Gāotái

Gaotai lies beside the Hei River in the central Hexi Corridor, where mountain water supports an oasis in otherwise dry country. The river flows west past Ganzhou and Linze before reaching the Gaotai area, receiving tributaries from the Qilian Mountains along the way. The Ming built a fort and established a post here in 1372, securing a place on the route through the corridor. In 1725 the Qing combined the military posts of Gaotai and Zhenyi into Gaotai County.