• Chicago
  • Xining

Chicago (/ʃɪˈkɑːɡoʊ/ (listen) shih-KAH-goh, locally also /ʃɪˈkɔːɡoʊ/ shih-KAW-goh) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the third-most populous in the United States, after New York City and Los Angeles. With a population of 2,746,388 in the 2020 census, it is also the most populous city in the Midwest. As the seat of Cook County (the second-most populous U.S. county), the city is the center of the Chicago metropolitan area, one of the largest in the world.

On the shore of Lake Michigan, Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837 near a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed. It grew rapidly in the mid-19th century; by 1860, Chicago was the youngest U.S. city to exceed a population of 100,000. The Great Chicago Fire in 1871 destroyed several square miles and left more than 100,000 homeless, but Chicago's population continued to grow to 503,000 by 1880 and then doubled to more than a million within the decade. The construction boom accelerated population growth throughout the following decades, and by 1900, less than 30 years after the fire, Chicago was the fifth-largest city in the world. Chicago made noted contributions to urban planning and zoning standards, including new construction styles (such as, Chicago School architecture, the development of the City Beautiful Movement, and the steel-framed skyscraper).

Chicago is an international hub for finance, culture, commerce, industry, education, technology, telecommunications, and transportation. It is the site of the creation of the first standardized futures contracts, issued by the Chicago Board of Trade, which today is part of the largest and most diverse derivatives market in the world, generating 20% of all volume in commodities and financial futures alone. O'Hare International Airport is routinely ranked among the world's top six busiest airports according to tracked data by the Airports Council International. The region also has the largest number of federal highways and is the nation's railroad hub. The Chicago area has one of the highest gross domestic products (GDP) in the world, generating $689 billion in 2018. The economy of Chicago is diverse, with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce. It is home to several Fortune 500 companies, including Archer Daniels Midland, Conagra Brands, Exelon, JLL, Kraft Heinz, McDonald's, Mondelez International, Motorola Solutions, Sears, and United Airlines Holdings.

Xining, known as Qingtang City, Xiping County and Shanzhou in ancient times, is the capital of Qinghai Province, the political, economic, scientific and educational, cultural, transportation and communication center of Qinghai Province, and an important central city in the northwest region approved by the State Council. By 2019, the city had jurisdiction over five districts and two counties, with a total area of 7660 square kilometers, a built-up area of 129 square kilometers, a resident population of 2.3711 million, an urban population of 1.7098 million, and a urbanization rate of 72.1 percent. Xining is located in the eastern part of Qinghai Province, swimming in the river valley basin in the Huangshui River. It is the eastern gateway of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the necessary place for the ancient "Silk Road" South Road and "Tangbo Ancient Road". It has been the northwest traffic road and military important place since ancient times. Known as the "key to the West Sea" and the throat of the sea, it is one of the high-altitude cities in the world and is also the State Council.
Travel Guides In Xining
Travel Sights In Xining
Travel Notes In Xining