Gade County , also known as “Gabde County ” or “Gande County “, means good luck, peace and happiness in Tibetan. It is a county under the jurisdiction of the Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province. It is located in the middle of Guoluo Tibetan Prefecture and on the north bank of the Yellow River. There are many Tibetan monasteries in Gande County. Both men and women wear braids，and also wearing amber, agate, and pine otoliths as accessories. The local residents mainly eat meat, and Fu tea is their specialty drink.
There are wild animals in the territory such as deer, musk deer, snow leopard, lynx, bear, wild donkey, yellow sheep, rock sheep, snow cocks, etc. There are also monasteries built in Qing Dynasty. The murals and sculptures in those temples are exquisite in artistic modeling.
Best travel time June, July, August and September
Local climate Plateau, continental semi-humid climate
Most popular sites
Banma Rentuo mountain is well-known for its towering mountains and flocks of stone sheep. It is located in the east of Ganglong Township, the main peak is 4896 meters above sea level.
Guancang Gorge is 3 kilometers away from Banma Rentuo Mountain. The bottom of Guancang Canyon is 3400-3600 meters above sea level, and the canyon is about 4 kilometers long. Due to better natural conditions, primitive forest areas dominated by Qinghai spruce, Qilian juniper, birch and aspen are formed on the hillside on the shore, and there are a large number of plateau wild animals inhabiting the grass and the forests.
Lungkya Gompa located about 40 km from county seat, in Xiagongma village, it belongs Jonang sect, and affiliated to Dzamtang Tsangpa Gompa, being found in Qing dynasty
Tashi Choling monastery is located at the entrance of Tashi Choling valley, about 75 kilometers away from the county seat. It belongs to the Jonang sect,and affiliated to Dzamtang chode
Trayaklung Gompa is the largest monastery in this couty, it is a branch of Lungkya Gompa, it is located in a side valley of Jiangqian county
Gade County Geography and Climate
Gade County is adjacent to Maqu County of Gansu Province in the east, the Yellow River to the south and Darlag County and Jigzhi County in the south, and Maqin County to the west and north. Kequ Town, the county seat, is 526 kilometers away from Xining. Gade County is located in the transition zone from the alpine gorge to the plateau surface of the Qingnan Plateau. The Amnye Marchen Mountain branch runs through the central part from northwest to southeast, and the terrain slopes from northwest to southeast. The landform is alpine mountainous. The main rivers Dongkequ and Xikequ basins form two large valleys, the terrain is flat and open.
Gade County has a plateau continental semi-temper climate, with an average annual temperature of -2°C and annual precipitation of 550 mm. It is windy all year round, the average wind speed is high, and there are many strong wind days, and most of them are paroxysmal, especially in winter and spring. In summer and autumn, the wind is relatively weak. Generally, the wind is weak in the morning and evening, and the wind is strong in the middle and afternoon. Gande County has an average wind speed of 2.2 m/s over the years, with more northwest winds, and an average of 69 days of strong winds above level 8.
Population and Ethinic Groups
In 2012, Gande County had a population of 33,000, inhabiting 7 ethnic groups of Tibetan, Han, Mongolian, Salar, and Manchu. Among them, Tibetans are the majority, accounting for 90% of the total population.
Culture and Folk Custom
Tibetans in Gade County are mainly dressed in sheepskin materials, and both men and women wear Tibetan robes with large breasts, long sleeves, fat waist and no pockets. Men’s robes mentioned knees when they are worn, and women’s robes were aligned with the feet when they are worn, and then tied with hemp or satin long belts. When work, baring right arm and hang right sleeve behind back. belongings are hold in arms, and wearing in daytime and using it as a cover in the night, which is convenient and comfortable.
Both men and women of Gade keep braids, but most people have fluffy hair without braids. They like to wear knives, waist knives, and bullet bags. They have a delicately crafted scythe on the front, rings on their fingers and big earrings. Women’s hair is combed into many small braids, which are wrapped around the back belt with braid sleeves, amber jewelry is tied on braid sleeves, and there are also double braids. Necklaces made of coral, agate, and pine otoliths are worn on the neck, and a silver saddle bridge ring is worn on the hands, with turquoise and coral inlaid on them. There is a belt called “Chama” on the waist. It is a belt made of red cowhide with the width in the middle and narrow ends. It is decorated with several flower silver bubbles. Some of the silver bubbles are embedded with red coral and are made of silver. belt buckle. Both men and women have a “Gawu” wearing on their chests, which is exquisite silver square amulet with scriptures inside, and some Buddha statues are painted on the front of the box to avoid evil and protect for safety.
Gade County Brief History
In ancient times, it was the area ruled by the Qiang people.
In Tang Dynasty (AD 618－907), it belonged to “Jimozhou” and later belonged to Tubo kingdom.
It belonged to the Tubo kingdom in Yuan dynasty (AD 1271－1368)
It belongs to the Heshuote Mongolian regime in Ming dynasty (AD 1368 – 1644)
It was under the jurisdiction of Zhongguoluoke Thousand Households and Shangguoluoke Hundred Households in Qing Dynasty (AD 1636 – 1912)
In the Republic of China, a governing bureau was established, and it was revoked in 1946.
In 1954, Gade County was established, under the jurisdiction of Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Ddistrict
