Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County (officially spelled Taxkorgan) is an autonomous county of Kashgar Prefecture, in western Xinjiang, China. The county seat is Tashkurgan. The county is the only Tajik (Pamiri) autonomous county in China. during the Tang dynasty, it was a protectorate of the Sassanids, during the Yuan dynasty it was part of the Chaghatai empire. It was part of China during the Qing dynasty.

Many centuries later, Tashkurgan became the capital of the Sarikol kingdom (), a kingdom of the Pamir Mountains, and later of Qiepantuo () under the Persian Empire. At the northeast corner of the town is a huge fortress known as the Princess Castle dating from the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368 CE) and the subject of many colourful local legends. A ruined fire temple is near the fortress.

The region came under Chinese rule from Qing dynasty, to the Republic of China and later on to the People's Republic of China.

On September 17, 1954, Tashkurgan was made an autonomous region (). In February 1955, it was made an autonomous county ().

In 1955, Bulungkol was transferred to Akto County from Tashkurgan County.

In August 2013, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences announced that they excavated a cluster of Zoroastrian tombs in Tashkurgan.

In May 2017, the county was hit with a magnitude 5.5 earthquake that killed eight and injured 29.

Geography

Tashkurgan County is located in the eastern part of the Pamir Plateau, where the Kunlun, Karakoram, Hindukush and Tian Shan mountains come together, at the borders with Afghanistan (Wakhan Corridor), Tajikistan (Gorno-Badakhshan Province), Pakistan (Gilgit-Baltistan) and India (Ladakh). The county seat is Tashkurgan Town.

The territorial expanse of the county is from north to south and from east to west, the total area is about , The county has 23 glacial water springs, with an annual output of .

| source 2 = Weather China

Administrative divisions

The county administers 2 towns, 9 townships and 1 ethnic township, which then administer 50 village-level divisions. !! Pinyin

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|Tashkurgan Town||||||||Ташқурған базири||Tashqurghan baziri||||Tǎshíkù'ěrgān Zhèn

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|||||tud͡ʑikɔbɔd buzur||||Таҗик Абaт базири||Tajik Abat baziri||||Tǎjíkè Ābātí Zhèn

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||||||||| Ташқурған йәзиси||Tashqurghan yëzisi|| ||Tǎshíkù'ěrgān Xiāng

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|||||||||Тағарма йәзиси||Tagharma yëzisi||||Tǎhémàn Xiāng

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|||||||||Тизнап йәзиси||Tiznap yëzisi||||Tízīnàfǔ Xiāng

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|Dafdar Township||||||||Дәфтәр йәзиси||Defter yëzisi||||Dábùdá'ěr Xiāng

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|||||||||Вәчә йәзиси||Weche yëzisi||||Wǎqià Xiāng

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|||||||||Балдир йәзиси||Beldir yëzisi||||Bāndí'ěr Xiāng

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|||||||||Маряң йәзиси||Maryang yëzisi||||Mǎ'ěryáng Xiāng

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<!--|Burumsal Township||||||||Бурумсал йәзиси||Burumsal yezisi||||Bùlúnmùshā-->

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|||||||||Датуң йәзиси||Datung yëzisi||||Dàtóng Xiāng

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|||||||||Қоғухлуқ йәзиси||Qoghushluq yëzisi||||Kùkēxīlǔgé Xiāng

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|<sup>1</sup>||||||||Көкяр Қирғиз миллий йәзиси||Kökyar Qirghiz milliy yëzisi||||Kēkèyà'ěr Kē'ěrkèzīzú xiāng

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<!--|Mazar||||مازار||Мазар||Mazar||||Mázhā-->

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  • Mazar sheep breeding farm ()
  • Buhoi Jirap farm ()
  • Dairy farm ()
  • Bazadax forest farm ()

Notes

  1. Official Kyrgyz name of Kokyar Kyrgyz Township: ( / )

Demographics

thumb|left|Map including Tashkurgan (T'a-shih-k'u-erh-kan) ([[Defense Mapping Agency|DMA, 1985)]]

thumb|left|Map including Tashkurgan (labeled as Tashkargan) (1917)

thumb|left|Map including areas in the southern part of today's Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County ([[Army Map Service|AMS, 1955)]]

thumb|left|Map including areas in the southern part of today's Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County ([[Aeronautical Chart and Information Center|ACIC, 1969)]]As of 2018, Tashkurgan County had a population of 40,999, up slightly from the 40,381 reported in 2015, and the 37,843 counted in the 2010 Chinese census.

In 1995, the total population of Tashkurgan was 27,800, among them 84% Tajiks of Xinjiang, who speak the Sarikoli language, 4% Han and 12% other nationalities.

Economy

Animal husbandry is the primary economic mode with agriculture. The well-known Dunbashi fat-tailed sheep () are raised in the county as well as domestic yaks. Agricultural products include highland barley, wheat, and others. Mineral resources include iron,

The annual per capita disposable income in 2023 totaled ¥35,356 for the county's urban residents, and ¥11,998 for the county's rural residents. As of September 2016, China has begun building an elevated road which is expected to be completed in a few years. Tashkurgan Khunjerab Airport, which was opened in December 2022, is located in the county.

See also

  • Afghanistan–China border
  • Chalachigu Valley
  • China–Tajikistan border
  • Shaksgam River
  • Taghdumbash Pamir
  • Tashkurgan Nature Reserve
  • Yarkand River

Notes

References

  • Official website of Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County government