Where does Xiliang mean?

During the Three Kingdoms period, Xiliang was mainly located in what is now Gansu Province, including parts of Ningxia, Qinghai and Inner Mongolia. During the Han Dynasty before the Three Kingdoms, Xiliang was also called Liangzhou. People call it Xiliang, mainly because it is located in the west of Chang 'an, the capital of Han Dynasty, and the weather is cold. Before Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty completely incorporated Xiliang into the territory of the Han Empire, Xiliang was still the residence of the Yue family, Xiongnu and other forces. After the era of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the Han Empire established two counties, Wuwei and Jiuquan, in Xiliang area, and this area has completely become the territory of the Han Dynasty.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period before the Three Kingdoms, Xiliang belonged to the border area between Han and Qiang. Generally speaking, the climate is dry, the desert area is large, the local folk customs are tough, and martial arts are popular. So there are many famous warlords in Xiliang area. Among them, Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, Guo Si, Ma Teng, Ma Chao and Han Sui are all famous figures in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Warlords in Xiliang area often command a large number of "Xiliang fighters". Xiliang Tieqi has strong fighting capacity and is good at long-distance attack, which often caused great trouble to the ruling forces in the mainland during the Three Kingdoms period of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

However, the Xiliang area in the Three Kingdoms period also had its own disadvantages, mainly reflected in the economy. Although the land in Xiliang area is vast, the cultivated land area is relatively small, which is more suitable for nomadism and commerce. Therefore, the warlord forces occupying Xiliang often do not have a particularly strong economic foundation, and many materials need to rely on trade with the Central Plains. This makes the forces in Xiliang area have to expand eastward in order to have a strong living space.

Nevertheless, Xiliang area also played a very important role in the historical development of China. Although Xiliang area is not rich in products, it has great cultural significance in many links in the historical process. When Buddhism from the Western Regions was introduced into the Central Plains, Xiliang was an important stop, and then Buddhism spread in the Central Plains. In addition, many architectural patterns in Beijing, Xi and other capitals can be traced back to Xiliang. Many birthplaces of other cultural fields are also in Xiliang area.