Xining History

With a long history of more than 2100 years, Xining 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. Since this route has controlled by Han Dynasty, it became more important in the first century BC.

During the Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 220), there was a county called called Linqiang controlled the local Qiang tribesmen. After the collapse of Han Dynasty, it served as a frontier county under the Sui (581–618) and Tang (618–907) dynasties. During the 7th and early 8th centuries, constant wars with the Tuyuhun and the Tibetan peoples took place there. In 763, it fell to hands of Tibetans. Under the Tibetan control, it was known to the Chinese as Qingtangcheng. In 1104, it was controlled by the Song Dynasty and gained the name Xining which meat peace in the west. From then on, it has been the seat of a prefecture or superior prefecture under that name. With the rise of Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism), which began in the 7th century AD, Xining became an important religious center.

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

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