Shangluo

Shangluo, Wade-Giles romanization Shang-lo, formerly Shangzhou, city, southeastern Shaansi sheng (province), China. It is situated some 70 miles (110 km) southeast of Xi’an (Sian) at the southern end of one of the few passes across the Qin (Tsinling) Mountains, on the headwaters of the Dan River, which is a tributary of the Han River.

Since ancient times, a town located there has been an important communication centre on the route from the ancient capital district of Chang’an around Xi’an to the middle Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) area. Under Qin rule it became a county named Shang from 221 bce onward. From the Xi (Western) Jin dynasty (265–316/317) on, it was the seat of a prefectural administration named Shangzhou (266), except during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), when from 1374 to 1477 it was demoted to county status. From 1477 to 1725 it was administratively dependent on Sian, but in 1725 it again became an independent prefecture. In 1913 it reverted to county status once more. It became a county-level city of Shangzhou in 1988. Later the city was merged with the prefecture of Shangluo to set up a prefecture-level city of Shangluo in 2001, with Shangzhou being a district under the new city.

A Xi’an-Hefei railway, completed in 2003, passes through the city area. Two expressways crisscross the Shangzhou region, providing even more convenient access for the city. The surrounding area is not particularly rich but produces wheat, kaoliang (a variety of grain sorghum), cotton, indigo, and timber. Industries producing chemical and mineral products, building materials, and processed foods have been developed locally. Pop. (2002 est.) 150,384.