Hetao Plain - Kato Heigen

A plain in the upper reaches of the Yellow River in northern China. Hetao means the bends of the Yellow River, and refers to the plains formed around each of the bends of the Yellow River, which flows north between the Helan Mountains and the Ordos Plateau in the southern part of the Inner Mongolian Plateau, turns east at the Yinshan Mountains, and then turns south at the Luliang Mountains in Shanxi. The bends in the lower reaches are called the Qiantao Plain (Tumchun Plain), and the upper reaches are called the Houtao Plain. The Hetao Plain is sometimes collectively called the Yinchuan Plain as well. It has a total area of ​​10,000 square kilometers, and the Houtao Plain is the largest of these, which is what is referred to as the Hetao Plain in the narrow sense. Both areas are divided by the Yellow River to create wide alluvial plains, which can become extremely fertile with the application of irrigation, hence the saying that "the Yellow River can do a hundred harms, but can make one rich." In ancient times, this area was outside the Great Wall for the Han people, and during the Han dynasty it was the base of operations for the Xiongnu, and was a major grazing ground for the northern tribes. During the Qing dynasty, the Han people began to migrate to Mongolia, and irrigation agriculture was developed. Today, it is the main agricultural region of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with cities and transportation facilities concentrated there. The Qiantao Plain in particular is the economic, political and cultural center of the autonomous region, with the regional capital Hohhot and the industrial city of Baotou to the northeast.

[Motohide Akiyama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国北部、黄河(こうが)の上流部の平野。河套とは黄河の屈曲している所という意味で、内モンゴル高原南部において、賀蘭(がらん)山脈とオルドス高原の間を北流してきた黄河が、陰山(いんざん)山脈に当たって東転し、さらに山西の呂梁(ろりょう)山脈に当たって南転する、そのおのおのの屈曲部を中心に形成する平野をいう。下流の屈曲部を前套(ぜんとう)平原（土黙川(トゥムチョン)平原）、上流のものを後套(こうとう)平原と区別し、さらに銀川(ぎんせん)平原をも含めて河套平原と総称することもある。総面積で1万平方キロメートルにも及び、そのなかでもっとも広いのは後套平原で、狭義の河套平原とはこれをさす。いずれの部分も黄河が分流して幅広い沖積平野をつくり、灌漑(かんがい)さえ施せばきわめて肥沃(ひよく)な土地となるところから、「黄河百害、ただ一套を富ます」といわれる。古くは漢民族にとっては塞外(さいがい)（長城外）の地で、漢代には匈奴(きょうど)の根拠地になるなど、北方異民族の有力な放牧地であった。清(しん)代にモンゴルへ漢民族の移住が進み、灌漑農業が開発された。現在は内モンゴル自治区における主要な農業地域となり、都市、交通機関も集中している。とくに前套平原は、北東に区都フフホト、工業都市パオトウを有し、自治区の経済、政治、文化の中心地域である。

［秋山元秀］

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