Dahe Township, Gansu Explained

Dahexiang
Leader Name:Lian Zongpeng (as of 2021)[1]
Population Total:4401
Population As Of:2018
Leader Title:Township deputy head
Subdivision Name3:Sunan Yugur Autonomous County
Coordinates:39.0022°N 99.5028°W
Population Density Km2:auto
Pushpin Relief:y
Elevation M:3013
Elevation Footnotes:[2]
Native Name Lang:zh
Subdivision Type1:Province
Settlement Type:Township
Area Total Km2:3329
Subdivision Type3:County
Native Name:大河乡
Subdivision Type2:Prefecture
Subdivision Name2:Zhangye
Postal Code:734000
Pushpin Map:Gansu# China
Subdivision Name1:Gansu
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:China
Area Code:0936

Dahe Township is a township of Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, Zhangye, Gansu, China.[3] Dahe Township is located within the Heihe river basin,[4] in the Qilian Mountains,[5] along Gansu Provincial Highway 220.[6] Most of the township consists of grassland,[7] which is home to around 100 red deer that eat the township's gojis in the midsummer.[8] The township is home to large Yugur population,[9] [10] which comprises about 46% of its population, and is also home to over 200 Tibetans. The township is home to the Ba'ersi Sheng Mountain Scenic area . Animal husbandry comprises a large portion of the township's economy,[11] and sheep herding in particular plays a prominent role in the local economy.[12]

The township spans an area of 3329km2, and has a population of 4,401 as of 2018.

History

In 2019, archeologists found a number of rock paintings, many depicting deer, which may date back to approximately 1500 BCE.[13]

Geography

Dahe Township is located in the middle of the Hexi Corridor, bordered by to the east, to the west, Qilian County in Qinghai to the south, and Gaotai County and Linze County to the west. The township spans 90km (60miles) from east to west, and 70km (40miles) from north to south. Much of Dahe Township's area is grassland, however, there is a significant amount of forests in the township.[14] The average elevation in Dahe Township is approximately 2660m (8,730feet) above sea level.

Major mountains in the township include Yumu Mountain, Heishan Peak, Jiudungou Ridge, Da Mountain, Binggou Peak, Shijuligou Head, Hongshizuizhong Ridge, and Xihong Geda .

Major rivers that flow through Dahe Township include Longchang River, Da River, Bailang River, Shuiguan River, Xi River, Shihuiguan River, and Maying River .

Flora and fauna

Wild animals native to the township include Thorold's deer, water deer, wild ox, argali, sheep, bears, panthers, wolves, lynx, snowcocks, and the blue eared pheasant. Plants native to the township include Saussurea involucrata, rhubarb, Hansenia weberbaueriana (syn. Notopterygium incisum), yedangshen, and . Many plants found native to the area are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Dahe Township also has an abundance of mushrooms and fat choy.

Climate

The township has an average annual temperature of 3°C, annual precipitation ranging from 150mm to 300mm, an average of 2,680 annual hours of sunshine annually, and between 90 and 120 frost-free days per year.

Administrative divisions

Dahe Township has jurisdiction over the following 18 villages:[15]

Demographics

Ethnic groups

Dahe Township is a majority minority area, with the largest pluralities being the township's Han Chinese and Yugur populations, which both comprise about 46% of the township's population. Besides these two groups, there is also a sizable Tibetan population, as well as smaller amounts of Hui, Monguor, Mongol, and Miao peoples.

2017! colspan="2"
2018
EthnicityNumberPercentNumberPercent
Han Chinese2,01446.10%2,01845.85%
Yugur1,99245.59%2,01245.72%
Tibetan2245.13%2245.09%
Hui781.79%831.89%
Monguor561.28%581.32%
Mongol40.09%50.11%
Miao10.02%10.02%
Total4,369100.00%4,401100.00%
Previous figures have put the Yugur population in Dahe Township at about 3,000 people, and noted its spread across numerous villages within the township. The Yugurs of Dahe Township speak a Turkic language, as opposed to many Yugurs to its east, who speak a Mongolic language. Yugurs in Dahe Township belong to the Mountain Yugur, or taglıg, subgroup.

Income

The county's per capita disposable income totaled 20,129.98 renminbi in 2020, a 6.3% increase from 2019.

In the early 1980s the township's average income demographics were studied closely for a book named Village, Market and Well-being.[16]

Economy

Animal husbandry is a major portion of the township's economy, producing 49.64 million renminbi (RMB) worth of income in 2017. Sheep raising in particular is a major component of Dahe Township's economy, employing many. The town has a veterinary station to aid local herders. Dahe Township has a water conservation program to provide local herders with water.[17] [18] [19]

Agriculture represents a much smaller, although still significant, portion of Dahe Township's economy, generating 5.21 million in income in 2017. Walnuts are also grown in the area.[20]

Dahe Township also has a variety of mineral deposits, including coal, jade, serpentinite, copper, gold, gypsum, and limestone. However, Dahe is disputed mining site.

Education

Dahe has one primary school in the center of its administrative boundaries.[21]

Culture

Yugur shamanism was practiced in the township until 1977, when the region's last shaman died.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: "New Year's Day" for herders in Sunan, Gansu: Lambs "live in a greenhouse" and "wear winter clothes". 5 January 2021.
  2. Relationship of mineral elements in sheep grazing in the highland agro-ecosystem . 10.5713/ajas.18.0955. 2020 . Fan . Qingshan . Wang . Zhaofeng . Chang . Shenghua . Peng . Zechen . Wanapat . Metha . Bowatte . Saman . Hou . Fujiang . Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences . 33 . 1 . 44–52 . 31010963 . 6946991 .
  3. Web site: 2020. zh:2020年统计用区划代码(肃南裕固族自治县). 2020 Statistical Division Codes (Sunan Yugur Autonomous County). live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210515153231/http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/tjbz/tjyqhdmhcxhfdm/2020/62/07/620721.html. 2021-05-15. 2021-05-15. National Bureau of Statistics of China. zh.
  4. Location and major hydrological stations of the upper reach of Heihe River Basin . ResearchGate.
  5. Web site: 2021-01-05. "New Year's Day" for herders in Sunan, Gansu: lambs "live in a greenhouse" and "wear winter clothes". 2021-04-08. yqqlm. en-US.
  6. Web site: Zhangye Travel Guide – Adventure & Tour China. 2021-04-08. en-US.
  7. Web site: 2021-07-09. zh:大河乡情况概览. Dahe County Overview. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211003015538/http://www.gssn.gov.cn/sngk/xzjs/202107/t20210709_672809.html. 2021-10-03. 2021-10-02. www.gssn.gov.cn. Sunan Yugur Autonomous County People's Government. zh.
  8. Web site: Li. Xia. 2019-07-21. Red deer form scenery in midsummer on grassland in Dahe Township, China's Gansu - Xinhua English.news.cn. https://web.archive.org/web/20220712060641/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/europe/2019-07/21/c_138245627_3.htm. dead. July 12, 2022. 2021-04-08. www.xinhuanet.com.
  9. Somfai Kara. David. 2016. The Last Yugur Shaman from Sunan, Gansu (China). Shaman. 24. 1–2. 113–132.
  10. Web site: 2020-01-10. zh:大河乡. Dahe Township. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211003023101/http://www.gssn.gov.cn/sngk/xzjs/202001/t20200110_370999.html. 2021-10-03. 2021-10-02. www.gssn.gov.cn. Sunan Yugur Autonomous County People's Government. zh.
  11. Web site: 2018-11-13. zh:大河乡基本情况简介. Dahe Township Basic Introduction. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211003021036/http://www.gssn.gov.cn/sngk/xzjs/201811/t20181113_131542.html. 2021-10-03. 2021-10-02. www.gssn.gov.cn. Sunan Yugur Autonomous County People's Government. zh.
  12. Fan. Q.. Wang. Z.. Chang. S.. Peng. Z.. Wanapat. M.. Bowatte. S.. Hou. F.. January 2020. Relationship of mineral elements in sheep grazing in the highland agro-ecosystem. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences. 33. 1. 44–52. 10.5713/ajas.18.0955. 6946991. 31010963.
  13. Web site: 2019-04-28. Ancient deer-shaped rock paintings found in Gansu, China - China.org.cn. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210515165437/http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2019-04/28/content_74730545.htm. 2021-05-15. 2021-05-15. www.china.org.cn. China Internet Information Center.
  14. Web site: 2018-01-09. zh:大河乡简介. Dahe Township Introduction. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211003024756/http://www.gssn.gov.cn/sngk/xzjs/201801/t20180109_124354.html. 2021-10-03. 2021-10-02. www.gssn.gov.cn. Sunan Yugur Autonomous County People's Government. zh.
  15. Web site: 2020. zh:2020年统计用区划代码和城乡划分代码(大河乡). 2020 Statistical Division Codes and Urban-rural Division Codes (Dahe Township). live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210515164255/http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/tjbz/tjyqhdmhcxhfdm/2020/62/07/21/620721203.html. 2021-05-15. 2021-05-15. zh.
  16. Book: Perkins, Tamara. Village, Market and Well-Being. 2018-10-24. Routledge. 978-1-317-79441-7. en.
  17. Web site: Pic story: worker safeguards drinking water at Tanggaer water conservancy project - China News - SINA English. 2021-04-08. english.sina.com.
  18. Web site: InPics: A grassroots hydraulic engineer safeguards drinking water supply in NW China. 2021-04-08. www.msn.cn.
  19. Web site: 2014-09-01. Parah parah di Sunan, Gansu nyababkeun langkung ti 5 sato ingon "maot tina haus" (poto). 2021-04-08. news.china.com.au. su.
  20. Web site: Chaotian Walnut【China Protected Gographical Indication Products】. 2021-04-08. www.chihuoclub.com.
  21. Web site: West China Story. 2021-04-08. www.westchinastory.com.