Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture
Encyclopedia
The Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in Sichuan
, whose capital is Barkam town
(Ch. Ma'erkang). It has an area
of 83,201 km².
Ngawa, also known as Ngaba, is the site of the epicenter of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake
, in which over 20,000 of its residents died.
, Mandarin and Qiang
.
In contemporary history, most part of Ngawa was under the 16th Administrative Prefecture of Szechwan (Chinese:), which was established by the Republic of China
(ROC). The People's Republic of China (PRC) defeated ROC troops in this area and established the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan by the end of 1952. It was renamed Ngawa Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in 1956, and Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in 1987.
On May 12, 2008, a major earthquake
occurred in Wenchuan County
(Tibetan
: lung dgu), a county in the southeastern part of this autonomous prefecture. 20,258 people were killed, 45,079 injured, 7,696 missing in the prefecture as of June 6, 2008.
Tourism produced 71.0% of the GDP of the prefecture in 2006. There are many places of interest in the prefecture. For example
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, whose capital is Barkam town
Barkam (town)
Barkam is a town in and the county seat of Barkam County, in the northwest of Sichuan province, People's Republic of China.- Climate :Barkam has a four-season, monsoon-influenced climate within the transition between a subtropical highland climate and humid continental climate , with mild daytime...
(Ch. Ma'erkang). It has an area
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
of 83,201 km².
Ngawa, also known as Ngaba, is the site of the epicenter of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake
2008 Sichuan earthquake
The 2008 Sichuan earthquake or the Great Sichuan Earthquake was a deadly earthquake that measured at 8.0 Msand 7.9 Mw occurred at 14:28:01 CST...
, in which over 20,000 of its residents died.
Demographics
, the prefecture's population was 847,468 inhabitants at a density of 10.19 per km²:| Ethnic group | Population | Proportion of total |
Tibetan Tibetan people The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan... |
455,238 | 53.72% | Han Han Chinese Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the... |
209,270 | 24.69% | Qiang | 154,905 | 18.28% | Hui Hui people The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's... |
26,353 | 3.11% | Manchu Manchu The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which... |
373 | 0.04% | Miao Miao people The Miao or ม้ง ; ) is an ethnic group recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China as one of the 55 official minority groups. Miao is a Chinese term and does not reflect the self-designations of the component nations of people, which include Hmong, Hmu, A Hmao, and Kho Xiong... |
266 | 0.03% | Yi Yi people The Yi or Lolo people are an ethnic group in China, Vietnam, and Thailand. Numbering 8 million, they are the seventh largest of the 55 ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China... |
205 | 0.02% | Mongols Mongols Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia... |
202 | 0.02% | Tujia | 182 | 0.02% | Bai Bai The Bai or Baip are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They numbered 1,858,063 as of 2000.... |
101 | 0.01% | Zhuang | 95 | 0.01% | others | 278 | 0.03% |
|---|
Languages
The three principal languages are TibetanTibetan language
The Tibetan languages are a cluster of mutually-unintelligible Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering the Indian subcontinent, including the Tibetan Plateau and the northern Indian subcontinent in Baltistan, Ladakh,...
, Mandarin and Qiang
Qiangic languages
Qiangic or Kiangic, formerly known as Dzorgai, is a language group of the northeastern Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family, spoken mainly in Southwestern China, including Sichuan, Tibet, and Yunnan....
.
History
The region is historically part of the Tibetan region of Amdo.In contemporary history, most part of Ngawa was under the 16th Administrative Prefecture of Szechwan (Chinese:), which was established by the Republic of China
Republic of China (1912–1949)
In 1911, after over two thousand years of imperial rule, a republic was established in China and the monarchy overthrown by a group of revolutionaries. The Qing Dynasty, having just experienced a century of instability, suffered from both internal rebellion and foreign imperialism...
(ROC). The People's Republic of China (PRC) defeated ROC troops in this area and established the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan by the end of 1952. It was renamed Ngawa Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in 1956, and Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in 1987.
On May 12, 2008, a major earthquake
2008 Sichuan earthquake
The 2008 Sichuan earthquake or the Great Sichuan Earthquake was a deadly earthquake that measured at 8.0 Msand 7.9 Mw occurred at 14:28:01 CST...
occurred in Wenchuan County
Wenchuan County
Wenchuan County is a county in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.This county has an area of...
(Tibetan
Tibetan script
The Tibetan alphabet is an abugida of Indic origin used to write the Tibetan language as well as the Dzongkha language, Denzongkha, Ladakhi language and sometimes the Balti language. The printed form of the alphabet is called uchen script while the hand-written cursive form used in everyday...
: lung dgu), a county in the southeastern part of this autonomous prefecture. 20,258 people were killed, 45,079 injured, 7,696 missing in the prefecture as of June 6, 2008.
Administrative divisions
The region is composed of thirteen counties:| Map | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Nme | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Tibetan Tibet Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people... |
Wylie Wylie transliteration The Wylie transliteration scheme is a method for transliterating Tibetan script using only the letters available on a typical English language typewriter. It bears the name of Turrell V. Wylie, who described the scheme in an article, A Standard System of Tibetan Transcription, published in 1959... |
Population (2004 est.) |
Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
| 1 | Barkam County Barkam County Barkam County is a county in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, in the northwest of Sichuan province, People's Republic of China. The county seat is the town of Barkam.-Administrative divisions:Barkam County has 3 towns and 11 townships:... |
马尔康县 | Mǎ'ěrkāng Xiàn | 'bar khams rdzong | 50,000 | 6,639 | 8 | |
| 2 | Wenchuan County Wenchuan County Wenchuan County is a county in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.This county has an area of... |
汶川县 | Wènchuān Xiàn | wun khron rdzong | 110,000 | 4,083 | 27 | |
| 3 | Li County Li County, Sichuan Li County is a county in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China. China National Highway G317 and the Zagunao River run through the whole territory.... |
理县 | Lǐ Xiàn | li rdzong | 40,000 | 4,318 | 9 | |
| 4 | Mao County Mao County Mao County is a county in Ngawa Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China.It has an area of 3,903 and a population of 106,700 as of 2006. 88.9% of the population are Qiang people... |
茂县 | Mào Xiàn | 110,000 | 4,075 | 27 | ||
| 5 | Songpan County | 松潘县 | Sōngpān Xiàn | zung chu rdzong | 70,000 | 8,486 | 8 | |
| 6 | Jiuzhaigou County Jiuzhaigou County Jiuzhaigou County is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. Formerly called Nanping County , it was renamed in 1998 to reflect the fact that the Jiuzhaigou Valley is located within its administration.The county... |
九寨沟县 | Jiǔzhàigōu Xiàn | 60,000 | 5,286 | 11 | ||
| 7 | Jinchuan County Jinchuan County Jinchuan County is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.... |
金川县 | Jīnchuān Xiàn | chu chen rdzong | 70,000 | 5,524 | 13 | |
| 8 | Xiaojin County Xiaojin County Xiaojin County is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.... |
小金县 | Xiǎojīn Xiàn | btsan lha rdzong | 80,000 | 5,571 | 14 | |
| 9 | Heishui County Heishui County Heishui County is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.... |
黑水县 | Hēishuǐ Xiàn | khro chu rdzong | 60,000 | 4,154 | 14 | |
| 10 | Zamtang County Zamtang County Zamtang County is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.... |
壤塘县 | Rǎngtáng Xiàn | 'dzam thang rdzong | 30,000 | 6,836 | 4 | |
| 11 | Aba County | 阿坝县 | Ābà Xiàn | rnga ba rdzong | 60,000 | 10,435 | 6 | |
| 12 | Zoigê County Zoigê County Zoigê County is a county of Ngawa, Sichuan, China.It has an area of 10,620 square kilometers and 69,900, 90.4% of which are Tibetan people.-Administrative divisions:Zoigê County has 1 town and 16 townships:... |
若尔盖县 | Ruò'ěrgài Xiàn | mdzod dge rdzong | 70,000 | 10,437 | 7 | |
| 13 | Hongyuan County Hongyuan County Hongyuan County is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.... |
红原县 | Hóngyuán Xiàn | rka khog rdzong | 40,000 | 8,398 | 5 | |
Tourism
- Wolong National Nature ReserveWolong National Nature ReserveWolong National Nature Reserve is a protected area located in Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China. Established in 1963, the reserve covers an area of about 200,000 hectares in the Qionglai Mountains region. There are over 4,000 different species recorded in the reserve....
in Wenchuan County is a reserve for giant pandaGiant PandaThe giant panda, or panda is a bear native to central-western and south western China. It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the panda's diet is 99% bamboo...
s. It is the best-known place to watch pandas. China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda was established there in 1980. - Gerdeng Monastery
- Narshi GonpaNarshi GonpaNangzhik Gompa or Nangshuk Gompa , formerly known as Gyelten Phuntsoling, , is a Tibetan monastery of the Bon sect in Aba or Ngawa City, in Sichuan, China. It is about a 4 km walk up a shortcut to reach the monastery on a hill to the north of the town...
monastery - HuanglongHuanglongHuanglong is a scenic and historic interest area in the northwest part of Sichuan, People's Republic of China. It is located in the southern part of the Minshan mountain range, north-northwest of the capital Chengdu...
is a scenic and historic interest area in Songpan County. - Jiuzhaigou Valley is a nature reserveNature reserveA nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
in Jiuzhaigou CountyJiuzhaigou CountyJiuzhaigou County is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. Formerly called Nanping County , it was renamed in 1998 to reflect the fact that the Jiuzhaigou Valley is located within its administration.The county...
. It is known for its many multi-level waterfalls and colorful lakes, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 1992. - Mount SiguniangMount SiguniangMt Siguniang（; Tibetan name:Skubla）is the highest peak of Qionglai Mountains in Western China.It is located in the bordering area of Xiaojin County and Wenchuan County in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province....
(ChineseChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
: ; Tibetan: ; former Chinese name: , transcription of ), the highest point of the Qionglai MountainsQionglai MountainsQionglai Mountains is a mountain range in the Sichuan Province of China. It runs in the general north-south direction, and is located mostly within the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, in the north-central part of the province....
, is on the border of Xiaojin CountyXiaojin CountyXiaojin County is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture....
(Chinese: ; Tibetan: ) and Wenchuan County.
Further reading
- A. Gruschke: The Cultural Monuments of Tibet’s Outer Provinces: Amdo - Volume 2. The Gansu and Sichuan Parts of Amdo, White Lotus Press, Bangkok 2001. ISBN 974-480-049-6
- Tsering Shakya: The Dragon in the Land of Snows. A History of Modern Tibet Since 1947, London 1999, ISBN 0-14-019615-3