| Shuozhou | |
| Settlement Type: | Prefecture-level city |
| Native Name: | 朔州市 |
| Native Name Lang: | zh |
| Pushpin Map: | Shanxi |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 240 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Shuozhou city center in Shanxi |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | People's Republic of China |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Shanxi |
| Subdivision Type2: | County-level divisions |
| Subdivision Name2: | 6 |
| Seat Type: | Municipal seat |
| Seat: | Shuocheng District |
| Government Type: | Prefecture-level city |
| Leader Title: | CPC Shuozhou Secretary |
| Leader Name: | Wang Maoshe (王茂设) |
| Leader Title1: | Mayor |
| Leader Name1: | LI Zhengyin (李正印) |
| Area Total Km2: | 10,662 |
| Area Blank1 Title: | Districts |
| Area Blank1 Km2: | 4093.7 |
| Area Urban Km2: | 176.00 |
| Area Urban Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population As Of: | 2010 |
| Population Total: | 1,714,857 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Districts |
| Population Blank1: | 745000 |
| Population Urban: | 433700 |
| Demographics Type2: | GDP[3] |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Prefecture-level city |
| Demographics2 Info1: | CN¥ 110 billion US$ 17.3 billion |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Per capita |
| Demographics2 Info2: | CN¥ 69,152 US$ 11,064 |
| Timezone: | China Standard |
| Coor Pinpoint: | Shuozhou municipal government |
| Coordinates: | 39.3317°N 112.4329°W |
| Utc Offset: | +8 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 036000 |
| Area Code: | 0349 |
| Blank Name: | Licence plates |
| Blank Info: | Chinese: 晋F |
| Blank1 Name: | Administrative division code |
| Blank1 Info: | 140600 |
| Iso Code: | CN-SX-06 |
| P: | Shuòzhōu |
| W: | Shuo-chou |
| Former names | |
| Also Known As: | Mayi |
| P2: | Mǎyì |
| W2: | Ma-i |
| L2: | HorseTown |
Shuozhou is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi province, China, bordering Inner Mongolia to the northwest. It is situated along the upper reaches of the Fen River. The prefecture as a whole has an area of about 10662km2 and, in 2010, a population of about 1.71 million.[2]
See also: Dai Prefecture and Battle of Mayi. The site of Shuozhou was the ancient Chinese frontier town of Mayi (Chinese: 马邑),[4] which was used as a trading post between China and the Xiongnu nomads of the eastern Eurasian steppe.
In 201BC, the founder of the Han dynasty Liu Bang (posthumously known as Emperor Gaozu or the "High Ancestor") moved Han Xin from his fief around Yuzhou in Henan to Mayi, where he was attacked by the Xiongnu. Finding himself distrusted by the Han emperor, Han Xin allied with the Xiongnu instead and joined them on their raids against China until his death in battle in 196BC. Mayi was subsequently the capital of Dai Prefecture and the scene of an attempted ambush of the Xiongnu by Chinese troops in 133BC.
During the chaos between the fall of the Sui and rise of the Tang, Mayi was the base of the would-be emperor Liu Wuzhou.
The seat of government is in Shuocheng District, the urban core of the city.
| Map | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2003 est.) | Area (km2) | Density (/km2) | |
| Shuocheng District | Chinese: 朔城区 | Shuòchéng Qū | 380,000 | 1,793 | 212 | |
| Pinglu District | Chinese: 平鲁区 | Pínglǔ Qū | 190,000 | 2,314 | 82 | |
| Shanyin County | Chinese: 山阴县 | Shānyīn Xiàn | 220,000 | 1,652 | 133 | |
| Ying County | Chinese: 应县 | Yìng Xiàn | 270,000 | 1,708 | 158 | |
| Youyu County | Chinese: 右玉县 | Yòuyù Xiàn | 100,000 | 1,965 | 51 | |
| Huairen city | Chinese: 怀仁市 | Huáirén Shì | 250,000 | 1,230 | 203 | |
Shuozhou has a continental, monsoon-influenced semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk),[5] with cold, very dry, and somewhat long winters, and warm, somewhat humid summers. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from NaN°C in January to in July, and the annual mean is 7.42°C. Typifying the influence of the East Asian Monsoon, over three-fourths of the annual of precipitation occurs from June to September.
It is a centre of industry, and its notable industries are primarily mining of coal and other ores such as iron, bauxite, mica, manganese, and graphite. Other economic sectors include agriculture, chemical industry, ceramics, and fishing.
Western tourists rarely come to this area of China, but there are some attractions. The Yingxian Tower, built in 1056 during the Liao Dynasty, is one of the main sites of the region. It was built entirely of wood, without using nails, and serves as a museum of calligraphy. There are also some paleolithic ruins, and ancient gravesites from the Dongyi people.
The Dayun Expressway (Datong—Yuncheng) passes through it, and it has 5 specialized train lines.
Shuozhou Zirun Airport opened on December 18, 2023.