Maralbexi County (also spelled Maralbeshi, Maralbishi, transliterated from ; ), also known as Bachu County (), is located in the southwest of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. The county is under the administration of the Kashgar Prefecture. It has an area of , and surrounds, but does not administer, the sub-prefecture-level city of Tumxuk. According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 380,000.
History In 1913, Maralbexi County was established.
In September 1937, two regiments of Soviet Kirghiz troops and one regiment of Russian troops equipped with forty airplanes and twenty tanks entered Sinkiang from Atushe and attacked Maralbexi, dividing Ma Hushan's 36th Corps into two sections.
In February 2002, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake killed 267 people in Maralbexi County and Payzawat County.
On February 24, 2003, the 2003 Bachu earthquake occurred.
In April 2013, twenty-one died in an incident in Seriqbuya.
In October 2014, twenty-two died in an incident at a farmer's market in the county.
Administrative divisions Maralbexi County includes 4 towns ( / 镇), 8 townships ( / 乡):
Name Simplified Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Uyghur (UEY) Uyghur Latin (ULY) Administrative division codeTowns Maralbeshi Town(Bachu Town) 653130100 Seriqbuya Town(Selibuya Town) 653130101 Awat Town(Awati Town) 653130102 Achal Town(Sanchakou Town) 653130104Townships Charbagh Township(Qia'erbage Township) 653130200 Doletbagh Township(Duolaitibage Township) 653130201 Anarkol Township(Anakule Township) 653130202 Shamal Township(Xiamale Township) 653130203 Aqsaqmaral Township(Akesakemarele Township) 653130204 Alaghir Township(Alagen Township) 653130205 Chongqurchaq Township(Qiongkuqiake Township) 653130206 Yëngi'östeng Township(Yingwusitang Township) 653130207
Transportation Bachu is served by the Southern Xinjiang Railway and G3012 Turpan–Hotan Expressway.
Economy Agricultural products include corn, cotton, wheat and others as well as sword-leaf dogbane. The central and eastern parts of the county have old desert poplar forests. Animal herding is prominent and rock salt and phosphate fertilizer are produced in the county. Industries include food processing, plastics, rug making, electricity and construction.
, there was about 30,600 acres (202,728 mu) of cultivated land in Maralbexi.
Demographics
As of 2015, 363,488 of the 382,186 residents of the county were Uyghur, 17,816 were Han Chinese and 882 were from other ethnic groups.
, the population of Maralbexi County was 95.13% Uyghur.
As of 1999, 83.12% of the population of Maralbexi (Bachu) County was Uyghur and 16.41% of the population was Han Chinese.
Geography Climate
Notable persons He Jing (TV presenter)
Historical maps Historical English-language maps including Maralbexi:
See also Yarkand River
Notes
References
External links
Introduction to Maralbishi County, official website of Kashgar Prefecture government.