Shuanghe is a county-level city in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. It is located 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of Bole City and 50 kilometres (31 mi) southwest of Alashankou and the border with Kazakhstan. Shuanghe governs an area of 742.18 square kilometres (286.56 sq mi) and has a population of 53,800.[1][2]
The name Shuanghe means "two rivers", referring to the Bortala River and Jing River (精河). It is named after the Tang dynasty administrative division Shuanghe Dudufu (双河都督府), which was established in the area in 658 AD.[1][2]
The city was formerly the settled and cultivated areas of the Fifth Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC). In January 2014, the State Council of China approved the establishment of Shuanghe City, and the city was formally established on 26 February 2014. Shuanghe is the seventh city in Xinjiang converted from XPCC land, after Shihezi, Aral, Tumxuk, Wujiaqu, Beitun, and Tiemenguan. Like the other cities of XPCC, it is a county-level city directly administered by Xinjiang Autonomous Region without an intervening prefectural government.[1][2]
