A view of Kangjiagou scenic area in Lingtai county, Pingliang. [Photo/Lingtai government website]

Lingtai county is located on the southern edge of the Loess Plateau in eastern Gansu province. Covering a total area of 1,976.16 square kilometers, it administers nine towns, four townships and one urban community, with a permanent population of 146,100.

Lingtai is an important part of the cradle of the Chinese civilization and one of the birthplaces of Zhou culture, with a history of more than 1,400 years. The county is home to two nationally protected cultural heritage sites and 12 provincial-level protected sites. Its museum collection includes 7,547 cultural relics.

The county is also associated with historical figures such as Zuo Qiuming, a scholar of the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC), and Huangfu Mi, a pioneer of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine.

Lingtai boasts a healthy natural environment, with forest and grass coverage reaching 64.5 percent, making it an important ecological barrier in the Longdong (eastern Gansu) region. The county is home to more than 30 natural and cultural scenic spots, including the Gulingtai-Jingshan Forest Park and the national 4A-rated Huangfu Mi Cultural Park.

Agriculture is one of Lingtai's distinctive strengths. The county has 767,000 mu of cultivated land, more than 100,000 mu of dwarf-rootstock apple orchards, a cattle inventory of 128,900 head, and annual vegetable cultivation covering 46,400 mu.