Shihezi

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Shihezi is a sub-prefecture-level city in northern Xinjiang, China. It sits about 136 kilometers north of Ürümqi, near the Tian Shan mountains, and is almost surrounded by Changji Prefecture but remains administratively independent. The population was about 498,600 in 2020. It is the headquarters of the 8th Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) and shares a combined leadership with the division under a division-city integration system.

Shihezi was founded in the early 1950s as a base for the People’s Liberation Army and XPCC and grew around farms that supported local factories. It became a city in 1974. The economy centers on textiles and food production, with nearby farming of cotton and sugar beets. It also hosts a large polysilicon factory run by Daqo New Energy Corp.

The city covers about 460 square kilometers and has five subdistricts, two towns, and a township-level area. It is served by China National Highway 312, rail lines to Ürümqi and other cities, and the Shihezi Huayuan Airport (reopened in 2015). The Manas River forms its eastern border, and an extensive irrigation system supports agriculture.

Shihezi University, Xinjiang’s second-largest university, is located here and has about 40,000 students. The climate is continental and semi-arid, with hot summers and very cold winters; January averages around -15°C and July around 25°C. Annual rainfall is about 206 mm, with high evaporation.