Pingchuan, Baiyin


Pingchuan District is a district of the city of Baiyin, Gansu province, China. It is located about 65 km northeast of Baiyin city centre. The district was established in 1985, being part of Jingyuan County before then.

Economy

It is a major centre for coal production in Gansu, producing over 12 million tonnes of coal annually. Pingchuan is also rich in clay deposits, and has a large ceramics industry, outputting US$81 million a year.
Until 2019, Pingchuan was designated a 'poverty-stricken county' by the Gansu provincial government.

Rock Paintings

In March 2025, two ancient rock paintings estimated to be around 3,000 to 4,000 years old were discovered in Pingchuan District, on a hillside along the east bank of the Yellow River, about 2 km southeast of Yuwanquan Village. One painting, measuring 2.4 meters tall and 3.9 meters wide, features six figures including bighorn sheep, deer, and a hunting hound. Another painting nearby, sized 2.2 meters by 2.3 meters, includes five images, among them a rare depiction of a man using a whip to drive a pot-bellied sheep—the first known representation of such an animal in the region's rock art. Researchers highlighted the significance of these findings in understanding early human activities in the Yellow River basin.

Administrative divisions

Pingchuan is subdivided in the following 4 subdistricts, 5 towns and 2 townships:
;4 Subdistricts
  • Changzheng Subdistrict
  • Dianlilu Subdistrict
  • Honghuilu Subdistrict
  • Xingpinglu Subdistrict
;5 Towns
  • Wangjiashan Town
  • Shuiquan Town
  • Gonghe Town
  • Baoji Town
  • Huangqiao Town
;2 Townships