Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (甘南藏族自治州)

1. Introduction

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Tibetan: ཀན་ལྷོ་བོད་རིགས་རང་སྐྱོང་ཁུལ།, Wylie transliteration: kan lho bod rigs rang skyong khul, Tibetan Pinyin: Gainlho Poirig Ranggyong Kü), abbreviated as Gannan Prefecture, is an autonomous prefecture under the jurisdiction of Gansu Province, People's Republic of China. It is located in the southern part of Gansu Province, at the junction of Gansu, Qinghai, and Sichuan provinces, traditionally belonging to the Amdo Tibetan region. The prefecture borders Longnan City to the southeast, Dingxi City to the east, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture and Haidong City of Qinghai Province to the north, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province to the west, and Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province to the south. Situated in the transition zone between the Tibetan Plateau and the Loess Plateau, its southwestern part features the Anyêmaqên Mountains and Xiqing Mountains; the southeastern part includes the Min Mountains and Die Mountains; the eastern part consists of the Qinling hilly region; and the northwestern part is a grassland area. The Yellow River flows through the southwestern region, while the Tao River and Bailong River traverse the prefecture. The total area of the prefecture is 36,594 square kilometers, with a population of 705,000. Tibetans constitute 55% of the population, and Han Chinese make up 39%. The prefecture government is located in Hezuo City.

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2. History

In ancient times, Gannan was part of the territory of the Western Qiang. During the Warring States period, it was incorporated into the Qin state and belonged to the Lin Tao Commandery. In the sixth year of the Yuanding era of the Western Han Dynasty (111 BCE), the Han dynasty campaigned against the Qiang people, dividing the eastern part of present-day Gannan into the Longxi Commandery and the northern part into the Jincheng Commandery, establishing the two counties of Baishi and Qiangdao. During the Three Kingdoms period, the eastern part of the region was under the control of Cao Wei, while the southern part belonged to Shu Han. In the seventh year of the Yongjia era of the Western Jin Dynasty (313 CE), the Tuyuhun established a state in Fuhan (present-day Linxia City). The Tuyuhun people opened the "Southern Silk Road," which became a vital route connecting the Central Plains with Tibet and India. During the Sui dynasty, the Lin Tao, Fuhan, and Dangchang Commanderies governed the northwestern and southeastern parts of present-day Gannan. In the early Tang dynasty, commanderies were abolished and replaced by prefectures. The territory of Gannan was entirely under the jurisdiction of Tao Prefecture, Fang Prefecture, and Die Prefecture, and partially under He Prefecture and Dang Prefecture. In the third year of the Longshuo era of the Tang Dynasty (663 CE), the Tuyuhun were conquered by the Tibetan Empire. During Tibetan rule, the "Tang-Tibet Ancient Road" was developed, passing through Gannan. In the sixth year of the Xining era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1073 CE), the Song general Wang Shao recaptured He Prefecture, bringing Gannan under Song control.

In the 13th century, the Mongols entered the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and incorporated it into the Mongol Empire. During the Yuan dynasty, the Pacification Commissioner's Office for Tibet and Other Routes was established in He Prefecture, governing the Gannan region. In the fifth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1372 CE), the Dogan region submitted to the Ming dynasty. In the seventh year of the Hongwu era (1374 CE), the Dogan Regional Military Commission was established, overseeing Gannan. In the early years of the Yongzheng era of the Qing dynasty, after suppressing the rebellion of the Qinghai Prince Lobzang Danjin, the Xi'an Regional Military Commission administered the three garrisons of Hezhou, Dogan, and Masang. The western part of Gannan was under the jurisdiction of the Xunhua Subprefecture of Lanzhou Prefecture in Gansu.

During the Republic of China period, Gannan belonged to Gansu Province. In the second year of the Republic (1913 CE), prefectures were abolished and replaced by circuits. Lintan County was part of the Lanshan Circuit, while Xigu County (present-day Zhouqu County) belonged to the Weichuan Circuit. In the 15th year of the Republic (1926 CE), the Labrang Administrative Bureau was established by separating parts of Daohe, Lintan, and Xunhua counties, with its seat in Labrang (present-day Labrang Town, Xiahe County). In the 16th year of the Republic (1927 CE), it was upgraded to a county. In March of the 17th year of the Republic (1928 CE), the county was renamed "Xiahe," derived from its location along the banks of the Daxia River. In the 28th year of the Republic (1939 CE), the Zhuoni Administrative Bureau was established in the territory governed by the Yang clan's Tusi (local chieftain), with its seat in Zhuoni (present-day Liulin Town, Zhuoni County), under the jurisdiction of the First Administrative Inspectorate of Gansu Province.

In October 1953, the Gannan Autonomous Region was established in Labrang, Xiahe County, and the Zhuoni Administrative Bureau was upgraded to Zhuoni County. In July 1954, the Gannan Autonomous Region was renamed the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. In May 1956, the prefectural capital was relocated from Labrang Town in Xiahe to Heicuo Town, which was renamed "Hezuo" (a homophonic name). In January 1998, Hezuo Town was abolished and replaced by the county-level city of Hezuo.

3. Geography

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture borders the Aba Prefecture of Sichuan to the south, Huangnan Prefecture and Golog Prefecture of Qinghai to the southwest, and Longnan City, Dingxi City, and Linxia Prefecture to the east and north. It covers a total area of 38,521 square kilometers. Located on the northeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Gannan lies in the transitional zone between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Loess Plateau, and the Longnan mountainous area. The terrain is high in the northwest and low in the southeast, sloping from northwest to southeast. The main geographical framework of the prefecture is formed by the Jishi Mountain range in the southwest, the Xiqing Mountain range in the northwest, and the Min Mountain-Die Mountain range in the south. The average altitude of the prefecture ranges from 3,000 to 4,000 meters, with the Guazigoukou in Zhouqu County being the lowest point at 1,172 meters. The major rivers within the prefecture include the Yellow River, Tao River, Daxia River, and Bailong River. The Tao River and Daxia River basins belong to the Yellow River system, while the Bailong River basin belongs to the Yangtze River system. The counties of Maqu, Luqu, Zhuoni, Lintan, and Xiahe within the prefecture are part of the Yellow River basin, while the entire areas of Diebu and Zhouqu counties, along with the Langmusi area in Luqu County, belong to the Yangtze River basin.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture experiences a continental seasonal climate. It enjoys ample sunlight but with low utilization efficiency; heat is insufficient, with significant vertical variations; precipitation is relatively abundant but exhibits notable geographical distribution disparities. Except for some areas in Zhouqu and Diebu counties, which lack a severe cold period, the rest of the prefecture experiences long winters without summers, and short springs and autumns. Gannan Prefecture has the smallest annual temperature range in the province, generally between 20-22°C, with Hezuo at 23°C. The annual average temperatures across the prefecture range from 1 to 13°C, gradually decreasing from southeast to northwest. The geographical distribution of precipitation is highly uneven, with significant variations across different areas. The general trend shows decreasing precipitation from Langmusi in the southwest towards the surrounding regions. Precipitation is more abundant in the warm season and less in the cold season, with a notable characteristic of concurrent rainfall and heat. The distribution of sunshine hours across the prefecture gradually increases from southeast to northwest, ranging between 1,800 and 2,600 hours. The seasonal distribution of sunshine hours is uneven: Lintan, Hezuo, Luqu, and Langmusi have more sunshine in winter; Maqu, Xiahe, and Diebu have more in spring; Zhouqu and Zhuoni have more in summer; autumn has the least sunshine hours across all areas.

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |----------------------|---------|---------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|---------|---------|---------|---------| | Record high °C | 17.1 | 18.6 | 23.6 | 29.2 | 27.2 | 27.2 | 30.4 | 28.7 | 28.1 | 24.6 | 18.5 | 15 | 30.4 | | Record high °F | -62.8 | -65.5 | -74.5 | -84.6 | -81 | -81 | -86.7 | -83.7 | -82.6 | -76.3 | -65.3 | -59 | -86.7 | | Average high °C | 1.7 | 3.8 | 7.3 | 11.9 | 15.3 | 17.9 | 20.2 | 19.8 | 15.9 | 11.1 | 7 | 3.2 | 11.3 | | Average high °F | -35.1 | -38.8 | -45.1 | -53.4 | -59.5 | -64.2 | -68.4 | -67.6 | -60.6 | -52 | -44.6 | -37.8 | -52.3 | | Daily mean °C | −9.3 | −6.1 | −1.3 | 3.7 | 7.8 | 11.1 | 13.3 | 12.5 | 8.9 | 3.6 | −2.6 | −7.8 | 2.8 | | Daily mean °F | -15.3 | -21 | -29.7 | -38.7 | -46 | -52 | -55.9 | -54.5 | -48 | -38.5 | -27.3 | -18 | -37.1 | | Average low °C | −17.0 | −13.2 | −7.3 | −2.4 | 1.8 | 5.5 | 7.7 | 7 | 4.1 | −1.2 | −8.9 | −15.2 | −3.3 | | Average low °F | -1.4 | -8.2 | -18.9 | -27.7 | -35.2 | -41.9 | -45.9 | -44.6 | -39.4 | -29.8 | -16 | -4.6 | -26.1 | | Record low °C | −28.5 | −27.1 | −23.1 | −20.2 | −10.0 | −3.5 | −0.6 | −1.3 | −5.7 | −17.0 | −23.8 | −27.9 | −28.5 | | Record low °F | (−19.3) | (−16.8) | (−9.6) | (−4.4) | -14 | -25.7 | -30.9 | -29.7 | -21.7 | -1.4 | (−10.8) | (−18.2) | (−19.3) | | Average precipitation mm | 3.9 | 6.4 | 18.4 | 31.6 | 70.4 | 84 | 108.7 | 87.6 | 72.6 | 41.5 | 5.7 | 1.7 | 532.5 | | Average precipitation inches | -0.15 | -0.25 | -0.72 | -1.24 | -2.77 | -3.31 | -4.28 | -3.45 | -2.86 | -1.63 | -0.22 | -0.07 | -20.95 | | Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 4.8 | 5.8 | 11.1 | 11.9 | 15.9 | 18.7 | 19.1 | 17.8 | 16.8 | 11.3 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 140.3 | | Average Relative Humidity (%) | 48 | 51 | 58 | 62 | 65 | 71 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 73 | 61 | 51 | 64 | | Monthly Sunshine Hours | 205.1 | 189 | 196 | 206.8 | 204.1 | 189.3 | 204.9 | 206.4 | 162.3 | 180.7 | 209.9 | 215.5 | 2,370 | | Percentage of Possible Sunshine | 66 | 62 | 53 | 53 | 47 | 44 | 47 | 50 | 44 | 52 | 68 | 71 | 53 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Gannan Prefecture administers 1 county-level city and 7 counties.

County-level city: Hezuo City (Prefectural Capital) Counties: Lintan County, Zhuoni County, Zhouqu County, Diebu County, Maqu County, Luqu County, Xiahe County

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | Ethnic Townships | |------------|-------------------------------|-----------------------------------|--------------|-------------------|----------|----------|-----------|-------|-------|------------| | **** | Tibetan Script | Tibetan Pinyin | | | | | | | | | | **** | | Wylie Transliteration | | | | | | | | | | **** | | | | | | | | | | | | 623000 | Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture | Gānnán Zàngzú Zìzhìzhōu | 36,593.55 | 691,808 | Hezuo City | 747000 | 4 | 64 | 31 | 3 | | **** | ཀན་ལྷོ་བོད་རིགས་རང་སྐྱོང་ཁུལ། | Gainlho Poirig Ranggyong Kü | | | | | | | | | | **** | | kan lho bod rigs rang skyong khul | | | | | | | | | | 623001 | Hezuo City | Hézuò Shì | 2,091.22 | 112,173 | Jianmuke'er Subdistrict | 747000 | 4 | 3 | 3 | | | **** | གཙོས་གྲོང་ཁྱེར། | Zö Chongkyêr | | | | | | | | | | **** | | gtsos grong khyer | | | | | | | | | | 623021 | Lintan County | Líntán Xiàn | 1,393.47 | 127,387 | Chengguan Town | 747500 | | 11 | 5 | 2 | | **** | ལིན་ཐན་རྫོང་། | Lintain Zong | | | | | | | | | | **** | | lin than rdzong | | | | | | | | | | 623022 | Zhuoni County | Zhuóní Xiàn | 5,138.80 | 95,387 | Liulin Town | 747600 | | 11 | 4 | 1 | | **** | ཅོ་ནེ་རྫོང་། | Jonê Zong | | | | | | | | | | **** | | co ne rdzong | | | | | | | | | | 623023 | Zhouqu County | Zhōuqū Xiàn | 3,015.22 | 125,367 | Chengguan Town | 746300 | | 15 | 4 | | | **** | འབྲུག་ཆུ་རྫོང་། | Zhugqu Zong | | | | | | | | | | **** | | 'brug chu rdzong | | | | | | | | | | 623024 | Diebu County | Diébù Xiàn | 4,708.71 | 52,192 | Dianga Town | 747400 | | 5 | 6 | | | **** | ཐེ་བོ་རྫོང་། | Têwo Zong | | | | | | | | | | **** | | the bo rdzong | | | | | | | | | | 623025 | Maqu County | Mǎqū Xiàn | 9,636.84 | 57,076 | Nima Town | 747300 | | 6 | 2 | | | **** | རྨ་ཆུ་རྫོང་། | Maqu Zong | | | | | | | | | | **** | | rma chu rdzong | | | | | | | | | | 623026 | Luqu County | Lùqū Xiàn | 4,342.98 | 35,871 | Ma'ai Town | 747200 | | 5 | 2 | | | **** | ཀླུ་ཆུ་རྫོང་། | Luqu Zong | | | | | | | | | | **** | | klu chu rdzong | | | | | | | | | | 623027 | Xiahe County | Xiàhé Xiàn | 6,266.31 | 86,355 | Labrang Town | 747100 | | 8 | 5 | | | **** | བསང་ཆུ་རྫོང་། | Sangqu County | | | | | | | | | | **** | | bsang chu rdzong | | | | | | | | |

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5. Transportation

The transportation situation in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is relatively complex, primarily relying on roads, with no railway connections.

5.1 Road Transportation

The main highways in Gannan Prefecture include National Highway 213 and Provincial Highways 310, 311, 312, and 313. These roads traverse the entire autonomous prefecture, connecting it to Linxia, Qinghai, Longnan, and other areas. Currently, the expressway section from Lanzhou to Hezuo has been completed in Gannan Prefecture, further facilitating self-driving tours and long-distance travel. The total road network mileage in the prefecture reaches 8,590 kilometers, with a road density of 19.1 kilometers per hundred square kilometers, providing solid transportation support for Gannan's economic and social development.

5.2 Air Transportation

Xiahe Airport is the only civilian airport in Gannan Prefecture, located 72 kilometers from Xiahe County and 56 kilometers from Hezuo City. The airport currently offers flights to Lanzhou and Xi'an, but there are no direct routes; transfers are required in Lanzhou or Chengdu.

5.3 Public Transportation

Public transportation in Gannan is relatively inconvenient, with scheduled buses being the main form of public transit. Long-distance buses are the primary mode of public transportation. The journey from Lanzhou to Hezuo City or Xiahe in Gannan takes approximately 4 hours. Public transportation within Gannan Prefecture is limited, and it is recommended that tourists travel by self-driving or renting a car.

5.4 Railway Transportation

Currently, there are no railways in Gannan Prefecture. However, the Gannan section of the Xicheng Railway project is under construction, which will enable high-speed rail connections to the three provincial capitals of Lanzhou, Xining, and Chengdu in the future.

5.5 Other Means of Transportation

In the Tibetan areas of Gannan, traditional horses and yaks remain important means of transportation, especially on rugged mountain roads. Modern transportation tools such as cars and tractors are also gradually becoming popular for bulk cargo transportation and long-distance travel.

5.6 Transportation Infrastructure Development

In recent years, Gannan Prefecture has made significant progress in transportation infrastructure, including the resumption of flights at Xiahe Airport and projects to connect multiple counties with expressways. In future plans, Gansu Province will strengthen the construction of expressway connection channels in the Gannan region, improving the coverage capacity and service level of the expressway network. Transportation in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is primarily road-based, supplemented by limited air and traditional means of transportation. With the continuous improvement of transportation infrastructure, Gannan's transportation conditions will become more convenient, providing strong support for local economic and social development and tourism.

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6. Population

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the permanent resident population of the prefecture was 691,808. Compared with the 689,132 people from the Sixth National Population Census, the total increase over the past ten years was 2,676 people, a growth of 0.39%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.04%. Among them, the male population was 351,370, accounting for 50.79% of the total population; the female population was 340,438, accounting for 49.21% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 103.21. The population aged 0–14 was 154,681, accounting for 22.36% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 450,363, accounting for 65.1% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 86,764, accounting for 12.54% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 66,650, accounting for 9.63% of the total population. The urban population was 292,435, accounting for 42.27% of the total population; the rural population was 399,373, accounting for 57.73% of the total population.

6.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the permanent resident population of the prefecture, the Han population was 255,064, accounting for 36.87%; the total population of ethnic minorities was 436,744, accounting for 63.13%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han population decreased by 11,638 people, a decline of 4.36%, and its proportion of the total population decreased by 1.83 percentage points; the total population of ethnic minorities increased by 14,314 people, a growth of 3.39%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 1.83 percentage points. Among them, the Tibetan population increased by 10,569 people, a growth of 2.81%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 1.32 percentage points.

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7. Culture

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is located in the southern part of Gansu Province, China, on the edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is a multi-ethnic region predominantly characterized by Tibetan culture. Gannan Prefecture boasts rich cultural resources, profound historical heritage, and unique regional characteristics, making it one of the important birthplaces of Tibetan culture.

1. Natural and Cultural Landscapes
   Gannan Prefecture features magnificent natural scenery and abundant cultural landscapes. Major attractions include Jishi Mountain, Xiahe Grassland, and Langmusi Temple. Among these, Jishi Mountain is one of the largest mountain ranges in northwestern China, while Xiahe Grassland is the largest alpine meadow in the region. Additionally, Gannan Prefecture is home to many renowned temples and stupas, such as Labrang Monastery and Ta'er Monastery. These sites not only showcase Tibetan Buddhist culture but also serve as important windows into traditional Tibetan culture.

2. Intangible Cultural Heritage
   Gannan Prefecture has a diverse array of intangible cultural heritage, including Thangka, Tibetan opera, and the Sela Festival. Thangka is a religiously inspired craft art with immense artistic value. Tibetan opera, often referred to as the "living fossil" of Tibetan culture, showcases rich folk art forms. The Sela Festival highlights Tibetan culture through festive atmospheres, artistic performances, and folk activities. Furthermore, Gannan Prefecture has over 700 intangible cultural heritage items, including 13 at the national level, 49 at the provincial level, 149 at the prefectural level, and 518 at the county level.

3. Cultural Industries and Tourism Development
   In recent years, Gannan Prefecture has vigorously developed its cultural industries and tourism, establishing cultural tourism as a core economic pillar. The prefecture has launched tourism routes such as the "Locke Road," attracting a large number of visitors. Simultaneously, Gannan has actively promoted rural cultural industries, creating folk experience products like handicraft making, fruit picking, and farming. Additionally, the prefecture has advanced its cultural industries through models such as "culture + tourism" and "culture + poverty alleviation."

4. Cultural Facilities and Activities
   Gannan Prefecture is equipped with abundant cultural facilities, including a national first-class cultural center, multiple museums, and public libraries. The prefecture also regularly hosts various cultural activities, such as the "Nine-Colored Gannan Shangri-La Tourism Art Festival" and "Guozhuang Dance Performances." These activities not only enrich the cultural lives of local residents but also attract numerous tourists.

5. Folk Customs and Traditional Arts
   Gannan Prefecture boasts a rich and diverse folk culture, including Gesar epic singing, Tibetan folk songs, Guozhuang dance, and Badang dance. These folk arts not only reflect the lifestyle and emotional world of the Tibetan people but also add vibrant colors to Gannan's historical and cultural heritage.

6. Cultural Protection and Inheritance
   Gannan Prefecture places great emphasis on the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage. In recent years, through the implementation of the "culture +" development strategy, the prefecture has accelerated the protection of intangible cultural heritage and promoted the marketization of ethnic cultural products such as Thangka and Tibetan medicine. Additionally, Gannan has established multiple cultural industry parks, such as the Tibetan Cultural Industry Park in Xiahe County, providing platforms for the development of cultural industries.

7. Modernization and Challenges
   With the acceleration of modernization, Gannan Prefecture's cultural environment faces certain challenges. Urbanization and commercialization have impacted traditional culture, while the cultural identity of local residents requires further enhancement. To address these challenges, Gannan Prefecture is actively exploring ways to integrate traditional culture with modern technology while protecting its cultural heritage.

With its unique natural scenery and rich cultural resources, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture has become a captivating cultural tourism destination. In the future, Gannan will continue to protect and inherit its unique cultural heritage through various means while promoting the development of cultural industries, contributing to the sustainable economic and social development of the region.

8. Sister Cities

• Senamaina Municipality, Province No. 5, Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal

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Cooperation City

Cooperation City

Tibetan Han Chinese Hui Chinese

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Gesang flower