Population: 130,000
Area: 8,037 square kilometers
Nationalities: Tibetan, Han and Hui
Zip Code: 747100
Area Code: 0941

Administrative Division: Labrang Town, Wanggeertang Town, Amuquhu Town, Sangke County, Ganjia County, Damai County, Madang County, Dian'ao County, Tangga'ang County, Zhayou County, Bola County, Jicang County, Yaliji County, Kecai County

Location: Xiahe County lies in the southwest of Gansu province and northwest of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. On the northeast edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it is located between 35°12' north latitude and 102°31' east longitude.

Physical Features: The hypsography of Xiahe County slopes down from northwest to southeast with an average elevation of 2,900 meters-3,100 meters (9,514 feet-10,170 feet). The highest elevation is 4,636 meters and the lowest is 2,160 meters (7,087 feet). 

History: Xiahe County used to be the ley of Qiang Nationality in the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC - 476BC). It was once occupied by Xianbei, Tubo and Mongolian nationalities. It has been named as Baishi County in the Western Han Period (206 BC - 24 AD), Longxi County in the Eastern Han Period (25 - 220), Jinxing County in the Western Jin Period (265 – 316), Huaiqiang County in the Northern Song Period (960 - 1127) and Labrang in the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). It was finally named as Xiahe in 1928.

Climatic Feature: Xiahe has a typical plateau continental climate. It is temperate and semiarid in the north, cold and humid in the south. The weather is windy in spring and winter, as well as rainy in summer and autumn. Usually, it has a long frost period with the frost-free period only 56 days and a total sunshine of 2,296 hours annually. The annually average temperature is about 2.6C (36.7F) with the highest of 28.4C (83F) and the lowest of -26.7C (80F). The rainfall in Xiahe is 444millimeters (17.5 inches) annually.

When to Go: September to December is the best time to visit Xiahe due to the pleasant weather.

Local Highlights: The traditional 'Xiang Lang Festival' which is similar to the spring outing of Han nationality (the last ten-day of June in Chinese Lunar Calendar) is a very important festival in Xiahe. You can know more about the custom of Xiahe through this festival.

Local Product: Root of Silverweed Cinquefoil, Snow Lotus, Bezoar and Aweto

Scenic Spots:

Labrang Monastery: Located at the foot of the Phoenix Mountain northwest of Xiahe County, Labrang Monastery is the first must-see attraction when traveling in Xiahe. It is one of the six great monasteries of Gelukpa sect as well as the location of Gansu Provincial Buddhism College. The Labrang Monastery boasts tens of thousands of statues of Buddha made of gold, silver, copper, and aluminum, as well as many Buddha hats and many Buddhist treasures adorned with pearls, jadeite, agate and diamonds.

Sangke Prairie: Located about ten kilometers west of Xiahe County, Gansu province, Sangke Prairie enjoys a good reputation in the northwest Tibetan district for its excellent pasture and frequent magnificent Buddhist ceremonies. Sangke Prairie is an ideal place to experience the nomadic life, spend summers and return to the nature. It is also a nice place to appreciate the Tibetan folk culture to the full by wearing Tibetan costumes and riding horses or yaks across the land.

Labrang Monastery, Xiahe

Xiahe Sangke Prairie

Transportation:
1. There is no airport and railway station in Xiahe County, but Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport and Lanzhou Railway Station are nice options for passenger's convenience.
2. It is easy for passengers to take long-distance bus station from Xiahe County to other places. Xiahe Bus Station is about 1.5km away from the entrance to the monastery and the main concentration of guesthouses. Frequent Buses operates onward to Xiahe in 3-4 hours and to Linxia in 2 hours. One bus daily runs to Langmusi in 4 hours and one bus daily leaves from Xiahe for Tongren in about 3 hours.
3. It is cheap to take a taxi to travel around Xiahe. A round-trip between Xiahe and Sangke Prairie only costs about CNY40 by taxi.

 Related Hiking Tour Itinerary Information:
Xiahe Exploration: 4 Days Tour of Linxia and Xiahe