Xiahe Administrative Divisions

Xiahe County (夏河县) is located in northwestern Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (甘南藏族自治州) in southwestern Gansu Province, on the northeastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Famous for Labrang Monastery (拉卜楞寺) and promoted under the destination identity “China Labrang · World Center of Tibetan Studies,” Xiahe is one of the most important centers of Tibetan Buddhist culture and highland tourism in Gansu.

The county covers approximately 6,267 square kilometres, with an average elevation of around 3,000 metres. Its terrain forms a transition from the Loess Plateau in the northeast to the high plateau and grasslands in the west and south. As of early 2026, Xiahe had approximately 84,400 permanent residents, representing 18 ethnic groups, with Tibetans accounting for more than 80% of the population. The county currently has 8 towns and 5 townships, comprising 13 statutory township-level administrative divisions, together with 65 administrative villages and four urban communities.

Tourism is closely connected with Tibetan Buddhism, grassland pastoral culture, highland ecology, traditional villages and archaeological heritage. Current county information highlights Labrang Monastery, Sangke Grassland, Bajiao Ancient City, Dalzong Lake and Panda Valley among the principal tourism resources.

Administrative Structure of Xiahe County

An administrative detail can cause confusion in older or sector-specific materials. Xiahe’s 2024 yearbook still recorded “8 towns, 5 townships and 1 administrative office,” while the county government’s current township-government portal lists only the 13 statutory towns and townships. Yaliji Office (牙利吉办事处) continues to appear in some operational documents, including recruitment and grassland-management materials, but it is not counted as a separate statutory township-level division in the current 8-town/5-township structure.

Tourism Resources by Town and Township

Labrang Town: Cultural and Tourism Center of Xiahe

Labrang Town (拉卜楞镇) is the county seat and the most important tourism service center. Its defining landmark is Labrang Monastery, one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and a national 4A tourist attraction. It is also a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

The town is the best base for accommodation, restaurants, Tibetan cultural experiences and excursions into the surrounding grasslands. Its wider cultural landscape includes Tibetan Buddhist institutions, nunneries, Islamic heritage and Tibetan–Han–Hui urban communities; the town government records six religious sites within its jurisdiction.

Sangke Town: Grasslands and Nomadic Culture

Sangke Town (桑科镇) lies about 15 kilometres southwest of the county seat and represents the classic highland grassland image of Xiahe. Sangke Grassland (桑科草原) is a national AA attraction, with extensive meadow grasslands, the upper Daxia River, horses, yak and Tibetan pastoral settlements.

Tourism has expanded from basic grassland sightseeing toward camps, horseback experiences, Tibetan cuisine and higher-end outdoor accommodation. Recent development includes self-driving camps and pastoral tourism projects, while the area remains an important setting for traditional horse racing and grassland cultural events.

Ganjia Town: Archaeology, Grasslands and the Secret Realm

Ganjia Town (甘加镇) occupies Xiahe’s northwestern highlands and is one of the county’s strongest destinations for archaeology and landscape travel. The main tourism zone is Ganjia Secret Realm (甘加秘境), combining Bajiao Ancient City (八角古城), Baishiya cliffs, grasslands and archaeological landscapes.

The area is also internationally important because research associated with Baishiya Karst Cave contributed evidence for the prehistoric Denisovan presence on the Tibetan Plateau. Ganjia Secret Realm was proposed for 4A status in late 2025 and was being officially described as a national 4A attraction by July 2026.

Ganjia is a major pastoral town, with an average elevation around 3,300 metres and extensive highland grazing land.

Wangge'ertang Town: Dalzong Lake and the Daxia River Gateway

Wangge'ertang Town (王格尔塘镇) lies northeast of Labrang and occupies a relatively lower section of the Daxia River valley. Its main tourism resource is Dalzong Lake (达尔宗湖), a small sacred alpine lake surrounded by forest and mountain scenery.

Dalzong Lake lies in Dazong Village at about 3,000 metres above sea level and is regarded locally as an important highland cultural and natural landscape. The surrounding area is also developing rural tourism based on river valleys, villages and ecological experiences.

Damai Township: Rural Tourism Close to Labrang

Damai Township (达麦乡) is only about 15 kilometres from Xiahe County town, making it one of the most accessible rural tourism areas. Its landscape combines farmland, forests, highland villages and pasture.

The area is associated with Panda Valley, countryside recreation and village-based tourism. With an average elevation around 2,780 metres, Damai is lower and somewhat gentler in terrain than the western pastoral areas, making it useful for short excursions from Labrang.

Qu'ao Township: Northern Gateway and Highland Wellness

Qu'ao Township (曲奥乡) occupies Xiahe’s northeastern entrance and is traditionally described as a northern gateway to Gannan. Its elevation descends toward Tumen Pass, giving it a warmer valley environment compared with much of central and western Xiahe.

The township combines Daxia River scenery, farming villages and growing homestay and rural-leisure tourism. Its location on the approach from Linxia also makes it a natural stop for travellers entering Xiahe by road.

Tangga'ang Township: Rural Study and Tea-Horse-Road Culture

Tangga'ang Township (唐尕昂乡) is becoming a small-scale rural study-tour destination. Local development has focused on agricultural experiences, family farms, camping and village-based education.

Plans around the Longwa Valley have drawn on natural scenery together with Namute Tibetan opera and Tea Horse Road cultural themes, creating potential for educational and community-based tourism rather than mass-market sightseeing.

Madang Town: River Valleys and Quiet Tibetan Landscapes

Madang Town (麻当镇) remains one of Xiahe’s less commercialized areas. It lies along the Daxia River system and is characterized by what local tourism promotion describes as a distinctive “three valleys and one river valley” landscape.

The town contains three Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and substantial minority communities, making it suitable for quieter cultural and landscape exploration.

Amuquhu Town: Highland Agriculture and Pastoral Culture

Amuquhu Town (阿木去乎镇) lies in southern Xiahe at an average elevation of about 3,170 metres. It is a semi-agricultural, semi-pastoral area where barley, oilseed crops, Tibetan sheep and dairy cattle form important parts of local life.

For tourism, its strength is not a single major scenic attraction but highland farming landscapes, Tibetan pastoral culture, harvest experiences and religious heritage. The town contains Tibetan Buddhist and Islamic religious sites, reflecting Xiahe’s multiethnic character.

Bola Town: Tibetan Buddhist and Rural Culture

Bola Town (博拉镇) lies southeast of central Xiahe and is closely connected with neighbouring Cooperation City. The township landscape consists of highland farmland, pastoral land and the Bola River valley.

Bola Monastery (博拉寺) is the main cultural resource, while traditional Tibetan villages and semi-agricultural lifestyles provide opportunities for cultural and rural study tours. The town is overwhelmingly Tibetan in population.

Zhayou Township: Mountain Grasslands and Religious Heritage

Zhayou Township (扎油乡) lies south of Labrang in a humid mountainous grassland environment at an average elevation around 3,020 metres.

Its landscape includes alpine meadows, shrub grasslands, forests and Tibetan villages. Zhayou Monastery (扎油寺) and several religious retreat sites add cultural value. Tourism remains comparatively undeveloped, making the area better suited to organized ecological and cultural visits than conventional sightseeing.

Kecai Town: Remote Pastoral Landscapes

Kecai Town (科才镇) occupies one of Xiahe’s more extensive pastoral regions. Its tourism potential lies primarily in remote grasslands, yak husbandry, Tibetan pastoral life and highland ecology rather than major developed attractions.

Kecai is also part of Xiahe’s modern grassland-husbandry demonstration system, making it potentially valuable for agricultural, ecological and pastoral study tours.

Jicang Township: Highland Villages and Pastoral Ecology

Jicang Township (吉仓乡) is located in southern Xiahe and remains largely outside mainstream visitor circuits. It is best characterized by mountain valleys, Tibetan villages, livestock husbandry and a relatively intact rural cultural environment.

For tourism development, Jicang is more suitable for small-group ecological, rural and Tibetan cultural experiences than for conventional large-group sightseeing.

Tourism Geography of Xiahe

Xiahe’s 13 towns and townships can be grouped into several practical tourism regions:

This distribution explains why most first-time visitors focus on Labrang – Sangke – Ganjia, while repeat travellers and specialist groups increasingly explore the more rural eastern and southern areas.

Complete Township-Level Administrative Divisions of Xiahe County

The following table lists all 13 statutory township-level administrative divisions currently presented by the Xiahe County Government.