The city was once a Silk Road route crossing point on the Yellow River. A bridge built on boats once spanned it. Now it is an inland industrial center and a transportation hub for trains and expressways.
763 The city was captured by the Tibetan Empire.
843 The city was captured by the Tang Empire
1235 The Mongol Empire captured it.
1860s and 1870s The city experienced war during the Dugan Revolt.
1930s and 1940s The city was successfully defended, and the Japanese army didn't capture it.
Significance of the city: The city is at one end of a broad lowland that stretches to Xinjiang that is called the Gansu Corridor. The city developed at the place where the Gansu Corridor meets the Yellow River. It was a natural crossing point for Silk Road travellers and traders and became a mercantile city. Now, it is a large municipality in terms of land area.