Zhangjiakou

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Zhangjiakou" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Zhangjiakou 张家口市 Changchiakow, Kalgan
Prefecture-level city
Clockwise from the top: Qingshui riverfront, downtown fireworks, Tong Bridge, Qingyuan Building, Dajingmen
Nickname(s):  Pearl of the Great Wall (塞外明珠), Northern Gate of Beijing
Location of Zhangjiakou City jurisdiction in Hebei
Zhangjiakou Location of the city centre in Hebei Show map of Hebei Zhangjiakou Zhangjiakou (Northern China) Show map of Northern China Zhangjiakou Zhangjiakou (China) Show map of China
Coordinates (Zhangjiakou municipal government): 40°46′08″N 114°53′10″E / 40.769°N 114.886°E / 40.769; 114.886
Country	People's Republic of China
Province	Hebei
Settled	2500 B.C.
Established	November 15, 1983
Municipal seat	Qiaodong District
Government
• Party Secretary	Hui Jian (回建)
• Mayor	Wu Weidong (武卫东)
Area
• Prefecture-level city	36,861.56 km2 (14,232.33 sq mi)
• Districts	5,266 km2 (2,033 sq mi)
Elevation	716 m (2,349 ft)
Population  (2020 census)
• Prefecture-level city	4,118,908
• Density	110/km2 (290/sq mi)
• Urban	2,722,683
• Districts	1,413,861
GDP[1]
• Prefecture-level city	CN¥ 136.4 billion US$ 21.9 billion
• Per capita	CN¥ 30,840 US$4,952
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard)
ISO 3166 code	CN-HE-07
Licence plate prefixes	冀G
Website	www.zjk.gov.cn

Zhangjiakou
"Zhangjiakou", as written in Chinese
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	張家口
Simplified Chinese	张家口
Postal	Changchiakow
Literal meaning	Zhang Family Pass
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhāngjiākǒu Wade–Giles Chang-chia-k'ou IPA [ʈʂáŋ tɕjá kʰòʊ]
Kalgan
Traditional Chinese	喀拉幹
Simplified Chinese	喀拉干
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Kālāgàn
Second alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	張垣
Simplified Chinese	张垣
Literal meaning	Zhang Wall
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhāngyuán Wade–Giles Chang-yüan
Mongolian name
Mongolian Cyrillic	Чуулалт Хаалга Хаалган
Mongolian script	ᠴᠢᠭᠣᠯᠠᠯᠲᠣ ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠯᠭ᠎ᠠ ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠯᠭᠠᠨ
Transcriptions SASM/GNC Čuulalt Haalga (Čiɣulaltu Qaɣalɣa) Haalgan (Qaɣalɣan)

Zhangjiakou (/ˈdʒɑːŋdʒiˈɑːˈkoʊ/),^[2] also known as Kalgan^[3] and by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province in Northern China, bordering Beijing to the southeast, Inner Mongolia to the north and west, and Shanxi to the southwest. By 2020, its population was 4,118,908 inhabitants on 36,861.56 square kilometres (14,232.33 sq mi), divided into 17 Counties and Districts. The built-up (or metro) area made of Qiaoxi, Qiaodong, Chongli, Xuanhua, Xiahuayuan Districts largely being conurbated had 1,413,861 inhabitants in 2020 on 5,266 km² (2,033 sq mi).^[4]

Since ancient times, Zhangjiakou has been a stronghold of military significance and vied for by multiple sides, hence nicknamed the Northern Gate of Beijing. Due to its strategic position on several important transport arteries, it is a critical node for travel between Hebei and Inner Mongolia and connecting northwest China, Mongolia, and Beijing. Dajingmen, an important gate and junction of the Great Wall of China is located here.^[5]

In the south, Zhangjiakou is largely cultivated for agricultural use. In the north, Bashang is a part of the Mongolian plateau and dominated by grasslands. The forest coverage reaches 37%, earning Zhangjiakou the title of National Forest City. According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Zhangjiakou has the freshest air and the least PM 2.5 pollution of all Chinese cities north of the Yellow River. Zhangjiakou also possesses 4.6% of China's wind energy resources, and the city ranks second in solar energy use.^{[6]: 25–30} Zhangjiakou was one of the host cities at the 2022 Winter Olympics.