Zhangjiakou

Zhangjiakou, also known also by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province of North China, adjacent to Beijing to the southeast. Its administrative area has a population of 4.3 million, and covers . The urban area of Zhangjiakou is divided into Qiaoxi and Qiaodong District, but the prefecture-level city is much larger, spanning around .

Names

Zhangjiakou is written 张家口 in simplified Chinese and 張家口 in traditional Chinese. It is Zhāngjiākǒu in pinyin and the name means "Zhang family gate." Older names for the town in Chinese include Zhāngyuán (張垣), used in the Republican era, and Zhāngjiābǎo (張家堡).

Zhangjiakou was historically known to the Europeans as Kalgan until the mid 20th century. This name derives from the Mongolian name of the city, (Čiγulaltu qaγalγa) or, shorter, (Qaγalγan),cyrillic spelling is Хаалган (Khaalgan) and Чуулалт Хаалга (Chuulalt Khaalga"), respectively. There are some more naming variants, like Chuulgany Khaalga, Khaalga Khot ect. where the Qaγalγa means "gate" (in the Great Wall). In Manchu, the city is known as (Imiyangga jase).

Because of its strategic position above and northwest of Beijing, Zhangjiakou has been nicknamed "Beijing's Northern Door".

History

The water-scarce city was historically the chief northern gate in the Great Wall...
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