Huating 华亭市

History

In 532 the Northern Wei built a walled post here for its wars and called it Huating, after a pavilion on Huajian Mountain (华尖山) at the foot of Huangfu Mountain (皇甫山). The Sui made it a county in 605. Under the Tang it was renamed Tingchuan (亭川县) in 686 to avoid the name of Empress Wu's grandfather, and the old name returned in 705.

In 923 the area became Yizhou (义州), renamed Yizhou (仪州) in 977 to avoid the personal name of the Song emperor Taizong, Zhao Guangyi (赵光义); the prefecture was abolished in 1072. Huating County was merged into Pingliang in 1958, restored in 1961 and became a county-level city in 2018.

What to see

The Shigongsi Grottoes at Shangguan (上关石拱寺石窟) are the city's national key protected site. Five sites are protected at provincial level: the Ankou kiln site (安口瓷窑址), the Jiangou stone Buddhas (建沟石佛群), the Tongchanggou copper-smelting site (铜场沟冶铜遗址), the stone pagoda of Panlong Temple (盘龙寺石塔) and the old-town smelting site. The city museum holds 3,808 objects, 151 of them graded as nationally precious relics, with displays on the Ankou kiln, billed as "the first kiln of Gansu" (陇上第一窑), and on the Third Front industrial heritage.

A-rated scenic areas include Lianhuatai (莲花台), Mijiagou (米家沟), Lianhua Lake Park (莲花湖公园), Shuangfeng Mountain Park (双凤山公园) and the Dananyu (大南峪) rural tourism area. Quzi opera (曲子戏) and traditional percussion are on the national intangible heritage lists, and the Ministry of Culture named Huating a home of Chinese folk art.

Getting oriented

Pingliang city lies 55 km to the north, Lanzhou is 395 km to the west and Xianyang International Airport 290 km to the south. The Baoji–Zhongwei (宝中铁路) and Tianshui–Pingliang (天平铁路) railways cross the city, as do the Baoji–Pingliang (宝平高速) and Tianshui–Pingliang (天平高速) expressways.

Highlights

• Shigongsi Grottoes 石拱寺石窟: Cave temples at Shangguan, Huating's national key protected site.
• Ankou kiln site 安口瓷窑址: Provincial protected site; the museum bills Ankou as the first kiln of Gansu.
• Jiangou stone Buddhas 建沟石佛群: Provincial protected group of stone Buddhas.
• Lianhuatai 莲花台: Forest park and A-rated scenic area.
• Quzi opera 曲子戏: Local folk opera on the national intangible heritage list.