Jingtai Xian (China)

Jingtai County (Chinese: 景泰县; pinyin: Jǐngtài Xiàn) is a county in the middle of Gansu Province, bordering Inner Mongolia to the north. It is under the administration of Baiyin City and located at its northwest end. Covering an area of 5,483 square kilometres (2,117 sq mi), it governs 8 towns and 3 townships, which then in turn govern 15 residential communities and 135 administrative villages. Its postal code is 730400, and its population as of the 2010 Chinese Census was 225,755 people, which the county government reports has grown to about 238,900 as of 2019. It is located at the junction of Gansu, Ningxia, and Inner Mongolia. Historically, it was a military hub, a vital communication center on the Silk Road, an important ferry, and also a major transit route to Hexi, Xinjiang, Ningxia, and Inner Mongolia. Since 1933, the name of the county has been Jingtai (Chinese: 景泰; pinyin: Jǐngtài), which means "prosperity of the scene, peace of the country and the people". The county is largely hilly and mountainous, with an elevation ranging from 1,276 metres (4,186 ft) to 3,321 metres (10,896 ft) above sea level. The county is home to a number of prominent tourist sites, such as the Yellow River Stone Forest, Yongtai Fortress, and other locations.