Facts
Phone Code: 0941
Postal Code: 747100
Area: 6,237.88 Sq km (2,408.4 Sq miles)
Population: 80,500 (in 2010)
Nationalities: Han, Tibetan, Hui, Salar, Dongxiang, Mongolian, Tu, Chaoxian
Neighboring Areas: Sichuan and Qinghai Provinces, Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region
Location: Located in the southwest of Gansu Province and the northwest of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Xiahe County is about 240 km (149 miles) from Lanzhou City, 1,400 km (870 miles) from Dunhuang, and about 900 km (559 miles) from Jiayuguan.
Physical Features: Situated in the northeast of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Xiahe County's terrain tilts from the northwestern mountains and plateau to the southern and southeastern hills and gorges, with an average altitude of 3,000 - 3,800 meters (9,842 - 12,467 feet). In its territory, mountain ranges rise and fall, with the Daxia River and Taohe River flowing through.
History: Because of its unique geographic position, it has ever been the political, economic, cultural and religious activity center of Anduo Tibetan Area among Gansu, Qinghai and Sichuan provinces. From earliest time, Xiahe was the pasture of the Qiangrong nomadic tribe. In the Western Han Dynasty (206BC - 24AD), Baishi County was set up in the area, and then was changed into Huaiqiang County in the Northern Song Dynasty (386 - 581). In the 48th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), Labrang Lamasery was built up in the area. Gradually, all of the nearby temples and their branches in Qinghai and Sichuan provinces as well as the temples under Mongolian Prince's jurisdiction were put under its administration, and the tribes controlled by these temples were all joined to Labrang Lamasery. Thus, the Qing Dynasty set up Labrang Prefecture there. Owning to its influential religious power, Xiahe evolved into the administrative center mingled politics with religion, controlling the rights of politics, economy, culture and law of the areas under its jurisdiction. In 1927, Xiahe County was established.
Attractions: With distinctive regional and ethnic flavor, Xiahe possesses numberless natural and cultural sights, enjoying the fame as 'Small Tibet of China' and 'Oriental Vatican'.
Labrang Lamasery, one of the six leading lamaseries of Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, boasts six Buddhist institutes - the Institute of Esoteric Buddhism, Higher and Lower Institutes of Theology, the Institute of Medicine, Institute of Astrology and Institute of Law. In the lamasery, there are a great number of well-preserved Buddhist statues, murals, thangkas and Buddhist sutras for visitors to have a good understanding of Buddhism.
Bajiao City Ruins, as its name implies, attracts tourists for its unique architecture of eight city corners, built with moat and outer city walls.
Sangke Grassland is famous for its picturesque natural scenery made of verdant grass, blue sky, fluffy clouds, and vast lush grassland dotted with sleep and cattle.
Dazong Lake is narrow bus long, surrounded by jagged rocks of grotesque shapes, praised as 'a pearl set in the dense forest'.
Baishiya Karst Cave is the highest karst cave discovered in China, whose entrance is in the stone cliff about 30 m (98.4 feet) from the ground.
Transportation: Having been the prosperous 'Tea-Horse Trade Market', Xiahe was the door of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau open to inland China in ancient China. Nowadays, the county is built with roadways extending in all directions, closely connected with the neighboring counties and cities of Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan provinces. Visitors can take the long-distance buses from Gannan Hezuo Long-distance Bus Station to Xiahe directly. The bus runs between 06:30 and 16:55. Both taxies and buses are available within Xiahe County.
Weather: Enjoying a humid alpine climate with an average annual temperature of 2.6 °C (36.7 °F), Xiahe has a big temperature difference between day and night. Thus, take enough clothes to visit there even if in hot summer days. June to August is recommended as the best visiting time to Xiahe.
Dining and Shopping
In Xiahe, various Tibetan foods are the most typical such as milk tea, Tsampa (roasted qingke barley flour), Zang Bao (Tibetan-style steamed stuffed bun), Shou Zhua Yang Rou (Mutton Eaten with Hands) and Jue Ma Mi Fan (Potentilla anserina rice). The best place to taste these dishes and snacks are People's East Street where are full of restaurants and snacks stores.
With deep Tibetan flavor, Xiahe County is covered with Tibetan arts and handicrafts stores selling Tibetan ornaments, knives, clothes, medicines and religious objects. People's East Street and the pedestrian street outside Labrang Lamasery are the most popular shopping areas.
