Tacheng Prefecture (塔城地区)

1. Introduction

Tacheng Prefecture (Kazakh: تارباعاتاي ايماعى / Тарбағатай аймағы; Uyghur: تارباغاتاي ۋىلايىتى, Latin Uyghur: Tarbaghatay Wilayiti) is a prefecture under the jurisdiction of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It covers a total area of 104,546.95 square kilometers and has a population of 924,000, of which the Han ethnic group accounts for 66%, the Kazakh ethnic group for 20%, the Hui ethnic group for 7%, and the Mongolian ethnic group for 3%. The prefectural administrative office is located in Tacheng City. Originally named Tarbaghatay, its administrative seat was Suijing City. After the establishment of the Republic of China, the Tarbaghatay Civil Administration Office adopted its abbreviated name and renamed it Tacheng County. Subsequently, Tacheng became the official name of this region.

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2. History

2.1 Medieval Period

Tacheng was originally the nomadic land of tribes such as the Tiele of the Western Turkic Khaganate in ancient times. After the Tang Dynasty established control over the Western Regions, it successively fell under the jurisdiction of the Kunling Protectorate and the Beiting Protectorate, both subordinate to the Anxi Grand Protectorate. In 656 (the first year of the Xianqing era), Emperor Gaozong of Tang appointed Cheng Yaojin, a founding general, as the Grand Commander of the Congdao Expeditionary Force. He led troops to suppress the Western Turkic noble Ashina Helu, captured Yanmian Zhou (near present-day Tacheng City), and decisively defeated two divisions of the Western Turks. During the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty, the Tacheng region included administrative units such as Caolu Zhou (west of present-day Tacheng City) and Huobo Zhou (present-day Hoboksar Mongol Autonomous County), along with military installations like Qinghaijun City, Yehe Garrison (within present-day Shawan County), Heishui Garrison, and Donglin Garrison (within present-day Usu City).

After 744, the Tacheng region came under the influence of the Uyghur Khaganate, and in 840, it was overrun by the Yenisei Kyrgyz of the Yenisei Kyrgyz Khaganate. In 1130, the Western Liao conquered the Western Regions, ruling for a century before falling to the Mongols. In February 1282 (the 19th year of the Zhiyuan era), Kublai Khan established the Ta'er Bahani Post here. The area was abundant in Mongolian marmots (Mongolian: тарвага, transliteration: tarvaga, meaning "groundhog" in Mongolian, transliterated as "Ta'er Bahani"), hence the name.

2.2 Modern Period

In 1635, Batur Hongtaiji established the Dzungar Khanate, with its political center in present-day Hoboksar Mongol Autonomous County. Consequently, the area now under Tacheng's jurisdiction was the core territory of the Dzungar Khanate.

In 1760 (the 25th year of the Qianlong era), the Qing army suppressed Amursana at Boyar. In 1763 (the 28th year of the Qianlong era), the Qing government established the Tarbagatai Military Post at Yar (present-day Urdzhar, Kazakhstan). The following year, Counselor Minister Choldu led 600 Green Standard Army soldiers from Ürümqi to Yar for garrison farming, marking the formal incorporation of Tacheng into the Qing territory.

In 1765, Agui succeeded as Counselor Minister. Citing that Yar was "plagued by numerous white flies in summer and severe cold in winter, causing hardship for soldiers and civilians," he petitioned to build Zhaofeng City the next year as the capital of the Tarbagatai region. The Counselor Minister's garrison was established there to defend the court. Later, the Counselor Minister's residence was moved eastward 200 li to Chuhuchu (present-day Tacheng urban area), where a new city was founded. Emperor Qianlong personally bestowed the name "Sui Jing Cheng" (Pacification City) upon it, which is present-day Tacheng City. In 1775 (the 40th year of the Qianlong era), the Qing government divided the Mongol Torghut tribe into four leagues: Eastern, Southern, Western, and Northern. The Northern League was located in Hoboksar and comprised two banners. The Eastern League was in Kur Kara Usu (Kuldja) and also comprised two banners.

In 1864, Russia forced the Qing government to sign the Treaty of Tarbagatai (also known as the Treaty of Kashgar), forcibly ceding over 400,000 square kilometers of territory from China's northwestern frontier. This included the loss of over 100,000 square kilometers of land from the Tacheng region. In 1888 (the 14th year of the Guangxu era), the Tarbagatai Civil Administration Directly-Administered Subprefecture was established. Its jurisdiction covered areas including present-day Tacheng, Emin, Toli, Yumin, and Hoboksar, primarily managing matters such as garrison farming. In the late Qing Dynasty, the Kur Kara Usu Directly-Administered Subprefecture included settlements such as Kuitun Village, Three Villages, Sixty Households Land, Nine-Building Village, Eighty Households Village, West Lake Village, Machang Lake Village, Ganhezi Village, Chepaizi Village, and the main city. From 1883 to 1893, Tsarist Russia forcibly leased the Barluk Mountain area.

• In 1913, the Beiyang Government changed the Tarbagatai Civil Administration Directly-Administered Subprefecture to Tacheng County, governing the areas formerly under the Directly-Administered Subprefecture. The Kur Kara Usu Civil Administration Directly-Administered Subprefecture was changed to Usu County, governing its former areas.
• In 1916, the position of Tarbagatai Counselor Minister was abolished, and Tacheng Circuit was established, governing Tacheng County, Usu County, and Shawan County.
• In 1929, the Nationalist Government changed Tacheng Circuit to Tacheng Administrative District, governing Tacheng County, Emin County, Usu County, Shawan County, and Hoxud County.
• In January 1950, the Tacheng Commissioner's Office was established, governing six counties: Tacheng, Emin, Yumin, Usu, Shawan, and Hefeng.
• In 1969, Soviet troops invaded the Tie Lie Ke Ti area in the western part of the Barluk Mountains in Tacheng region.
• In 1976, Shihezi City was established, carved out from 460 square kilometers of Shawan County. Areas under Tacheng's jurisdiction such as Karamay, Dushanzi, Shihezi, and Kuitun were successively separated from its administrative territory.
• In September 1984, Tacheng Prefecture was placed under the jurisdiction of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. Tacheng County was changed to Tacheng City.
• In 1989, Tacheng City was opened to the outside world.
• In 1990, the Bakhty Port in Tacheng Prefecture was opened.
• In 1995, Tacheng Civil Aviation Airport was completed and officially opened to air traffic.

3. Geography

The Tacheng Prefecture is located in the northwest of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Its central exclaves are the cities of Karamay and Kuytun. It borders the Altay Prefecture to the northeast, the Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture and the city of Shihezi to the east, the Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture to the south, the Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture to the southwest, and Kazakhstan to the northwest. The urban area is 580 kilometers from the regional capital, Urumqi, and 17 kilometers from the Bakhtu Port. The total area of the prefecture is 105,400 square kilometers. Situated in the heart of the Eurasian continent, Tacheng Prefecture is the continental pole of inaccessibility (the point on land farthest from any ocean).

The northern part of Tacheng Prefecture is the Western Junggar Mountains, the southern part is the Northern Tianshan Mountains, and the central-eastern part is the Junggar Basin. Mountains account for 8.2% of the total area; low hills account for 32.9%; plains account for 46.8%; and deserts account for 12.1%. There are seven major mountain ranges in Tacheng Prefecture: The Tarbagatay Mountains are located on the northern edge of the prefecture, running nearly east-west; the southern slopes of their central and eastern sections lie within China, while the rest are in Kazakhstan. The Saur Mountains are located on the northern edge of the prefecture. The Barluk Mountains are located on the southern side of the Tacheng Basin, running southwest-northeast. The Urgasar Mountains are located east of the Tacheng Basin and northwest of the Toli-Heshituoluogai Valley, running southwest. The Xieshushitai Mountains are located south of the Hobok Valley, running east-west. The Mayil-Jayir Mountains are located south of the Toli-Tiechanggou Valley and west of the Junggar Basin. The middle section of the Northern Tianshan Mountains lies within Tacheng Prefecture. It is 190 kilometers long, 30–70 kilometers wide, with elevations ranging from 1,100 to 5,000 meters, and its highest peak reaches 5,242 meters. Dozens of peaks above 4,000 meters are found near the ridge, belonging to medium-high mountains. The snow line is above 3,860 meters on shaded slopes and 3,940 meters on sunny slopes, with perennial snow cover; the southeastern section has the largest glacier area. Tacheng Prefecture has 107 rivers of various sizes. Rivers are more densely distributed in the southern, western, and northern regions, while they are sparser in the eastern and central Gobi desert areas. They are divided into five river systems: the Manas River, Kuytun River, Emin River, Baiyang River, and Hobok River. The total forest area reaches 13.95 million mu, and the total grassland area is 103.06 million mu. At the center of the Tacheng Basin lies China's second-largest grassland, the Kurustay Grassland.

Located in the hinterland of the Eurasian continent, Tacheng Prefecture has a mid-temperate arid and semi-arid climate. Influenced by atmospheric circulation, geographical latitude, topography, and other comprehensive factors, its general climatic characteristics are: in plain areas, summers are hot and winters are cold; spring temperatures rise unstably, while autumn temperatures drop rapidly. Precipitation varies significantly, with large interannual fluctuations. The Tacheng Basin receives relatively more annual precipitation (including snow), while the Junggar Basin and Hobok Valley receive less. Compared to the plains, mountainous areas have warmer winters and cooler summers, with insufficient heat. Windward slopes receive abundant precipitation, while leeward slopes receive less.

Meteorological Data for Tacheng City (1971–2000)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |--------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------| | Record high °C (°F)| 7.6 (45.7) | 9.6 (49.3) | 24.7 (76.5) | 33.2 (91.8) | 34.9 (94.8) | 37.2 (99.0) | 40.3 (104.5) | 41.3 (106.3) | 37.7 (99.9) | 32.0 (89.6) | 20.8 (69.4) | 11.8 (53.2) | 41.3 (106.3) | | Average high °C (°F) | -4.1 (24.6) | -2.3 (27.9) | 4.1 (39.4) | 17.0 (62.6) | 23.4 (74.1) | 28.4 (83.1) | 30.8 (87.4) | 29.9 (85.8) | 24.1 (75.4) | 15.0 (59.0) | 4.3 (39.7) | -2.0 (28.4) | 14.1 (57.3) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | -10.4 (13.3) | -8.7 (16.3) | -1.8 (28.8) | 9.7 (49.5) | 15.9 (60.6) | 20.7 (69.3) | 22.9 (73.2) | 21.6 (70.9) | 15.8 (60.4) | 7.6 (45.7) | -1.2 (29.8) | -7.4 (18.7) | 7.1 (44.7) | | Average low °C (°F) | -15.6 (3.9) | -14.1 (6.6) | -7.0 (19.4) | 3.6 (38.5) | 9.2 (48.6) | 13.6 (56.5) | 15.7 (60.3) | 14.1 (57.4) | 8.5 (47.3) | 1.9 (35.4) | -5.6 (21.9) | -12.0 (10.4) | 1.0 (33.8) | | Record low °C (°F)| -33.5 (-28.3) | -37.1 (-34.8) | -30.6 (-23.1) | -12.3 (9.9) | -3.7 (25.3) | 2.6 (36.7) | 6.2 (43.2) | 4.0 (39.2) | -4.1 (24.6) | -13.3 (8.1) | -31.5 (-24.7) | -34.7 (-30.5) | -37.1 (-34.8) | | Average precipitation mm (inches) | 16.5 (0.65) | 14.4 (0.57) | 15.6 (0.61) | 32.4 (1.28) | 31.7 (1.25) | 24.5 (0.96) | 29.8 (1.17) | 16.3 (0.64) | 14.0 (0.55) | 26.9 (1.06) | 34.3 (1.35) | 25.9 (1.02) | 281.3 (11.07) |02) | 282.3 (11.11) | | Average precipitation days (≥0.1mm)| 8.9 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 9.4 | 7.9 | 8.4 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 7.5 | 10.0 | 9.7 | 99.1 | | Average relative humidity (%)| 71 | 70 | 69 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 80 | 82 | 77 | 73 | 72 | 70 | 73 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Tacheng Prefecture administers 3 county-level cities, 3 counties, and 1 autonomous county.

• County-level cities: Tacheng City, Usu City, Shawan City
• Counties: Emin County, Toli County, Yumin County
• Autonomous county: Hoboksar Mongol Autonomous County

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | Including: Ethnic Townships | Border Management Area Scope | |-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|----------------|--------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------|--------------------------------|----------------------------------| | 654200 | Tacheng Prefecture | Tǎchéng Dìqū | 94,868.65 (83,702.07) | 1,108,747 | Tacheng City | 834700 | 8 | 34 | 33 | 5 | Entire Territory | | 654201 | Tacheng City | Tǎchéng Shì | 3,991.90 (3,587.50) | 158,098 | Heping Subdistrict | 834700 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | None | | 654202 | Usu City | Wūsū Shì | 14,394.12 (12,659.21) | 262,906 | Caihong Subdistrict | 833000 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 2 | None | | 654203 | Shawan City | Shāwān Shì | 12,458.16 (8,515.21) | 301,046 | Sandaohezi Town | 832100 | | 9 | 3 | | None | | 654221 | Emin County | Émǐn Xiàn | 9,157.81 (6,280.01) | 188,642 | Emin Town | 834600 | | 6 | 5 | 2 | Entire Territory | | 654224 | Toli County | Tuōlǐ Xiàn | 19,981.88 (19,776.67) | 85,451 | Toli Town | 461700 | | 3 | 4 | | Entire Territory | | 654225 | Yumin County | Yùmín Xiàn | 6,101.98 (4,914.69) | 50,819 | Halabula Town | 461600 | | 2 | 4 | | Entire Territory | | 654226 | Hoboksar Mongol Autonomous County | Hébùkèsài'ěr Měnggǔ Zìzhìxiàn | 28,782.80 (27,968.79) | 710,033 | Hoboksar Town | 461500 | | 2 | 6 | | Entire Territory |

5. Economy

The Tacheng region primarily produces agricultural products such as grain, cotton, and sugar beets, and is now striving to develop the processing industry for specialty forestry and agricultural products. Products like Shawan's flat peaches, Wusu's goji berries and Crimson seedless grapes, Tacheng City's cold-resistant apples and sour plums, and Emin's black currants hold significant market promotion and deep-processing value. In 2003, the per capita income of farmers and herdsmen was 4,007 yuan.

5.1 Tacheng Pilot Zone

In 2020, the State Council replied to the Request for Instructions from the National Development and Reform Commission on Approving the Establishment of the Xinjiang Tacheng Key Development and Opening-up Pilot Zone (Development and Reform Opening [2020] No. 1559), agreeing to establish the Xinjiang Tacheng Key Development and Opening-up Pilot Zone (hereinafter referred to as the "Tacheng Pilot Zone"). This pilot zone is conducive to deepening comprehensive cooperation between the People's Republic of China and neighboring countries and accelerating the construction of the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

6. Transportation

• Keta Railway: Tacheng Station, Emin Station

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7. Population

In 2022, the resident population of the Tacheng region was 1.11 million.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the resident population of the region was 1,108,747. Compared with the 1,219,369 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was a decrease of 110,622 people over the ten-year period, a decline of 9.07%, with an average annual growth rate of -0.95%. Among them, the male population was 574,138, accounting for 51.78% of the total population; the female population was 534,609, accounting for 48.22% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 107.39. The population aged 0–14 was 183,836, accounting for 16.58% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 755,281, accounting for 68.12% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 169,630, accounting for 15.3% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 121,339, accounting for 10.94% of the total population. The urban population was 655,126, accounting for 59.09% of the total population; the rural population was 453,621, accounting for 40.91% of the total population.

7.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the resident population, the Han population was 801,541, accounting for 65.73% of the total population, while the ethnic minority populations totaled 417,828, accounting for 34.27% of the total population.

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Tacheng City

Shawan City

The Han population accounts for 65.73% of the total population, while the ethnic minorities account for 34.27% of the total population.

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