Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, often shortened to Ganzi Prefecture, is an autonomous prefecture in the western arm of Sichuan province, China bordering Yunnan to the south, the Tibet Autonomous Region to the west, and Gansu to the north and northwest.
The prefecture's area is 151,078 square kilometres (58,332 mi2). The population is approximately 880,000, with Tibetans accounting for 77.8% of the total population. The capital city of Garzê is Kangding (Dartsedo).
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History
Garzê was traditionally part of the historical region of Kham and formed a borderland between the Tibetan Empire and its successor states and Imperial China. Its seat Kangding (under its Tibetan name Darzêdo) was the capital of the Kingdom of Chakla, which resisted Tibetan taxation by becoming a satellite state of the Qing Empire from the 17th to 20th centuries. As the Qing state weakened, local resistance to its dictates led to the 1905 Batang Uprising and a retaliatory punitive campaign by the assistant amban Zhao Erfeng.
During the Republican Period (1912–1949), Garzê was initially organized with most of Kham as Xikang Province. In 1930, the Tibetan army invaded Garzê, capturing it without much resistance. However, in 1932, the Tibetan army withdrew after suffering defeats elsewhere at the hands of the warlord of Qinghai, Ma Bufang. The Chinese warlord Liu Wenhui occupied Garzê and signed an agreement with the Tibetans formalizing his control of the area east of the upper Yangtze, which corresponds roughly with eastern Kham (see Sino-Tibetan War).
In the final stages of the Chinese Civil War, Garzê remained under Kuomintang control until 1950, when it was surrendered to the PLA and the People's Republic of China. Eastern Xikang was merged with Sichuan in 1955, with Garzê being granted autonomous status owing to its large minority population.
Population
According to the census of 2000, Garzê had a registered population of 897,239 (population density: 5.94 people/km2).
Languages
Garzê is linguistically diverse, having many variants of Tibetan as well as several Qiangic languages:
Kangding: Guiqiong, Muya
Luding County: Muya
Danba County: rGyalrong
Jiulong County: Pumi (Southern)
Yajiang County: Zhaba
Dawu County: Horpa
Xinlong County: Queyu
Religion
Tibetan Buddhism is historically the predominant religion practiced in Garzê. Some notable Gompas here include:
Dzogchen Monastery
Dzongsar Monastery
Kandze Monastery
Kharnang Monastery
Nanwu Si Monastery
Palpung Monastery
Sershul Monastery
Tongkor Monastery
Larung Gar Buddhist Institute
Yarchen Gar Buddhist Institute
Subdivisions
Garzê comprises 1 county-level city and 17 counties: