[2] Inhabited since prehistoric times, it first became an important town in the Ming dynasty, due to its location on the route from Chang'an (Xi'an) to Ningxia.

[4] Xifeng is known as the grain shed of eastern Gansu, but is also known for its fruit orchards.

Although oil was presumed to be present under Xifeng since 1907, exploitation didn't start until the 1960s.

[5] Xifeng is home to the Beishiku temple-grottoes, a system of 195 caves built in 509 AD.

[6] The district is located centrally on a loess plain named Dongzhiyuan (Chinese: 董志塬) flanked by gullies, at around 1421 m elevation.