Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, often shortened to Ganzi Prefecture, is an autonomous prefecture in the western arm of Sichuan province, China bordering Yunnan to the south, the Tibet Autonomous Region to the west, and Gansu to the north and northwest.
The prefecture's area is . The population is approximately 880,000, with Tibetans accounting for 77.8% of the total population. The capital city of Garzê is Kangding (Dartsedo).
History Garzê was traditionally part of the historical region of Kham and formed a borderland between the Tibetan Empire and its successor states and Imperial China. Its seat Kangding (under its Tibetan name Darzêdo) was the capital of the Kingdom of Chakla, which resisted Tibetan taxation by becoming a satellite state of the Qing Empire from the 17th to 20th centuries. As the Qing state weakened, local resistance to its dictates led to the 1905 Batang Uprising and a retaliatory punitive campaign by the assistant amban Zhao Erfeng.
During the Republican Period (19121949), Garzê was initially organized with most of Kham as Xikang Province. In 1930, the Tibetan army invaded Garzê, 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. The Chinese warlord Liu Wenhui occupied Garzê and signed an agreement with the Tibetans formalizing his control of the area east of the upper Yangtze, which corresponds roughly with eastern Kham (see Sino-Tibetan War).
In the final stages of the Chinese Civil War, Garzê remained under Kuomintang control until 1950, when it was surrendered to the PLA and the People's Republic of China. Eastern Xikang was merged with Sichuan in 1955, with Garzê being granted autonomous status owing to its large minority population.
Population According to the census of 2000, Garzê had a registered 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%
Languages Garzê is linguistically diverse, having many variants of Tibetan as well as several Qiangic languages: Kangding: Guiqiong, Muya Luding County: Muya Danba County: rGyalrong Jiulong County: Pumi (Southern) Yajiang County: Zhaba Dawu County: Horpa Xinlong County: Queyu
Religion Tibetan Buddhism is historically the predominant religion practiced in Garzê. Some notable Gompas here include: Dzogchen Monastery Dzongsar Monastery Kandze Monastery Kharnang Monastery Nanwu Si Monastery Palpung Monastery Sershul Monastery Tongkor Monastery Larung Gar Buddhist Institute Yarchen Gar Buddhist Institute
Subdivisions Garzê comprises 1 county-level city and 17 counties:
# Name Hanzi Hanyu Pinyin Tibetan Wylie Population Area (km2) Density(/km2)1Kangding City130,14211,48611.332Luding County83,3862,16538.513Danba County59,6964,65612.824Jiulong County62,1336,7669.185Yajiang County50,2257,5586.646Dawu County (Daofu County)55,3967,0537.857Luhuo County46,5584,60110.118Garzê County (Ganzi County)68,5237,3039.389Xinlong County50,3938,5705.8810Dêgê County (Dege County)81,50311,0257.3911Baiyü County56,29010,3865.4112Sêrxü County (Shiqu County)80,83424,9443.2413Sêrtar County (Seda County)58,6069,3326.2814Litang County69,04613,6775.0415Batang County48,6497,8526.1916Xiangcheng County33,1705,0166.6117Daocheng County31,1137,3234.2418Dêrong County26,2092,9168.98
Notes
References
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) Traditional folk houses in Garze, Sichuan