Jiuquan, China

Jiuquan, formerly known as Suzhou, is a prefecture-level city in the northwestern most part of Gansu Province in the People's Republic of China. It is more than 600 km wide from east to west, occupying 191,342 km², although its built-up area is mostly located in its Suzhou District. Its population was 962,000 in 2002.   

The city was formerly known as Fulu, which became known as Suzhou (Suchow, Su-chow, &c.) after it became the seat of Su Prefecture under the Sui. As the seat of Jiuquan Commandery, it eventually became known by that name in turn. The name Jiuquan —"wine spring(s)" — derives from a legendary story of the young Han general Huo Qubing, who was said to have poured a vat of precious wine into a local creek to share its taste with his troops after a victory over the Xiongnu nomads.  

Fulu was founded in 111 bc as an outpost in the Hexi Corridor near the Jade Gate along the overland Silk Road. Jiuquan was a Han prefecture and, under the Eastern Han, an active military garrison.  Su Prefecture was established under the Sui and renamed Jiuquan Commandery under the Tang. In 624, Jiuquan County was established. In 763, it was occupied by Tibetan Empire. After the fall of the Tibetan Empire, it was controlled by the Ganzhou Uyghur Kingdom. In 1028, it was seized by Xixia. During the Yuan Dynasty, Suzhou Lu was established under Gansu Province. It sometimes served as the capital of the province of Gansu.  Along with its role protecting trade along the Silk Road, Suzhou was the great center of the rhubarb trade.