Xiahe County

Xiahe (pink) within Gannan Prefecture (yellow) within Gansu (grey)

Xiahe (Chinese: 夏河; pinyin: Xiàhé; Tibetan: བསང་ཆུ་, Wylie: bsang chu, ZYPY: Sangqu) is a county in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu province, the People's Republic of China. It is home to the famed Labrang Tibetan Buddhist monastery, one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries outside the Tibet Autonomous Region. The town is populated largely by ethnic Tibetans, as well as some Hui and Han Chinese. The area is highly rural and pastoral (including yak and other animal rearing). The geography is mountainous. In recent years it has become a tourist attraction. The town was named Xiahe in 1928.

Xiahe school (note mottos in English, Chinese, and Tibetan)

near Sangke, Gansu Province

History

Xiahe (Sangqu) used to be part of Qinghai when it was under the control of Chinese Muslim General Ma Qi. It was the site of bloody battles between Muslim and Tibetan forces.

Location

Xiahe (Sangqu) is found in the southern portion of Gansu province, along the western border with Qinghai province. It lies along the Daxia and Zhao rivers. It is on the northeast edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The average elevation is 2900 to 3100 m with the highest being 4636 m and lowest is 2160 m.

Name

The name (both Chinese and Tibetan), which literally means, "Xia River" refers to the Daxia River which runs alongside the town.

External links

• People's Government of Xihae Official Website Chinese version
• People's Government of Xihae Official Website English version
• Journey through China - A site with numerous pictures of Xiahe.
• http://www.synaptic.bc.ca/gallery/xiahe.htm