Sêrxü County (; zh, s=石渠县), also known as Sershul, Dzachuka, Serxu, or Shiqu is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

of the

Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture 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 ...

in the northwest of

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

Province, China, bordering

Qinghai Qinghai is an inland Provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. It is the largest provinces of China, province of China (excluding autonomous regions) by area and has the third smallest population. Its capital and largest city is Xin ...

to the west and the

Tibet Autonomous Region The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), often shortened to Tibet in English or Xizang in Pinyin, Hanyu Pinyin, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China. It was established in 1965 to replace the ...

to the southwest.

Geography

Sêrxü (sershul) County is situated at the northwest corner of Sichuan province, and is also the westernmost

county-level division The administrative divisions of China have consisted of several levels since 1412, due to mainland China's large population and geographical area. In the People's Republic of China, the constitution provides for three levels of government. Ho ...

of the province. Its area is approximately km², mainly covered by grasslands. The average elevation is 4,200 m above sea level. The area is predominantly covered by grasslands used for nomadic herding. The population is around 68,000, 96% of whom are ethnic Tibetan. By the end of 1997, there was an estimated livestock population of 581,470. These were mainly yaks, sheep, goats, and horses, but there was a small number of pigs. The human population of Shiqu County was approximately 63,400, 96.8% of which were ethnic Tibetans. There were 49,100 herdsmen, representing 77.6% of the population. Sershul District villages include: Ariksar, Bumser, Changma, Dezhongma, Dzagyel, Geming, Gotsa, Junyung, Jowo, Kabshi, Kilung, Kyewu, Sershul Gompa, Serxu Dzong, Shaksa, Tromsa Genma, Tseboum Soumdo, Tsemkhog, Ombo and Wathul. Sershul District has several monasteries, including: Ju Mohar, Sershul Monastery, Bumser Gonpo, Ariksar, Dzagyel, Changma, Trikar, Kabshi and Jowo; and the Gsumge Mani Stone Castle, a religious complex built out of

mani stone Mani stones are stone plates, rocks, or pebbles inscribed with the six-syllabled mantra of Avalokiteshvara (''Om mani padme hum'', hence the name ''mani stone'') as a form of prayer in Tibetan Buddhism. The term mani stone may also be used to ...

tablets.

Administrative divisions

Sêrxü County is divided into 7

towns A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

and 14

townships A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

Demographics

The population of the district was inhabitants in 1999. National Population Statistics Materials by County and City - 1999 Period, ''in'
China County & City Population 1999, Harvard China Historical GIS
/ref> There are about nomads in the district, or 77.6% of the population.

Climate

Sêrxü County has an

alpine climate Alpine climate is the typical climate for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate. Definition There are multiple definitions of alpine cli ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''ETH'') with short, mild and rainy summers, frigid and dry winters and a large

diurnal temperature range In meteorology, diurnal temperature variation is the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day. Temperature lag Temperature lag, also known as thermal inertia, is an important factor in diurna ...

in all seasons. Mean minima are below freezing for eight months of the year and

frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor that deposits onto a freezing surface. Frost forms when the air contains more water vapor than it can normally hold at a specific temperature. The process is simila ...

s occur even in summer, whilst at the depth of winter mean minima approach and can reach .

Geography

Administrative divisions

Demographics

Climate

References

External links