Yingjiang County
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yingjiang County (Chinese characters: 盈江縣) (pinyin: Yíngjiāng xiàn) is a county in southwestern China. It belongs to Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture (德宏傣族景颇族自治州) (Déhóng Dǎizú Jǐngpōzú zìzhìzhōu), Yunnan province (雲南省) (Yúnnán shĕng). It has an area of 4429 km2. As of the end of 2003, Yingjiang county has a population of around 265,200.[1]
.png/300px-Location_of_Dehong_Prefecture_within_Yunnan_(China).png)
Contents |
[edit] Geography
Yingjiang county has a border of 214.6 km with Kachin State, Myanmar in the west. Danzha River (胆扎河) (Dănzhá Hé) and Binglangjiang River (槟榔江) (Bīnglángjiāng) meet each other near Jiucheng (舊城) (Jiùchéng) and change the name to Dayingjiang (大盈江) (Dàyíngjiāng). Then the Dayingjiang River runs through Yingjiang county into Myanmar and then becomes a tributary of the Irrawaddy River, with the confluence near Bhamo, Myanmar. Dayingjiang is also spelled as Ta Ying Chiang. The western part of Dayingjiang River is also known as the Taping River (太平江) (Tàipíngjiāng) in some modern western documents.[2] [3] [4] [5]
Yingjiang county is mountainous with several alluvial plains. The county has various climate types, with ranges from the tropical, the subtropical, to the temperate zones. Intact forests can be seen in the mountains above 2000m. The elevations vary between 210m and 3404.6m.[6]
Yingjiang is abundant in hydroelectric, forest, and geothermal resources. There are 21 hot springs, 6 of which are above 90°C. Most of the hot springs are distributed within the Dayingjiang river system.[7]
[edit] History
Yingjiang county became part of Chinese territory for the first time in the Western Han dynasty. It was under control of Yizhou Prefecture (益州郡) (Yìzhōu jùn) in the Western Han dynasty. During the Eastern Han, the Shu Han, the Western Jin, and the Eastern Jin, it was governed by Ailao county (哀牢縣) (Āiláo xiàn), Yongchang Prefecture (永昌郡) (Yŏngchāng jùn), and then by Xicheng county (西城縣) (Xīchéng xiàn) from the Southern Qi dynasty in 479.[8]
Actually, from 320s on, the Cuan (爨) (Cuàn) family began to control Yunnan. China was very unstable during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and the central governments had no force to control Yunnan. The Cuan family took the strategy by which they recognized the nominal sovereignty of the central governments while remaining themselves as the real local rulers. In this way, the Cuan family had controlled Yunnan for more than 400 years until it was conquered by Nanzhao in 769.[9] [10]
Yingjiang was not governed by China during the Tang dynasty and the Song dynasty. It was conquered by the Mongols and again became part of the Chinese territory. During the Ming dynasty and the Qing dynasty, Yingjiang was governed by local chiefs under the "Tusi system" (土司制度) (Tŭsī Zhìdù), i.e. the Native Chieftain system, in which the central government had the nominal sovereignty. [11]
