Aba Tibetan And Qiang Autonomous Prefecture (阿坝藏族羌族自治州)

1. Introduction

Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture (Tibetan: རྔ་བ་བོད་རིགས་ཆའང་རིགས་རང་སྐྱོང་ཁུལ།, Wylie transliteration: rnga ba bod rigs cha'ang rigs rang skyong khul, Tibetan Pinyin: Ngawa Poirig Qangrig Ranggyong Kü; Qiang language: Rrmeabba Shbea Rrmea Nyujwju Gvexueaj Legea), abbreviated as Ngawa Prefecture, is an autonomous prefecture under the jurisdiction of Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China. It is located in the northwest of Sichuan Province, at the junction of Sichuan, Gansu, and Qinghai provinces. The prefecture borders Deyang City, Mianyang City, and Longnan City of Gansu Province to the east; Chengdu City and Ya'an City to the south; Ganzi Prefecture and Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province to the west; and Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province to the north. Situated in the high mountain and gorge region of northwestern Sichuan, it lies at the conjunction of the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the northern end of the Hengduan Mountains. The northeast features the Longmen Mountains and Min Mountains, the northwest has branches of the Bayan Har Mountains, the southwest is part of the Great Snowy Mountains area, and the south is the Qionglai Mountains area. The northwest is a hilly plateau, the north is a marshland area, and the southeast is a high mountain and gorge region. The Min River originates in Songpan County in the northeast and flows into the Chengdu Plain in the southeastern part of the prefecture. The Dadu River's upper reaches, the Dadu River (or Jinchuan River), runs through the west, and the Yellow River flows through the northwest, making it the only area in Sichuan Province within the Yellow River basin. The total area of the prefecture is 83,002 square kilometers, with a permanent population of 822,600 in 2020. The Tibetan and Qiang ethnic groups account for approximately 55% and 18% of the population respectively, while the Han ethnic group makes up about 25%. Most of the prefecture traditionally belongs to the Amdo region, with Jinchuan County and Xiaojin County in the west belonging to the Kham region. The prefectural capital is located in Barkam City. Ngawa Prefecture is a major pastoral area in the province, with vast grassland areas, rich natural ecology, and tourism resources. It is home to famous national scenic areas and UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites such as Huanglong (Yellow Dragon), Jiuzhaigou (Nine Village Valley), and Siguniangshan (Four Girls Mountain), as well as the Wolong National Nature Reserve, an important conservation base for giant pandas.

2. Etymology

The name of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture originates from the term "Aba," which initially referred to the A Qu River basin (around present-day Aba County). This area was under the jurisdiction of the Maisang chieftain. Over time, local Tibetans gradually began to use "Aba" and "Maisang" interchangeably, eventually forming the current prefecture name.

3. History

The history of this region can be traced back 5,000 years. Currently discovered Neolithic sites include the Yingpanshan site in Maoxian County, the Dongyu Village site in Songpan County, the Gaokan site in Wenchuan County, the Jiangweicheng site, and the Heishui County site. These represent a new cultural type that emerged in the upper reaches of the Min River, introduced from the middle and late periods of the Yangshao culture in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River. The decorative patterns on painted pottery shards and the excavated stone coffin burials show similarities with the Majiayao culture of the Gansu and Qinghai regions. While the painted pottery and pottery jars unearthed from sites on the Chengdu Plain belong to a different lineage, pottery jars with flared rims from the same lineage have also been excavated here.

During the Warring States period, in 316 BC, the Qin state established the Jiandidao administrative district (present-day Songpan), marking the beginning of administrative organization in the Aba region. In the sixth year of the Yuanding era of the Western Han Dynasty (111 BC), the Wenshan Commandery was established, governing five counties including Miansi County (with its seat in present-day Weizhou Town, Wenchuan County). In the fifth year of the Yuanfeng era of Emperor Wu of Han (106 BC), it belonged to the Shu Commandery under the Yizhou Cishi Department. In the third year of the Dijie era of Emperor Xuan of Han (67 BC), it became the seat of the Northern Ranmang Commandant. In the third year of the Yanguang era of Emperor An of Han (124 AD), the Wenshan Commandery was re-established. In the sixth year of the Xianning era of Emperor Wu of Jin (280 AD), Miansi County was renamed Wenshan County. In the fourth year of the Baoding era of Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty (564 AD), Shengzhou was renamed Wenzhou, governing the Northern and Wenshan Commanderies.

In the third year of the Kaihuang era of Emperor Wen of Sui (583 AD), Wenzhou and Fuzhou were reorganized into Shuzhou. In the fifth year (585 AD), it was renamed Huizhou. In the third year of the Daye era of Emperor Yang of Sui (607 AD), the prefecture was abolished and replaced by Wenshan Commandery, with its seat at Wenshan County (present-day Fengyi Town, Maoxian County). In the first year of the Wude era of Emperor Gaozu of Tang (618 AD), the Sui Dynasty's Wenshan Commandery was changed to Huizhou. In the fourth year (621 AD), it was renamed Nanhuizhou. In the eighth year of the Zhenguan era of Emperor Taizong of Tang (758 AD), it was renamed Maozhou. It governed four counties—Wenshan (prefectural seat), Wenchuan, Shiquan (west of present-day Beichuan), and Tonghua (present-day Gucheng, Li County)—along with thirty-nine jimi (loosely governed) prefectures.

In the 8th century, the renowned translator Vairotsana was exiled to Gyarong (present-day Barkam County) by Tibetan Emperor Trisong Detsen, marking the beginning of Buddhism's introduction to Gyarong.

During the Song Dynasty, it was under the jurisdiction of Maozhou Tonghua Commandery. In the ninth year of the Xining era of Emperor Shenzong (1076 AD), the Weirong Military Commission was established, subordinate to the Chengdufu Circuit. In the sixth year of the Zhenghe era of Emperor Huizong (1116 AD), it was renamed the Yanning Military Commission. In the twentieth year of the Zhiyuan era of Emperor Shizu of Yuan (1283 AD), the "Songpan Kedi Weimao and Other Areas Military and Civilian Pacification Commission" was established, with its seat in Songzhou (present-day Jin'an Town, Songpan County). In the twenty-third year of the Zhiyuan era (1286 AD), Branch Secretariats were established in Sichuan and Shaanxi, with Maozhou, Songzhou, Panzhou, etc., falling under the jurisdiction of the Shaanxi and Other Areas Branch Secretariat.

In the fourth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1371 AD), Maozhou was incorporated into the Sichuan Branch Secretariat (renamed the Sichuan Provincial Administration Commission in the ninth year of Hongwu) under Chengdu Prefecture. In the seventh year of Hongwu (1374 AD), the Wenchuan Chief's Office, Hanshui Pass Inspection Office, and Cheti Pass were established.

Chakhar Ngawang Drakpa, one of the four main disciples of Je Tsongkhapa, vowed to establish 108 Gelugpa monasteries in the Gyarong region. He founded the region's first Gelugpa temple in 1410 and the 108th monastery, Datsang Monastery, in 1414.

In the sixth year of the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty (1728 AD), Maozhou, Lifan Subprefecture, Songpan Subprefecture, and Maogong Subprefecture were established. In the seventh year of the Jiaqing era, they were placed under the jurisdiction of the Chengmian Longmao Circuit. In the thirty-fourth year of the Guangxu era (1908 AD), they were placed under the Western Sichuan Circuit. In the seventeenth year of the Republic of China (1928 AD), the "Song-Li-Mao-Mao-Wen Garrison Superintendency" was established in Maoxian, with Deng Xihou, commander of the Sichuan Army's 28th Corps, concurrently serving as superintendent. It governed five counties (Songpan, Li, Maogong, Mao, Wenchuan) and three garrison areas (Suijing, Fubian, Chonghua). Later, it was reorganized into the Sixteenth Administrative Inspection District of Sichuan Province, governing six counties—Songpan, Maoxian, Wenchuan, Li, Maogong (present-day Xiaojin), Jinghua (present-day Jinchuan)—along with 65 grassland tribes, 20 chieftains, and 11 garrison commanders. On August 25, 1933, the magnitude 7.5 Diexi earthquake struck Diexi Town, Maoxian. In the twenty-fifth year of the Republic of China (1936 AD), the Sixteenth Administrative Inspection District of Sichuan Province was established, with the Commissioner's Office located in Fengyi Town, Maoxian, governing the six counties of Song, Li, Mao, Mao, Wen, and Jinghua.

In the 1930s, the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army undertook its most arduous and perilous march through this region during the Long March, crossing eight snow-capped mountains over 4,000 meters in altitude and traversing the desolate marshy grasslands. This part of history is known as "Crossing the Snowy Mountains and Grasslands." In October 1935, the revolutionary government of the Gelaidesha Republic, a minority government, was established here.

In January 1950, the Maoxian Administrative Office of the Western Sichuan Administrative Office was established. In 1953, Maoxian Administrative Office was abolished and the Sichuan Province Tibetan Autonomous Region was established. The first Working Committee Secretary was Ren Mingdao, and the Chairman of the People's Government was Tian Bao. In 1955, it was renamed the Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. In 1987, it was renamed the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. On May 12, 2008, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck Wenchuan County, with a maximum intensity of XI. On August 8, 2017, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Jiuzhaigou County at a focal depth of 20 kilometers, resulting in 29 deaths, 1 missing person, 543 injuries, and direct economic losses of 8.043 billion yuan. During the 2020 Southern China floods, at 6:00 AM on July 6, a debris flow disaster triggered by a mountain torrent occurred at the Jifeng sand quarry in Chenghuangmiao Gully, Yuanying Village, Zhailong Town, Xiaojin County, leading to 4 people being missing.

4. Geography

Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture is located on the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, in the northwestern part of Sichuan Province, with an average elevation between 3,500 and 4,000 meters. The terrain is higher in the south and lower in the north, with river valley elevations higher in the northwest and lower in the southeast; the mountains and rivers generally run from northwest to southeast. The highest point within the prefecture is the main peak of Mount Siguniang at 6,250 meters, which is only 59 kilometers horizontally from the Min River exit point to the east, yet has an elevation difference of 5,470 meters. The prefecture is roughly equally divided between plateau and mountainous gorge areas. Aba Prefecture has over 530 streams and rivers, belonging to the Min River, Jialing River, Fu River, Dadu River, and Yellow River water systems. The Yellow River flows for 165 kilometers within Aba Prefecture. The Min River, Jialing River, and Fu River all originate in Aba Prefecture.

Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture experiences significant vertical climate variation. Winters are cold and long, while summers are cool and temperate in the north, warm and hot but brief in the south. In most areas, spring and autumn are contiguous, and dry and rainy seasons are distinct. The region enjoys ample sunlight with large diurnal temperature ranges and a short frost-free period. Air is dry in winter and spring, with frequent gusty winds. Disastrous weather events such as drought, frost, snow, low temperatures, and heavy snowfall are common. The entire prefecture has a plateau monsoon climate, which can be categorized into three types: alpine, plateau, and alpine valley climates. The average annual temperature for the prefecture is 9.3°C, the average annual total precipitation is 704.9 mm, and the average annual sunshine duration is 1,920.5 hours.

Meteorological Data for Barkam City (1981–2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|------|------|------| | Record high °C (°F) | 22.1 (71.8) | 24.8 (76.6) | 26.8 (80.2) | 31.3 (88.3) | 34.7 (94.5) | 34.5 (94.1) | 34.6 (94.3) | 34.6 (94.3) | 32.4 (90.3) | 30.6 (87.1) | 23.3 (73.9) | 19.3 (66.7) | 34.7 (94.5) | | Average high °C (°F) | 10.8 (51.4) | 13.7 (56.7) | 16.6 (61.9) | 19.6 (67.3) | 22.2 (72.0) | 23.6 (74.5) | 25.2 (77.4) | 25.0 (77.0) | 22.3 (72.1) | 18.7 (65.7) | 14.9 (58.8) | 10.7 (51.3) | 18.6 (65.5) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | -0.3 (31.5) | 3.1 (37.6) | 6.6 (43.9) | 9.9 (49.8) | 12.8 (55.0) | 15.0 (59.0) | 16.4 (61.5) | 15.9 (60.6) | 13.2 (55.8) | 9.1 (48.4) | 3.8 (38.8) | -0.5 (31.1) | 8.8 (47.8) | | Average low °C (°F) | -7.4 (18.7) | -4.2 (24.4) | -0.5 (31.1) | 3.0 (37.4) | 6.4 (43.5) | 9.7 (49.5) | 11.1 (52.0) | 10.6 (51.1) | 8.3 (46.9) | 4.0 (39.2) | -2.7 (27.1) | -7.2 (19.0) | 2.6 (36.7) | | Record low °C (°F) | -16.0 (3.2) | -13.1 (8.4) | -12.6 (9.3) | -4.2 (24.4) | -2.2 (28.0) | 1.5 (34.7) | 2.2 (36.0) | 1.5 (34.7) | -0.5 (31.1) | -5.6 (21.9) | -10.7 (12.7) | -16.6 (2.1) | -16.6 (2.1) | | Average precipitation mm (inches) | 2.9 (0.11) | 8.1 (0.32) | 24.8 (0.98) | 53.9 (2.12) | 106.2 (4.18) | 150.9 (5.94) | 130.5 (5.14) | 112.5 (4.43) | 121.3 (4.78) | 61.3 (2.41) | 8.7 (0.34) | 2.8 (0.11) | 783.9 (30.86) | | Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 2.8 | 4.9 | 10.1 | 14.9 | 20.0 | 22.4 | 20.5 | 18.0 | 19.8 | 15.3 | 4.7 | 2.1 | 155.5 | | Average relative humidity (%) | 44 | 44 | 50 | 55 | 63 | 73 | 75 | 75 | 77 | 73 | 57 | 48 | 61 | | Mean monthly sunshine hours | 200.8 | 178.4 | 187.3 | 189.3 | 184.2 | 153.4 | 161.1 | 177.3 | 142.0 | 164.3 | 193.8 | 201.4 | 2,133.3 | | Percent possible sunshine | 63 | 57 | 51 | 49 | 43 | 36 | 37 | 43 | 38 | 47 | 61 | 65 | 48 |

Source: China Meteorological Administration (precipitation days and sunshine data from 1971–2000)

5. Government Divisions

Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture administers 1 county-level city and 12 counties.

County-level City: Barkam City Counties: Wenchuan County, Li County, Mao County, Songpan County, Jiuzhaigou County, Jinchuan County, Xiaojin County, Heishui County, Zamtang County, Ngawa County, Zoigê County, Hongyuan County Additionally, the Wolong Special Administrative Region located in Wenchuan County is managed by the Sichuan Provincial Forestry Department and completely overlaps with the Sichuan Wolong National Nature Reserve under the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

Administrative Division Map of Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture

| Division Code | Division Name | Tibetan Script | Hanyu Pinyin | Tibetan Pinyin | Wylie Transliteration | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Township-level Divisions | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 513200 | Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture | རྔ་བ་བོད་རིགས་ཆའང་རིགས་རང་སྐྱོང་ཁུལ། | Ābà Zàngzú Qiāngzú Zìzhìzhōu | Ngawa Poirig Qangrig Ranggyong Kü | rnga ba bod rigs cha'ang rigs rang skyong khul | 83,002.41 | 822,587 | Barkam City | 623000 | 82 towns, 92 townships, 1 ethnic township | | 513201 | Barkam City | འབར་ཁམས་གྲོང་ཁྱེར། | Mǎ'ěrkāng Shì | Barkam Chongkyêr | 'bar khams grong khyer | 6,625.81 | 58,390 | Barkam Town | 624000 | 3 towns, 10 townships | | 513221 | Wenchuan County | ཝུན་ཁྲོན་རྫོང་། | Wènchuān Xiàn | Wünchoin Zong | wun khron rdzong | 4,084.33 | 82,971 | Weizhou Town | 623000 | 9 towns | | 513222 | Li County | ལིས་རྫོང་། | Lǐ Xiàn | Li Zong | lis rdzong | 4,318.19 | 36,926 | Zagunao Town | 623100 | 6 towns, 5 townships | | 513223 | Mao County | མའོ་རྫོང་། | Mào Xiàn | Mao Zong | ma'o rdzong | 3,897.43 | 95,361 | Fengyi Town | 623200 | 11 towns | | 513224 | Songpan County | ཟུང་ཆུ་རྫོང་། | Sōngpān Xiàn | Sungqu Zong | zung chu rdzong | 8,341.49 | 66,937 | Jin'an Town | 623300 | 7 towns, 10 townships, 1 ethnic township | | 513225 | Jiuzhaigou County | གཟི་རྩ་སྡེ་དགུ་རྫོང་། | Jiǔzhàigōu Xiàn | Siza Dêgu Zong | gzi rtsa sde dgu rdzong | 5,287.68 | 66,055 | Nanping Town | 623400 | 5 towns, 7 townships | | 513226 | Jinchuan County | ཆུ་ཆེན་རྫོང་། | Jīnchuān Xiàn | Quqên Zong | chu chen rdzong | 5,354.58 | 58,068 | Lewu Town | 624100 | 4 towns, 15 townships | | 513227 | Xiaojin County | བཙན་ལྷ་རྫོང་། | Xiǎojīn Xiàn | Zainlha Zong | btsan lha rdzong | 5,564.80 | 64,813 | Meixing Town | 624200 | 7 towns, 11 townships | | 513228 | Heishui County | ཁྲོ་ཆུ་རྫོང་། | Hēishuǐ Xiàn | Choqu Zong | khro chu rdzong | 4,141.64 | 44,564 | Luhua Town | 623500 | 8 towns, 7 townships | | 513230 | Zamtang County | འཛམ་ཐང་རྫོང་། | Rǎngtáng Xiàn | Camtang Zong | 'dzam thang rdzong | 6,640.22 | 44,679 | Gangmuda Town | 624300 | 3 towns, 8 townships | | 513231 | Ngawa County | རྔ་བ་རྫོང་། | Ābà Xiàn | Ngawa Zong | rnga ba rdzong | 10,125.06 | 80,467 | Ngawa Town | 624600 | 6 towns, 9 townships | | 513232 | Zoigê County | མཛོད་དགེ་རྫོང་། | Ruò'ěrgài Xiàn | Zoigê Zong | mdzod dge rdzong | 10,325.50 | 76,712 | Dazhasi Town | 624500 | 7 towns, 6 townships | | 513233 | Hongyuan County | རྐ་ཁོག་རྫོང་། | Hóngyuán Xiàn | Gakog Zong | rka khog rdzong | 8,295.67 | 46,644 | Qiongxi Town | 624400 | 6 towns, 4 townships |

6. Economy

In 2022, the regional GDP reached 46.251 billion yuan, an increase of 1.3% over the previous year at comparable prices. Specifically, the added value of the primary industry was 9.209 billion yuan, up by 4.4%; the added value of the secondary industry was 11.422 billion yuan, up by 0.3%; and the added value of the tertiary industry was 25.620 billion yuan, up by 0.6%. The per capita regional GDP was 56,473 yuan, representing a growth of 1.3%.

7. Transportation

The transportation system in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture is relatively well-developed, encompassing various modes such as highways, railways, and aviation. The prefecture boasts an extensive highway network, with roads reaching every township. Major arteries, such as National Highways 213 and 317, traverse the entire region, connecting it with neighboring provinces, cities, and key scenic areas. In terms of expressways, several routes, including the Chengdu–Guanxian Expressway and the Jiuzhaigou–Mianyang Expressway, run through the prefecture, further enhancing regional transportation convenience.

Regarding railways, the Chengdu–Kunming Railway and the Chengdu–Chongqing High-Speed Railway pass through Aba, providing crucial support for the prefecture's transportation. Additionally, local railway lines such as the Xiaojin Railway and the Maoxian Railway facilitate travel for tourists to various attractions.

In aviation, the Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport serves as a key transportation hub in Aba Prefecture, linking it with Chengdu and other regions, offering visitors convenient air access.

Overall, through the "3+2+8" transportation hub layout, Aba Prefecture has established a relatively comprehensive integrated transportation network, supporting regional economic and social development.

8. Education

The education system of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture encompasses a complete educational chain from preschool to higher education. According to the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture Education Regulations, Aba Prefecture has implemented 15-year compulsory education and is gradually advancing the development of preschool and high school education. Currently, Aba Prefecture has 2 regular higher education institutions, 711 full-time teachers, and a total of 8,972 undergraduate and college students enrolled. Additionally, Aba Prefecture places emphasis on ethnic education, establishing Tibetan-Chinese bilingual schools and supporting the education of minority students through various measures.

The Aba Prefecture government ensures the rational allocation of educational resources and the improvement of education quality by formulating and implementing multiple policies, such as the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture Education Regulations. At the same time, Aba Prefecture also prioritizes the development of vocational education, such as Aba Vocational College, which has cultivated a large number of practical talents to serve local economic development.

9. Population

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the permanent resident population of the prefecture was 822,587. Compared with the 898,708 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was a decrease of 76,121 people over the ten years, a decline of 8.47%, with an average annual growth rate of -0.88%. Among them, the male population was 426,330, accounting for 51.83% of the total population; the female population was 396,257, accounting for 48.17% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 107.59. The population aged 0–14 was 155,212, accounting for 18.87% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 549,526, accounting for 66.8% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 117,849, accounting for 14.33% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 88,962, accounting for 10.81% of the total population. The population living in urban areas was 341,329, accounting for 41.49% of the total population; the population living in rural areas was 481,258, accounting for 58.51% of the total population.

9.1. Ethnic Groups

Among the permanent resident population of the prefecture, the Han population was 181,810, accounting for 22.1%; the Tibetan population was 476,059, accounting for 57.87%; the Qiang population was 137,348, accounting for 16.7%; and the population of other ethnic minorities was 27,370, accounting for 3.33%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han population decreased by 38,869, a decline of 17.61%, and its proportion in the total population decreased by 2.45 percentage points; the population of ethnic minorities decreased by 37,252, a decline of 5.49%, and its proportion in the total population increased by 2.45 percentage points. Among them, the Tibetan population decreased by 13,718, a decline of 2.8%, and its proportion in the total population increased by 3.38 percentage points; the Qiang population decreased by 20,621, a decline of 13.05%, and its proportion in the total population decreased by 0.88 percentage points.

Ethnic Composition of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture (November 2020)

| Ethnic Group | Tibetan | Han | Qiang | Hui | Yi | Miao | Tujia | Bai | Manchu | Mongolian | Other Ethnic Groups | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Population | 476,059 | 181,810 | 137,348 | 22,382 | 2,707 | 554 | 351 | 268 | 208 | 142 | 758 | | Percentage of Total Population (%) | 57.87 | 22.10 | 16.70 | 2.72 | 0.33 | 0.07 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.09 | | Percentage of Ethnic Minority Population (%) | 74.29 | － | 21.43 | 3.49 | 0.42 | 0.09 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.12 |

10. Religion

The Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture boasts a rich and diverse religious culture, with major beliefs including Bon, Tibetan Buddhism (such as Nyingma, Kadam, Kagyu, Jonang, Sakya, and Gelug schools), Islam, and Taoism. Additionally, the Qiang people preserve their primitive polytheistic traditions, embracing nature worship, ancestor worship, and totem worship, and revering deities such as the fire god, earth god, and livestock guardian spirits. Bon holds a significant position in Aba Prefecture, integrating with local primitive shamanism and forming unique religious and cultural characteristics.

11. Culture

Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, located in the northwest of Sichuan Province, is a vital area along the Tibetan-Qiang-Yi Cultural Corridor, boasting rich natural landscapes and profound cultural heritage. This region is one of the birthplaces of the Tibetan and Qiang ethnic groups, featuring unique Tibetan and Qiang cultural legacies, including national intangible cultural heritage such as the Epic of King Gesar, Tibetan and Qiang watchtowers, and Guozhuang dance.

The ethnic cultures in Aba Prefecture are diverse and integrated, forming distinctive cultural forms in clothing, architecture, music, and dance. For example, the Qiang people’s stone watchtowers and embroidery skills, as well as the Tibetan people’s religious culture and festival customs, reflect the wisdom and creativity of the local communities. Additionally, the Red Army’s Long March left significant imprints of red culture in Aba Prefecture, such as the site of the Lianghekou Conference, which has become an important venue for promoting the spirit of the Long March.

Aba Prefecture is not only a place abundant in natural scenery but also a treasure trove of cultural integration. Its diverse cultures contribute significantly to the richness and diversity of Chinese culture.

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Markang City

Barkam City

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