As early as in remote ages about 4,000 years ago, there was people called Sangmiao moved about in present-day Dunhuang in this area, later on there were other ancient nomadic nationalities of Qiang, Rong, Yuezhi and Wusun, etc. moved around in this area. In the period of Emperor Wen, 174 B.C., Xiongnu broke in and occupied the whole area of the Hexi Corridor. They cruelly plundered the local people, destroyed friendly intercourse between nations, severed relations of the interior with the Western Regions. It had been a threat to the Western Han Dynasty. Since the political power was not consolidated during its early period, the Han Dynasty felt weak in resisting the invasion and harassment of Xiongnu and had to attempt to cement relations with rulers of Xiongnu by marrying daughters of the imperial family to them and tried to achieve temporary peace. By the time when Emperor Wudi ascended the throne, the imperial court of the Han, after half of a century's ehabilitation, launched a war in a large scale against Xiongnu. In year 127 B.C. the army of Han Dynasty fought against Xiongnu and won a series of victories, recovered vast land south to the Great Bend of the Yellow River and thus got rid of immediate threat from Xionghu. In year 121 B.C. the court dispatched troops to attack and wiped out Xionghu who were entrenched in the Hexi Corridor. Henceforth, a vast expanse of land of the Hexi Corridor had been entirely incorporated into the Western Han's territory. Afterwards, Emperor Wudi pursued a series of special policies on politics, economy and military to consolidate the achievements. In 121 year B.C. the Western Han Dynasty set up two prefectures of Jiuquan and Zhangye. In 111 B .C. the other two prefectures were set up, namely Dunhuang and Wuwei, meanwhile the pass of Yangguan and the pass of Yumenguan were built. There upon the Western Han Dynasty completed the organizational system of administration in the Hexi Corridor, and opened the gateway to the Western Regions (a Han Dynasty term for the area west of Yumenguan Pass, including what is now Xinjiang and parts of Central Aria. ) In the year 60 B.C. the metropolis of the Western Regions was set up governing the large area west of Yangguan Pass and Yumenguan Pass to east of Baerkeshi Lake. The establishment of the government of the metropolis marked that the area of the Western Regions had been completely incorporated in to China's territory. Thereafter, the communication line between China and the West was open and unlocked, Jiuquan had thus been a vital passage on the Silk Road.
In the early period of the Eastern Han, the Northern Xiongnu, seizing the opportunity of chaos caused by civil war in the court, again forcibly occupied great part of the Western Regions and the Silk Road severed. In 73 A.D., the Eastern Han Dynasty dispatched troops on a punitive expedition from Jiuquan, defeated the Northern Xiongnu, and opened the gate again to the Western Regions. The famous diplomat Banchao visited the Western Region as an envoy of the court and resumed relations of friendly exchange with nations in the Western Regions. The sovereignty was recovered over this area. Henceforth, there were unimpeded trade contacts and frequent exchange of friendly visits between China and the West, and the Silk Road entered a new stage of great prosperity.
During the period of the Three Kingdoms (220-265) this area of Hexi Corridor including Jiuquan was dominated by the Wei. In the dynasties of the South and the North and the Western Jin, there was “the Revolt of Eight Kings”, which caused frequent wars in Central China, but the Hexi Corridor was relatively stable and peaceful. Lots of scholars and rich merchants moved into this area to avoid the chaos of war, which promoted economic prosperity and cultural development of this place. In here, people lead a well-off life, education was flourishing and nationalities lived together in harmony. Jiuquan and Dunhuang were once the political, economic and cultural centres in the Hexi Corridor, and were made the capitals of the Xiliang kingdom successively. Liyuanhao, the king, was a famous statesman and writer. He was buried in Jiuquan after his death.
In the Sui Dynasty, the area of Hexi Corridor was still a main traffic line of trade between China and the West, therefore, Emperor Suiyangdi sent a minister of monarchy to garrison Jiuquan to operate administration and develop trade in the whole area of the Hexi Corridor.
In the Tang Dynasty during year 2 of Jian'an (781 A.D.), Tufan, an ancient nationality in China, invaded the Hexi Corridor by taking the opportunity of chaos of war in the court and ruled Jiuquan for nearly 190 years. In years of Dazhong, Zhangyichao, a folk of Shazhou (present-day Dunhuang), staged an uprising by seizing the opportunity when there was chaos of war inside the Tufan nation, and the Hexi Corridor was recovered and returned to the Tang Dynasty.
In the Song Dynasty, Jiuquan and Dunhuang were once occupied by the Western Xia Kingdom. During the period of the Northern Song, the Dangxiang nationality rised in the northwest China, his leader Liyuanhao established the Western Xia regime and proclaimed himself the emperor. The rulers of the Western Xia paid attention to economic development and made politics economy, culture and art no difference to the Central China.
When the Yuan Empire was first founded, the population in the two prefectures of Suzhou and Shazhou had dropped less than ten thousand. Afterwards Mongolians came in a crowd, and the social productive forces increased, and thus, Jiuquan and Dunhuang flourished again.
In year 5 of Hongwu, Zhuyuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty , sent troops commanded by Fengshen tittled punitive general to attack Yuan (Mongolian) army advancing along three routes beyond the Great wall, and inflicked a crushing defeat on the enemy. Soon afterwards, Jiayuguan Pass was built. Guazhou (Anxi) and Shazhou (Dunhuang) were left outside the Pass, Suzhou (Jiuquan) had thus been the first town of strategic importance in northwest border area and strategic gateway to the West.
In the Qing Dynasty, the organizational system of administration was carried as the Ming Dynasty's. The policy of having garrison troops or peasants open up wasteland and grow food grain was prevailing, a large number of people migrated in, schools and academies were built. After more than 30 years' efforts of reestablishment and consolidation, the society was stable, education and culture were thriving in Jiuquan.
After the Revolution of 1911 (the Chinese bourgeois democratic revolution led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen which overthrew the Qing Dynasty) the organizational system of autocratic monarchy was abolished and republicanism was built in Jiuquan. The whole region was divided into 7 counties and cities namely Jiuquan, Yumen, Anxi, Jingta, Gaotai and Dinxin. In 1949, Jiuquan was liberated peacefully and entered a new stage of development in socialist revolution and construction.
