Ngari Prefecture 阿里地区 ·མངའ་རིས་ས་ཁུལ། Ali Prefecture | |
|---|---|
 Lake Manasarovar and MountNaimona'nyi | |
.png) Location of Ngari Prefecture within China | |
| Country | People's Republic of China |
| Autonomous region | Tibet |
| Prefecture seat | Shiquanhe,Gar County |
| Area | |
• Total | 304,683 km2 (117,639 sq mi) |
| Population (2020)[1] | |
• Total | 123,281 |
| • Density | 0.404621/km2 (1.04796/sq mi) |
| GDP | |
| • Total | CN¥ 9.14 billion[2] US$ 1.25 billion |
| • Per capita | CN¥ 74,000 US$ 10,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (China Standard) |
| ISO 3166 code | CN-XJ-25 |
| Website | Ngari (Ali) Prefecture Administrative Office |
Ngari Prefecture (Tibetan:མངའ་རིས་ས་ཁུལ།,Wylie:mnga' ris sa khul,ZWPY:ngari sakü) orAli Prefecture (simplified Chinese:阿里地区;traditional Chinese:阿里地區;pinyin:Ālǐ Dìqū) is a prefecture of China'sTibet Autonomous Region covering Western Tibet, whose traditional name isNgari Khorsum. Its administrative centre and largest settlement is the town ofShiquanhe. It is one of the least densely populated areas in the world, with 0.4 people per square kilometer (1.0 per square mile).
In ancient times, Ngari was known asZhangzhung. The Zhangzhung kingdom extended over much of western Tibet, until its conquest by theTibetan Empire underSongtsen Gampo. Zhangzhung sites, such as its capitalKhyung-lung dngul-mkhar, are traditionally believed to be closely associated with the development ofBon, the indigenous Tibetan religion. According to Bon tradition, the religion first spread to Zhangzhung from the semi-mythical lands of Olmo Lungring and Tagzig. Thereafter, Bon doctrines were transmitted tocentral Tibet. Archaeological evidence demonstrated a highly distinctive cultural tradition in the prehistoric era.[3]
In the mid-7th century, the Tibetan Empire annexed Zhangzhung and expanded its system of administrative divisions known asTongde to western Tibet. Tibetan militias were deployed in newly established military garrisons, asClassical Tibetan became widely used across the region.[4]
The name "Ngari" (mnga' ris), meaning "domain",[5] arose during the TibetanEra of Fragmentation. The Tibetan Empire fell to a civil war between rival heirs of theYarlung dynasty in the 840s. In 925,Kyide Nyimagon, a descendant of the last emperor, founded the kingdom of Ngari Khorsum ("three divisions of Ngari"). At the time, his kingdom encompassed both present-day Ngari andLadakh. After Kyide Nyimagon's death, the kingdom was divided into three, namelyPurang-Guge,Maryul (later known as Ladakh) andZanskar.[6] Guge was the early center of the Second Diffusion of Buddhism into Tibet. In 988, the Guge king Songne abdicated to become a monk and took the nameYeshe-Ö. He founded theTholing Monastery, which became the center of Tibetan Buddhist translation. At Tholing, the translatorRinchen Zangpo started the New Tantra Tradition School and initiated a major period of monastery building. In 1072, Purang andGuge were further split as two separate kingdoms. Purang was closely tied to the kingdom ofYatse, which was founded in the Himalayan regions to the south.[7] TheKagyu sect became active in Guge in the late 12th century andMount Kailash came to be a major pilgrimage destination, especially among followers ofMilarepa.[5]
UnderMongol rule, theMangyul Gungthang kingdom rose to dominance from Lower Ngari. Backed by theSakyapa, it defeated Purang/Yatse in 1252–1253, received direct recognition from the Mongols and held much power over Ngari. Gungtang suffered as theYuan dynasty fell, while Purang changed hands multiple times towards the end of the 14th century. Around the same time, the Purang/Yatse polity collapsed and came under Guge rule.[5][8]
Ngari entered a long period of decline starting in the late 14th century, possibly due to reduced precipitation over the region. No new monastery was constructed in Ngari's core region after 1500.[9] TheGelug spread from central Tibet into Ngari from the 15th century onward, and gained the support of the Guge kings. Sectarian conflicts intensified between the Gelug and the Kagyu, which enjoyed the support of Ladakh. During this period, Ladakh steadily expanded and eventually managed to completely conquer Guge in 1630.[10]
In the 1680s, as Ladakh allied withBhutan, which adhered to theDrukpa Kagyu sect, in the latter's disputes with Tibet, theGanden Podrang government of Tibetlaunched an expedition into Ngari.[10][11] Led by general Ganden Tsewang, the force of Tibetan and Mongol cavalry was victorious atPurang,Rutog and the Ladakhi capitalLeh, thus bringing Ngari under the control of central Tibet.[11]
The Ganden Podrang appointed governors known asGarpöns to administer Ngari, who headquartered inGartok. The region was divided into fourDzongs (Purang,Tsaparang,Daba andRutog) and six Pöns. The former were headed by appointed officials while the latter were granted to local noble families. The name "Ngari Khorsum" was reinterpreted to mean Purang, Guge and Rutog, reflecting a much reduced extent of Ngari.[12] In 1841, theDograsinvaded Ngari after having successfully conqueredBaltistan and Ladakh. After more than a year of fighting in both Ngari and Ladakh, the war ended with theTreaty of Chushul, which restored thestatus quo.[13]
In 1951, the ChinesePeople's Liberation Army entered Gartok. The Garpön government was disbanded in 1959 and the Ngari Prefecture was established a year later. In 1963,Zhongba County, formerly part of Ngari, was transferred to theShigatse Prefecture. From 1970 to 1979, Ngari was administered by theXinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The prefecture was returned to theTibet Autonomous Region in 1980. However, theXinjiang Military District retained its jurisdiction over military affairs in Ngari.[14][15]
The prefecture has close cultural links with Ladakh, theKinnaur andLahaul and Spiti districts of the bordering Indian state ofHimachal Pradesh,[16] as well as theMustang district of Nepal.[5]
Four major mountain ranges stretch across Ngari, namely theHimalayas, theGangdise, theKarakoram, and theKunlun. Ngari can be divided into three geographical regions, with the elevation increasing from south to north. Northern Ngari forms part of the arid, mostly uninhabitedChangtang plateau, where many saline lakes can be found among the high-altitudeendorheic basins. The central parts of Ngari consist of wide valleys of rivers such as theSengge Zangbo (Indus). In the south, rivers flowing towards the Himalayas cut deep gorges through the landscape.[17]
Ngari is best known forMount Kailash andLake Manasarovar. Four major rivers originate from the area around the holy mountain and lake. The Sengge Zangbo ("Lion River"), which originates to the north of Mount Kailash, is the source of theIndus. TheLangqen Zangbo ("Elephant River") flows westward through the core of the historical kingdom ofGuge, and becomes theSutlej, a major tributary of the Indus. TheDamqog Zangbo ("Horse River") forms the upper reaches of theYarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra) in the east. TheMabja Zangbo ("Peacock River") runs south from Purang, and is known as theKarnali after crossing the Himalayas.[18]
Mount Kailash is 6,714 m (22,028 ft) above sea level and is a main peak of theGangdise range (also called the Kailash Range), part of theTranshimalayas. The holy mountain and lake are associated with number of religions:Buddhism,Hinduism, andBon, among others, attracting numerous domestic and international religious pilgrims and tourists. Surrounding Mount Kailash are four ancient and famous monasteries:Zhabura, Chiu Gompa,Zheri andZhozhub. Manasarovar lies 4,588 m (15,052 ft) above sea level, covers an area of 412 km2 (159 sq mi) and reaches a maximum depth of 70 m (230 ft).
Ngari has acold desert climate (Köppen climate classification:BWk), with strong dry-wintersubarctic climate tendencies (Köppen climate classification:Dwc).
| Climate data for Shiquanhe, elevation 4,279 m (14,039 ft), (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 6.4 (43.5) | 9.5 (49.1) | 14.5 (58.1) | 15.7 (60.3) | 20.5 (68.9) | 25.2 (77.4) | 32.1 (89.8) | 26.4 (79.5) | 23.7 (74.7) | 16.7 (62.1) | 12.7 (54.9) | 7.1 (44.8) | 32.1 (89.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −4.0 (24.8) | −1.8 (28.8) | 2.7 (36.9) | 8.1 (46.6) | 13.0 (55.4) | 18.5 (65.3) | 22.0 (71.6) | 20.8 (69.4) | 16.8 (62.2) | 8.8 (47.8) | 3.6 (38.5) | −0.6 (30.9) | 9.0 (48.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −11.7 (10.9) | −9.0 (15.8) | −4.4 (24.1) | 0.9 (33.6) | 5.7 (42.3) | 11.3 (52.3) | 15.0 (59.0) | 14.2 (57.6) | 9.9 (49.8) | 1.3 (34.3) | −4.7 (23.5) | −9.0 (15.8) | 1.6 (34.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −19.3 (−2.7) | −16.6 (2.1) | −12.3 (9.9) | −7.0 (19.4) | −2.0 (28.4) | 4.1 (39.4) | 8.5 (47.3) | 8.1 (46.6) | 2.8 (37.0) | −7.0 (19.4) | −13.0 (8.6) | −17.1 (1.2) | −5.9 (21.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −36.7 (−34.1) | −30.2 (−22.4) | −25.3 (−13.5) | −17.9 (−0.2) | −11.2 (11.8) | −6.6 (20.1) | −0.6 (30.9) | −0.4 (31.3) | −10.0 (14.0) | −17.0 (1.4) | −23.5 (−10.3) | −32.9 (−27.2) | −36.7 (−34.1) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 1.6 (0.06) | 1.7 (0.07) | 1.1 (0.04) | 1.3 (0.05) | 2.9 (0.11) | 5.8 (0.23) | 22.9 (0.90) | 25.3 (1.00) | 5.5 (0.22) | 1.7 (0.07) | 0.2 (0.01) | 0.6 (0.02) | 70.6 (2.78) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 7.0 | 8.7 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 31.3 |
| Average snowy days | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 2.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 27.6 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 34 | 33 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 37 | 42 | 34 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 31 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 250.1 | 241.3 | 299.1 | 304.9 | 332.8 | 333.6 | 309.9 | 289.9 | 299.7 | 311.1 | 274.7 | 262.6 | 3,509.7 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 78 | 77 | 80 | 78 | 77 | 78 | 72 | 71 | 82 | 90 | 88 | 85 | 80 |
| Source:China Meteorological Administration[19][20][21] all-time extreme temperature[22] | |||||||||||||
Ngari Prefecture is subdivided into sevencounties.
| # | Name | Chinese (S) | Hanyu Pinyin | Tibetan | Wylie | Tibetan pinyin | Population(2020 Census)[1] | Area (km2) | Density (/km2) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gar County | 噶尔县 | Gá'ěr Xiàn | སྒར་རྫོང་། | sgar rdzong | Gar Zong | 31,052 | 17,669 | 1.75 | |||
| 2 | Burang County | 普兰县 | Pǔlán Xiàn | སྤུ་ཧྲེང་རྫོང་། | spu hreng rdzong | Burang Zong | 12,242 | 12,539 | 0.98 | |||
| 3 | Zanda County | 札达县 | Zhádá Xiàn | རྩ་མདའ་རྫོང་། | rtsa mda' rdzong | Zanda Zong | 8,454 | 18,083 | 0.47 | |||
| 4 | Rutog County | 日土县 | Rìtǔ Xiàn | རུ་ཐོག་རྫོང་། | ru thog rdzong | Rutog Zong | 11,167 | 77,096 | 0.15 | |||
| 5 | Gê'gyai County | 革吉县 | Géjí Xiàn | དགེ་རྒྱས་རྫོང་། | dge rgyas rdzong | Gê'gyai Zong | 18,012 | 46,117 | 0.39 | |||
| 6 | Gêrzê County | 改则县 | Gǎizé Xiàn | སྒེར་རྩེ་རྫོང་། | sger rtse rdzong | Gêrzê Zong | 25,327 | 135,025 | 0.19 | |||
| 7 | Coqên County | 措勤县 | Cuòqín Xiàn | མཚོ་ཆེན་རྫོང་། | mtsho chen rdzong | Coqên Zong | 17,027 | 22,980 | 0.74 | |||
The pavedXinjiang-Tibet Highway (新藏公路, G219) is the main transportation line through Ngari. The 2,143-kilometre (1,332 mi) long highway runs fromKargilik,Xinjiang toLhatse County in central Tibet, where it meets theChina–Nepal Highway.[23] The section between Kargilik andGartok was completed in 1957. At the time, it was the onlygravel road into Ngari and the highest road in the world.[24] The highway was subsequently extended eastward toPurang and Lhatse. Most of the road's Ngari section is located in uninhabited land at an average altitude of more than 4,500 metres (14,800 ft).[23] More than 1,000 soldiers of thePeople's Liberation Army died during the highway's construction due to altitude sickness and avalanches.[24] The Xinjiang-Tibet Highway was completely paved from 2010 to 2012.[25] In the present day, the majority of passengers and goods from Ngari are transported through the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway to China's railway network insouthern Xinjiang.[23]
Ngari Gunsa Airport began operations on 1 July 2010, becoming the fourth civil airport in Tibet (shortening the trip to Lhasa to one-and-a-half hours from three or four days by car) afterLhasa Gonggar Airport,Qamdo Bamda Airport andNyingchi Mainling Airport.[26]
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32°29′N80°06′E / 32.49°N 80.10°E /32.49; 80.10
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