Burang County

Infobox Settlement
name =Burang County
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settlement_type =County
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translit_lang1= Tibetan
translit_lang1_type=Tibetan
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translit_lang1_type1=Wylie transliteration
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translit_lang2=Chinese
translit_lang2_type=Chinese
translit_lang2_info=普兰县
translit_lang2_type1=Pinyin
translit_lang2_info1=Pǔlán Xiàn
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map_caption = Location highlighted in the Ngari Prefecture


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = China
subdivision_type1 = Region
subdivision_name1 = Tibet
subdivision_type2 = Prefecture
subdivision_name2 = Ngari Prefecture
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seat_type =County capital
seat =Burang
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area_total_km2 =12497
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population_total =73000
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timezone = China Standard
utc_offset = +8
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footnotes = Burang County (Chinese: 普兰县; Pinyin: Pǔlán Xiàn) is an administrative division under Ngari Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China on the far south western border with Nepal and India.

Natural environment

It covers an area of convert|12497|km2|sqmi|0 and has a population of some 73,000 people. Its capital and county seat is in Jirang which is located only convert|20|km|mi|0 from Nepalese territory but some convert|450|km|mi|0| north-west of Kathmandu. It is an important Chinese customs point between Tibet, Nepal and India. Much of the county consists of river valleys of mountains and lakes such as the Holy Mountain Kangrinboqê (Mount Kailash), The Naimonany Peak Gunrla and Lake Maponen Yamco Lake Manasarowar. The Karnali River is also a prominent geographical feature of the landscape. Wildlife commonly seen in the far south-western Tibetan county are wild donkeys, wild yaks, yellow goats, antelope, rock goat, lynxes, foxes, leopards and marmots.

History

It seems that the Tegla kar (Lying Tiger fort) near Burang was built during the Zhang Zhung dynasty which was conquered by the Tibetan king Songsten Gampo in the early 7th century CE. It became the main fort of the Burang Kingdom, in the 10th century under King Kori, one of the two sons of Tashi Gon, King of the Guge Kingdom. The Burang kingdom is believed to have ended in the 15th century.

Economy

Burang is an important barley-growing region and traditionally barley and salt from the salt lakes to the north of Taklakot made up the bulk of the trade to the south, while rice and a wide range of luxuries were traded back into Tibet from Nepal. The local villagers (known as Burangbas) carried the produce across the ranges into Nepal on caravans of sheep and goats during the summer and autumn. [von Fürer-Haimendorf, Christoph. (1975). "Himalayan Traders: Life in Highland Nepal", pp. 251-256. John Murray, London. Reprint: 1988 Time Books International. New Delhi.] Sheep and goats are fitted with double packs which can carry up to convert|30|kg|lb|-1|abbr=on of barley or salt on the 3 week journey to the terai or low-lands of Nepal. ["Tibet Handbook", p. 352. (1999). Edited by Sarah Thorowgood. Passport Books, Chicago. ISBN 0-8442-2190-2.] In winter and early spring the region is often in total isolation, cut off by heavy snow falls.

References