Shizuishan, formerly Shizuizi, is a prefecture-level city in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It is the northernmost prefecture in Ningxia and the second most populous, after the regional capital Yinchuan, bordered by Inner Mongolia to all directions except the south. Shizuishan sits on the western bank of the Yellow River on the western side of the Ordos Loop. It was formerly a center for caravans traveling the northern routes to and from Beijing across the Ordos Desert.
Shizuishan was formerly romanized as Shetsuishan[4] and Shihchu Shan.[5]
It was also formerly known as "Shizuizi", which was romanized Shihtsuitzu[5][6] and Chetsouidze.[7]
Shizuishan used to be a center of local trade and eventually became a mining town.[8] In 1934, Shizuishan was occupied by the army of warlord Sun Dianying during his attempt to conquer Ningxia from the Ma clique. Sun set up a rival provincial government in the town,[9] but he was eventually defeated by Ningxia's official governor Ma Hongkui. Shizuishan was consequently returned to Ma's control.[10]
Shizuishan is located on the western bank of the Yellow River between latitudes 38° 21′ and 39° 25′ N and longitudes 105° 58′ and 106° 39′ E, spanning 88.8 km (55.2 mi) from east to west and 119.5 km (74.3 mi) from south to north.
Shizuishan experiences a cool arid climate (Köppen BWk) with freezing and very dry winters, alongside very warm to hot and somewhat wetter summers.
Shizuishan was once described[by whom?] as the best place to make a film about the end of the world.[citation needed]In 2005, the Chinese government blacklisted the city for its pollution problem and told local leaders to shut down the worst polluting industrial plants.[citation needed] Recently, the city has attempted to reinvent itself by initiating eco-friendly programs to reduce pollution, improving medical services, increasing tourism, and improve certain industries but pollution is still taking its toll on the people.[8]
The economy of Shizuishan is mainly based on coal mining, coking, and metallurgy. Agriculture, tourism, and viticulture also contribute to Shizuishan's economy.[8]