Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture

Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Tibetan: དཀར་མཛེས་བོད་རིགས་རང་སྐྱོང་ཁུལ་ , Wylie transliteration: dkar mdzes bod rigs rang skyong khul; Chinese: 甘孜藏族自治州, Pinyin: Gānzī Zàngzú Zìzhìzhōu) is an autonomous prefecture in Sichuan whose capital is Kangding (Dardo). It is also known as Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous State and as Gantse Prefecture. It is sometimes spelled as "Kardze" by non-government sources.

The area is 151,078 square kilometers and the population is approximately 880,000, with Tibetans accounting for 77.8% of the population.

History

Garze was traditionally part of the Tibetan region known as Kham. During the period of rule by the Republic of China (1911-1949), it became nominally part of Xikang province, which included parts of former Kham. In 1930, a Tibetan army invaded Garze, capturing it without much resistance. However, in 1932, the Tibetan army withdrew after suffering defeats elsewhere at the hands of the warlord of Qinghai, Ma Bufang. Chinese warlord Liu Wenhui reoccupied Garze, and signed an agreement with the Tibetans formalizing his control of the area east of the Yangtze River, which corresponds roughly with eastern Kham. In 1950, following the defeat of the Kuomintang forces by the People's Liberation Army, the area fell within the control of the People's Republic of China. Xikang was merged with Sichuan in 1955, where Garze became an autonomous prefecture.

Subdivisions

Garzê comprises 18 counties:

• Kangding County (Kāngdìng 康定县), administrative centre: Lucheng (Lúchéng 炉城镇)
• Danba County (Dānbā 丹巴县), administrative centre: Zhaggo (Zhānggǔ 章谷镇)
• Luhuo County (Lúhuò 炉霍县), administrative centre: Xindu (Xīndū 新都镇)
• Jiulong County (Jiǔlóng 九龙县), administrative centre: Garba (Xiā’ěr 呷尔镇)
• Garzê County (Gānzī 甘孜县), administrative centre: Garzê (Gānzī 甘孜镇)
• Yajiang County (Yǎjiāng 雅江县), administrative centre: Hekou (Hékǒu 河口镇)
• Xinlong County (Xīnlóng 新龙县), administrative centre: Rulong (Rúlóng 茹龙镇)
• Dawu County (Dàofú 道孚县), administrative centre: Xianshui (Xiǎnshuǐ 鲜水镇)
• Baiyü County (Báiyù 白玉县), administrative centre: Jianshe (Jiànshè 建设镇, „Construction“)
• Litang County (Lǐtáng 理塘县), administrative centre: Gaocheng (Gāochéng 高城镇)
• Dêgê County (Dégé 德格县)—including Axu town, the traditional birthplace of Gesar of Ling—, administrative centre: Goinqên (Gèngqìng 更庆镇)
• Xiangcheng County (Xiàngchéng 乡城县), administrative centre: Xambala (Xiāngbālā 香巴拉镇)
• Sêrxü County (Shíqú 石渠县), administrative centre: Nyongxar (Níxiā 尼呷镇)
• Daocheng County (Dàochéng 稻城县), administrative centre: Jinzhu (Jīnzhū 金珠镇)
• Sêrtar County (Sèdá 色达县), administrative centre: Sêrkog (Sèkē 色柯镇)
• Batang County (Bātáng 巴塘县), administrative centre: Xarqung (Xiàqióng 夏邛镇)
• Luding County (Lúdìng 泸定县), administrative centre: Luqiao (Lúqiáo 泸桥镇)
• Dêrong County (Déróng 得荣县), administrative centre: Sangmai (Sōngmài 松麦镇)

Population

According to the census of 2000, Garzê had a population of 897,239 (population density: 5.94 people/km²).

nationality	population	proportion
Tibetans	703,168	78.37%
Han Chinese	163,648	18.24%
Yi	22,946	2.56%
Qiang	2,860	0.32%
Hui	2,190	0.24%
Naxi	760	0.08%
Mongolians	477	0.05%
Bai	292	0.03%
others	898	0.11%

Footnotes

External links

• Official website of Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
• Travel information on Garzê TAP towns and villages : along the Northern and Southern Sichuan-Tibet Highways, Tagong (in between both highways), Daocheng and Yading (south of both highways)