PAO-CHI

Pinyin Baoji, city in western Shensi sheng (province), China. Situated on the north bank of the Wei River, it has been a strategic and transportation centre since early times, controlling the northern end of a pass across the Tsinling Mountains, the only practicable route from the Wei valley into Szechwan province and the upper valley of the Han River. It is also at the western end of the intensively cultivated Wei valley and is at the centre of a network of routes into Kansu province and the Ningsia Hui autonomous region. Surrounded by mountains to the south, north, and west, it was the major western defensive outpost of the metropolitan district around Sian (Ch'ang-an) in early times. Under the T'ang dynasty (618907) in the 7th century, it was first given the name Pao-chi, which it has retained ever since; at the same time, the county seat was moved to its present site from its former position some 8 miles (13 km) to the northeast. Pao-chi's modern importance has resulted from its improved communications. The Lunghai Railway was extended from Sian to Pao-chi on the eve of the war in 1937 and was subsequently extended westward to T'ien-shui by 1947. Since 1949 this railway has been extended to Lan-chou, where it links with the trunk line into central Asia and with the northern line to Pao-t'ou (Inner Mongolia) and Peking. In 1958 a further rail link (later electrified) was completed from Pao-chi southwest to Ch'eng-tu in Szechwan, where it links with the various new railways of the southwest. China's first electrified rail line was completed between Pao-t'ou and Ch'eng-tu in the late 1960s. Pao-chi is an important commercial centre, collecting goods from a wide area, and has some industry, in particular, cotton textiles, metallurgy, machinery, electronics, and chemicals. Pop. (1988 est.) 301,000.