Legend says Huo Qubing poured the wine the emperor sent him into a spring to share it with his soldiers, and that is how Jiuquan, 'Wine Spring', got its name.
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history
Emperor Wu of Han (汉武帝) set it up as one of the four commanderies of the Hexi Corridor, with 武威, 张掖 and 敦煌, after Huo Qubing drove out the Xiongnu.
usage
The 酒泉卫星发射中心, China's oldest space launch site, carries the city's name though it lies about 200 km to the north-east, in Inner Mongolia. 杨利伟 flew from it in 2003 as China's first astronaut.
