Linxia County

For other uses, seeLinxia.

Linxia County Lâm hạ huyện لٍثِيَا ثِيًا‎
County
Linxia County's northern shore, seen from a Liujiaxia Reservoir ferryboat
Linxia County Location of the seat in Gansu
Coordinates (Linxia County government):35°28′43″N103°02′27″E
Country	China
Province	Gansu
Autonomous prefecture	Linxia
County seat	Hanji [zh]
Area
• Total	1,212.4 km2(468.1 sq mi)
Highest elevation	4,613 m (15,135 ft)
Lowest elevation	1,735 m (5,692 ft)
Population (2020)
• Total	322,628
• Density	270/km2(690/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8(China Standard)
Postal code	731800
Website	www.linxiaxian.gov.cn

Linxia County(simplified Chinese:Lâm hạ huyện;traditional Chinese:Lâm hạ huyện;pinyin:Línxià Xiàn;Wade–Giles:Lin-hsia Hsien,Xiao'erjing:لٍثِيَا ثِيًا) is acountyin theLinxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture,province ofGansu,China.

Geography

Panorama of the lowerDaxia Rivervalley in the northeast of the county, and the loess plateau flanking in, cut by acanyon

Linxia County is located in central and south-western parts of theLinxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture,extending from the shores ofLiujiaxiaReservoir in the north (at 1735 m elevation above the sea level, the lowest part of the county), to Taizu Mountains in the south and Dalijia Mountain (Đạt thêm sơn,دَالِڭِيَا شًا) (at 4613 m elevation above the sea level, the highest point in the county) in the west.

The county's river network is formed primarily by small rivers that flow to the northeast and north from the mountains that line the county's southwestern border toward theYellow River(i.e., these days, the Liujiaxia Reservoir) near the northern end of the county. The largest of these rivers is theDaxia River(Đại hạ hà,دَاثِيَا حَ), which flows from theGannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefectureto cross Linxia County. The river's lower course forms the border between Linxia County and the neighboringDongxiang Autonomous Countyto the east. It forms a large bay at its outfall into the Liujiaxia Reservoir.

A new temple near the Liujiaxia Reservoir

The county surrounds the prefecture seat,Linxia City,from the north, south, and west, but does not include it, since Linxia City forms a county-level administrative unit of its own.

The county seat is located at Hanji Town (Hàn thị trấn,خًاڭِ جٍ), 24 km (15 mi) southwest of Linxia City.While most detailed (prefecture-level) maps label that location accordingly, less detailed (provincial) maps simply mark it as "Linxia County" (Lâm hạ huyện), which still makes it distinct from the county seat (labeled "Linxia City" (Lâm hạ thị)). More confusingly, even less detailed maps may mark both Linxia City and Hanji Town simply as "Linxia" (Lâm hạ).

Administrative divisions

Linxia County is divided to 9 towns and 16 townships.

Towns

Hanji (Hàn thị trấn,خًاڭِ جٍ) Tuqiao (Thổ kiều trấn,تُٿِيَوْ جٍ) Maji (Mã thị trấn,مَاڭِ جٍ) Lianhua (Hoa sen trấn,لِيًاخُوَا جٍ) Xinji (Tân thị trấn,ثٍڭِ جٍ)

Yinji (Doãn thị trấn,ءٍڭِ جٍ) Diaoqi (Điêu Kỳ trấn,دِيَوْٿِ جٍ) Beiyuan (Bắc nguyên trấn,بِيْيُوًا جٍ) Huangniwan (Đất đỏ loan trấn,خُوَانْنِوًا جٍ)

Townships

Yingtan Township(Doanh than hương,يٍتًا ثِيَانْ) Zhangzigou Township(Vỉa lò mương hương,جَانْزِقِوْ ثِيَانْ) Manisigou Township(Ma ni chùa mương hương,مَانِسِْقِوْ ثِيَان) Monigou Township(Mạc bùn mương hương,مُوَنِقِوْ ثِيَانْ) Manlu Township(Mạn lộ hương,مًالُ ثِيَانْ) Yulin Township(Du Lâm hương,ۋِلٍ ثِيَانْ) Jinggou Township(Giếng mương hương,ڭٍْقِوْ ثِيَانْ) Potou Township(Sườn núi đầu hương,پُوَتِوْ ثِيَانْ)

Qiaosi Township(Kiều chùa hương,ٿِيَوْسِْ ثِيَانْ) Xianfeng Township(Tiên phong hương,ثِيًافٍْ ثِيَانْ) Hexi Township(Hà Tây hương,حَثِ ثِيَانْ) Anjiapo Township(An gia sườn núi hương,اًٿِيَوْپُوَ ثِيَانْ) Nanyuan Township(Nam nguyên hương,نًايُوًا ثِيَانْ) Hongtai Township(Hồng đài hương,خْوتَيْ ثِيَانْ) Lupan Township(Lộ bàn hương,لُپًا ثِيَانْ) Minzhu Township(Dân chủ hương,مٍجُ ثِيَانْ)

Population

A village temple in Hexi Town

The county's population totaled 375,162 in 2007. The main ethnic groups represented were Han Chinese (221,419 or 59.2% of the total),Hui(121,680 or 32.4%) andDongxiang(29,782 or 8%). There were also 872Salar people,840Tibetans,311Tujia people,256Bao'an people,2Mongolsand 1Uighur.

The authorities reported that as of 2004, there were 592 places of worship in the county, with 506 clerics of all religions. 267,731 residents (71.62% of the county's population) were reported as religious believers. Of them, the 117,610 reportedMuslimshad 409 religious facilities (including, 405 mosques) and 445 clerics. The 52,570Buddhists,with 59 temples, had 49 religious personnel: 31monks,15lamasand 3living Buddhas.The 97,551Taoistshad 124 temples and 12 clerics. According to the county's official statistics, there were also 138 Christians there, with no churches.

Transport

At the Lianhua Tai ferry dock (Lianhua Town)

The county is served byChina National Highway 213(G213), which crosses the county on its way fromLanzhouto southern Gansu, and by a number of provincial highways. Due to the terrain and the remote location, there are no railways, sea ports or civil airports in the county; however, there is an active wharf at Lianhua Tai, on theLiujiaxiaReservoir, which also serves as the port for Linxia City. It is used both by vehicle ferries that provide a more convenient route for travel between Linxia (City or County) and Liujiaxia Town (Yongjing County) than Highway G213 does, and by recreational boaters. One can also hire a boat there to travel toBingling Templein Yongjing County.

Due to the county's geography, the main hub of its road network, as well as of public transportation, is actually not within the county itself, but inLinxia City.Minibuses provide passenger service from the city's Eastern Bus Station to Linxia County seat (Hanji Town), Hexi Township, Lianhua Town, and a few other destinations.

History

Farmers harvestingSichuan pepperin the lowerDaxia Rivervalley. The hills in the background, on the other side of the river, are inDongxiang County

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Linxia region was known as Hezhou, and usually was administered as part ofLintaoPrefecture (Fu) orLanzhouPrefecture.

Lanzhou Prefecture was abolished in 1913, and the Linxia area was included into Daohe County (Đạo hà huyện) with the capital in Jiachengguan Town (Giao vùng sát cổng thành trấn) (part of today's Linxia City), which in its turn was part of Lanshan Circuit (Dao). In 1928, Daohe County was renamed Linxia County, thus giving origin to its modern name.

After a few more administrative reorganizations during theRepublic of Chinaadministration, the Linxia region was eventually taken by the Communists during theLanzhou Campaign(August 22, 1949), and on August 26 the Linxia County of the new Communist state was created, with the capital in Linxia City. On June 23, 1950, Linxia City was separated from Linxia County, and the county seat was moved to Hanji Town. In December 1958 Linxia County was abolished and merged into Linxia City, as was the neighboring Yongjing County, but the counties were restored in December 1961. In December 1973, the opposite thing happened: Linxia City was merged into Linxia County, but on August 31, 1983, this merger was undone again.

Notable people from Linxia County

• Ma Fulu(Mã phúc lục,مَا فُلُ) (1854–1900), from Yangzhushan (Dương chú sơn) in Hanji Town, is considered a hero of the defense of Beijing against theEight-Nation Allianceintervention in 1900. Originally buried at a Hui cemetery in Beijing, in 1995 his remains were moved by his descendants to Yangzhushan.Later, his sonMa Hongbinbecame one of theMa Cliquewarlords.
• Ma Fuxiang(Mã phúc tường,مَا فُثِيَانْ) (1876–1932), a half-brother of Ma Fulu, also from near Hanji Town. Along with his brother Ma Fulu he fought in Beijing in 1900, and went on to become an important warlord/politician during theRepublic of Chinaera. His oldest sonMa Hongkui,too, became one of theMa Cliquewarlords.
• BrothersMa Bufang(1903–1975) (Mã bộ phương,مَا بُفَانْ) andMa Buqing(1901–1977) (Mã bộ thanhمَا بُٿٍْ), fromMonigou Township(Mạc bùn mương hương), the other two warlords from theMa Clique,controlled the region until expelled by the Communistsin August 1949.