Ordos

The Chinese Moslems, who constitute the largest minority, number about 700,000. They are organized in two autonomous chou and three autonomous hsien. The Wuchung Moslem Autonomous Chou, situated east of the Yellow River in former Ningsia Province, was called the Hotung (“east of the river”) chou until April, 1955, when it was renamed for its capital. The Wuchung chou has a population of 230,000, 62 per cent of whom are Moslems. The Wuchung chou includes the east-bank section of the Ningsia irrigated plain, adjoins the Ordos desert and passes southeastward into the loesslands. The autonomous chou was set up in April, 1954.

The Ordos region in the narrower sense is nomadic by history, in contrast to the agricultural and densely populated southeastern loess part that stretches up to the Wei River valley.

Kangbashi District, the famous Chinese newly-built ghost town, lies in the mineral-rich region of Ordos, more precisely 25 km away from Dongsheng built-up area in Dongsheng District, the municipal seat.