| Bairi County | |
| Official Name: | Bairi Tibetan Autonomous County |
| Other Name: | Tianzhu |
| Postal Code: | 733200 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Settlement Type: | Autonomous county |
| Pushpin Map: | Gansu#China |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Gansu |
| Coordinates: | 36.9718°N 103.1419°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | China |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Gansu |
| Subdivision Type2: | Prefecture-level city |
| Subdivision Name2: | Wuwei |
| Seat Type: | County seat |
| Seat: | Rabgyai (Huazangsi) |
| Area Total Km2: | 7149 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Total: | 151031 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Elevation Max M: | 4874 |
| Elevation Min M: | 2040 |
| Timezone: | China Standard |
| Utc Offset: | +8 |
| S: | 天祝藏族自治县 |
| T: | 天祝藏族自治縣 |
| P: | Tiānzhù Zàngzú Zìzhìxiàn |
| S2: | 华锐 |
| T2: | 華銳 |
| P2: | Huáruì |
| Wylie: | dpa'a-ris bod-rigs rang-skyong rdzong |
| Zwpy: | Bairi Poirig Ranggyong Zong |
| Order: | st |
Bairi Tibetan Autonomous County, also known as Tianzhu from its Chinese name, is in the prefecture-level city of Wuwei in the central part of Gansu province, China, bordering Qinghai province to the south and west. It has an area of 7147km2 and approximately 230,000 inhabitants (2003). Its administrative seat is Rabgyai Town (Huazangsi).
The Chinese name "Tianzhu" was named by a Tibetan lama Luo Haoxue (罗好学) in 1936, deriving from the combination of "Tiantang" (天堂寺, aka Chortentang Monastery) and "Zhugong" (祝贡寺, aka Drigung Monastery), the Chinese translation of the two largest lamaseries in the county.[2]
The Tibetan name Bairi is pronounced Bairi in Standard Tibetan, and pronounced Hwari in the local Amdo Tibetan and Huarui (华锐) in Chinese.[3]
An alternative Tibetan name is Tenzhu, which is a transcription of the Chinese name Tianzhu.
The county was established as the Tianzhu District of Yongdeng County in 1949, but became an autonomous county of Wuwei in the next year. In 1955, Tianzhu was moved under the administration of Zhangye as the first autonomous county in China. Between 1958 and 1961, Gulang County was part of Tianzhu. In 1961 the county was placed under Wuwei again.[4]
Bairi Tibetan Autonomous County is divided to 14 towns, 5 townships.[5]
| Name | Simplified Chinese | Hanyu Pinyin | Tibetan | Wylie | Administrative division code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Towns | ||||||
| Rabgyai Town (Huazangsi) | Chinese: 华藏寺镇 | 620623100 | ||||
| Zhaxilung Town (Dachaigou) | Chinese: 打柴沟镇 | 620623101 | ||||
| Tawain Town (Anyuan) | Chinese: 安远镇 | 620623102 | ||||
| Kêsangnyagkai Town (Tanshanling) | Chinese: 炭山岭镇 | 620623103 | ||||
| Pachi Town (Haxi) | Chinese: 哈溪镇 | 620623104 | ||||
| Sêrzü Town (Saishisi) | Chinese: 赛什斯镇 | 620623105 | ||||
| Yarlung Town (Shimen) | Chinese: 石门镇 | 620623106 | ||||
| Daglung Town (Songshan) | Chinese: 松山镇 | 620623107 | ||||
| Qoidêntang Town (Tiantang) | Chinese: 天堂镇 | 620623108 | ||||
| Torxi Town (Duoshi) | Chinese: 朵什镇 | 620623109 | ||||
| Xamar Town (Xidatan) | Chinese: 西大滩镇 | 620623110 | ||||
| Zhaxiquglung Town (Zhuaxixiulong) | Chinese: 抓喜秀龙镇 | 620623111 | ||||
| Gyayag Town (Dahonggou) | Chinese: 大红沟镇 | 620623112 | ||||
| Sabda'gyai Town (Qilian) | Chinese: 祁连镇 | 620623113 | ||||
| Townships | ||||||
| Dongpoin Township (Dongping) | Chinese: 东坪乡 | 620623201 | ||||
| Sêralung Township (Sailalong) | Chinese: 赛拉隆乡 | 620623202 | ||||
| Gyiyangtang Township (Dongdatan) | Chinese: 东大滩乡 | 620623203 | ||||
| Horxugkya Township (Maozang) | Chinese: 毛藏乡 | 620623208 | ||||
| Dainma Township (Danma) | Chinese: 旦马乡 | 620623210 | ||||
The county is mountainous, being located at the tripoint of the Tibet Plateau, the Loess Plateau and the Inner Mongolia Plateau, with elevations ranging from 2040 m to 4874 m. It is divided into the watersheds of the Shiyang River and the Yellow River and crossed by the Wushao Mountain. South of the Wushao Mountain, the climate is continental and north of it, the climate is semi-arid. The land is mostly covered by grasslands and forests.
| Nationality | Population | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Han | 139,190 | 62.88% | |
| Tibetan | 66,125 | 29.87% | |
| Tu | 12,633 | 5.71% | |
| Hui | 1,986 | 0.9% | |
| Mongol | 961 | 0.43% | |
| Manchu | 213 | 0.1% | |
| Dongxiang | 90 | 0.04% | |
| Uyghur | 40 | 0.02% | |
| Miao | 23 | 0.01% | |
| Others | 86 | 0.04% |