Beitun, Xinjiang

Beitun is a city in the north of Xinjiang, China. Administratively, it is a county-level city under the direct administration of the regional government, though it is geographically located in Altay Prefecture.

Beitun 北屯市 (Chinese) بەيتۈن شەھىرى (Uyghur) بەيتۇن قالاسى (Kazakh)
County-level city
Beitun
Beitun Location in Xinjiang Show map of Dzungaria Beitun Beitun (Xinjiang) Show map of Xinjiang Beitun Beitun (China) Show map of China
Coordinates: 47°21′30″N 87°49′05″E
Country	China
Autonomous region	Xinjiang
Municipal seat	Beitun Town, Altay City[a]
Government
• CCP Secretary	Wang Shengping (Political Commissar of the 10th Division)
• Mayor	Wu Chunyun (Commander of the 10th Division)
Area
• Total	910.5 km2 (351.5 sq mi)
Population  (2020)[1]
• Total	20,414
• Density	22/km2 (58/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard[b])
Website	www.bts.gov.cn

Beitun, Xinjiang
Chinese name
Chinese	北屯
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Běitún
Uyghur name
Uyghur	بەيتۈن‎
Transcriptions Latin Yëziqi Beatün Yengi Yeziⱪ Bəatün SASM/GNC Baatün Siril Yëziqi Бәатүн

Beitun is the headquarter of the 10th Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and currently administered by the 10th Division. Aral implemented the "division and city integration" (师市合一, shī shì héyī) management system, it shares the same leader group with the 10th Division.

Overview

Beitun was established on 28 December 2011,^[2] making it the youngest city in China at the time, later replaced by Sansha, which was established in 2012. It was established from portions of Altay City.

Beitun covers an area of 910.5 square kilometres (351.5 sq mi), has a population of 76,300, and is located on the Irtysh River. Its name comes from the accolade "China's northernmost cultivation land" (Chinese: 中国最北的屯垦重地; pinyin: Zhōngguó zuìběi de túnkěn zhòngdì).

Administrative divisions

Beitun contains 3 subdistricts and 3 towns:^[3]

Name	Simplified Chinese	Hanyu Pinyin	Uyghur (UEY)	Uyghur Latin (ULY)	Administrative division code
Subdistricts
Tianjiao Subdistrict	天骄街道	Tiānjiāo Jiēdào			659005001
Longjiang Subdistrict	龙疆街道	Lóngjiāng Jiēdào			659005002
Junken Subdistrict	军垦街道	Jūnkěn Jiēdào			659005003
Towns
Shuangqu Town (183rd Regiment Farm)*	双渠镇 (一八三团)	Shuāngqú Zhèn			659005100
Fengqing Town (187th Regiment Farm)*	丰庆镇 (一八七团)	Fēngqìng Zhèn			659005101
Haichuan Town (188th Regiment Farm)*	海川镇 (一八八团)	Hǎichuān Zhèn			659005102
* One institution with two names. See also Tuntian#People's Republic of China.

Transportation

As a terminus of the Kuytun–Beitun Railway, Beitun is an important transportation hub between Mongolia, northern Xinjiang, and Kazakhstan. Beitun Station, located a few kilometers southwest of the city center (47°19′20″N 87°45′30″E), has direct passenger railway service from Urumqi.

An extension of this railway toward Altay City is under construction; it was expected to open in 2016.^[4]

Notes

1. The government seat of Beitun City is located at Beitun Town, Altay City.
2. Locals in Xinjiang frequently observe UTC+6 (Xinjiang Time), 2 hours behind Beijing.