoming the first mainland Chinese airline to join the global airline alliance, expanding the alliance's presence on mainland China.

Codeshare agreements

The airline has also codeshare agreements with the following airlines (besides SkyTeam members): {| |- |valign="top"|

Asiana Airlines (Star Alliance)

Cathay Pacific (Oneworld)

China Airlines (future SkyTeam member)

|

Dragonair (Oneworld)

Garuda Indonesia (future SkyTeam member)

Japan Airlines (Oneworld)

|

Malaysia Airlines (future Oneworld member)

Pakistan International Airlines

|}

Fleet

China Southern Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of March 2011):

Cargo

China Southern Cargo is the cargo subsidiary of China Southern Airlines. The cargo airline provides services between mainland China and North America, Europe, and Australia, where destinations such as are Amsterdam, Anchorage, Chicago, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Vienna are served from its main hub at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, with cargo flights to Amsterdam and Milan from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. The cargo subsidiary has joined the SkyTeam Cargo alliance in November 2010.

Services

Cabins

;Premium Economy class China Southern offers Premium Economy class, which is more spacious than Economy class. The seats are , compared to in Economy.

Sky Pearl Club

China Southern Airlines's frequent-flyer program is called ''Sky Pearl Club'' (). The Sky Pearl Club allows its members earn FFP mileage not only flying China Southern domestic segments but also on flights of other SkyTeam member airlines within the SkyTeam global network. Moreover, The Sky Pearl Club members can 'earn and burn' mileage on the partnered Sichuan Airlines and China Airlines' flights. The mileage earned on the above mentioned flights can be counted into Elite Qualifying Mileages (EQM) and Elite Qualifying Segment (EQS), enabling quick access to SkyTeam elite status. Membership of Sky Pearl Club can be divided into two tiers: Sky Pearl Gold Card and Sky Pearl Silver Card.

+ Sky Pearl Club Membership Tiers

!Tier Level

Benefits

:* Elite bonus mileages: 30% of statute mileage

:* Confirmed full fare Economy reservation: 48 hours prior to departure

:* Premium check-in: First Class counter

:* Lounge access: First class Lounge with one companion

:* Extra baggage allowance: 15kg or 1 piece

:* Priority standby and upgrade

:* Flight delays: First class service

:* Exclusive gifts and information

:Elite qualifying mileage (EQM): 80,000 km

:Elite qualifying segments (EQS): 40 designated segments

:* Elite bonus mileages: 15% of Statute Mileage

:* Confirmed full fare economy reservation: 72 hours prior to departure

:* Premium check-in: Business Class counter

:* Lounge access: Business class lounge

:* Extra baggage allowance: 10kg or 1 piece

:* Priority standby and upgrade

:* Flight delays: Business Class service

:* Exclusive gifts and information

:Elite qualifying mileage(EQM): 40,000 km

:Elite qualifying segments(EQS): 20 designated segments

Incidents and accidents

On October 2, 1990, a hijacked Xiamen Airlines Boeing 737 crashed into a China Southern Airlines Boeing 757, killing people in both aircraft. See Guangzhou Baiyun aircraft collision

On November 24, 1992, Flight 3943, a Boeing 737 jetliner (Reg. ), crashed into a hill near Guilin, Guangxi, killing all 141 on board, due to an engine thrust malfunction. On May 8, 1997, Flight 3456, a Boeing 737-300 jetliner (Reg. ), crashed on approach into Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport killing 35, with 9 injured. On August 22, 2006, flight CZ325 from Guangzhou, China to Sydney, Australia had to be turned back to Guangzhou after a note had been found indicating a bomb was on board. The plane was returned to Guangzhou after one hour into the flight. Passengers were interviewed by police for two hours after landing, after which they were allowed back onto the plane to resume their journey. A 39-year-old Australian businessman of Hong Kong origin was arrested after Chinese police matched his handwriting with that of the threatening note found in the lavatory. He was alleged to have told police that he had made the threat because he was lovesick and suffering from depression over a failed relationship, the Xinhua news agency was quoted as saying. On March 7, 2008, an attempt to hijack and crash a flight en route to Beijing from Urumqi was averted when the crew found a 19 year old Turkic woman trying to spill gasoline in the toilet. The pilot made an emergency landing at Lanzhou Airport and two passengers were arrested.

See also

Aviation

Aviation industry in the People's Republic of China

List of airlines of the People's Republic of China

List of airports in the People's Republic of China

List of companies of the People's Republic of China

Transportation in the People's Republic of China

References

External links

China Southern Airlines Global Website

China Southern Airlines

Category:Airlines of the People's Republic of China Category:IATA members Category:Companies based in Guangzhou Category:Central-owned enterprises of the People's Republic of China Category:Warrants issued in Hong Kong Stock Exchange Category:H shares

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