Tongren (; ), known to Tibetans as Rebgong () in the historic region of
Amdo, is the capital and second smallest administrative subdivision by area within
Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in
Qinghai, China. The city has an area of 3465 square kilometers and a population of ~80,000 (2002), 75%
Tibetan
Tibetan may mean:
* of, from, or related to Tibet
* Tibetan people, an ethnic group
* Tibetan language:
** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard
** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dial ...
. The economy of the city includes agriculture and
aluminium mining.
The city has a number of
Tibetan Buddhist temples and
gompas, including the large and significant
Rongwo Monastery of the
Gelug school. It is known as a center of
thangka painting.
Regong arts
The Regong arts (or Rebgong arts) are the popular arts on the subject of Tibetan Buddhism. They are painting, sculpture, engraving, architecture, and embroidery. They are associated with communities in Tongren County and along the river Rongwo ...
were named on the
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists in 2009.
In October, 2010 there were
reports of large demonstrations in Tongren by Tibetan students who reportedly shouted the slogans, “equality of ethnic groups” and “freedom of language."
"China: Tibetan Students March To Protest Education Policies"
article by Edward Wong in '' The New York Times'' October 21, 2010, accessed October 21, 2010
Demographics and languages
The Amdo Tibetan is the ''lingua franca
A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, vehicular language, or link language, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups ...
'' of Tongren and the surrounding region, which is populated by Tibetan
Tibetan may mean:
* of, from, or related to Tibet
* Tibetan people, an ethnic group
* Tibetan language:
** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard
** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dial ...
and Hui people
The Hui people ( zh, c=, p=Huízú, w=Hui2-tsu2, Xiao'erjing: , dng, Хуэйзў, ) are an East Asian ethnoreligious group predominantly composed of Chinese-speaking adherents of Islam. They are distributed throughout China, mainly in the ...
, as well as some Han Chinese and Mongols.Wutun language
The Wutun language () is a Chinese language, Chinese–Standard Tibetan, Tibetan–Mongolian language, Mongolian creole language. It is spoken by about 4,000 people, most of whom are classified as Monguor people, Monguor (Tu) by the Chinese gove ...
, a Chinese- Bonan-Tibetan mixed language
A mixed language is a language that arises among a bilingual group combining aspects of two or more languages but not clearly deriving primarily from any single language. It differs from a creole language, creole or pidgin, pidgin language in that ...
, is spoken by some 2,000 people in the two villages of Upper and Lower Wutun, located on the eastern bank of the Rongwo River.[
]
Climate
Tongren has a highland humid continental climate ( Köppen ''Dwb'')
See also
* List of administrative divisions of Qinghai
References
External links
''A Century in Rebkong, Amdo''
an Amdo primer
Video about Tongren
- the city of Tongren and its most important monasteries with famous Buddhist art schools for Thangka painting
Travel Videos from mickspatz at www.spatz-darmstadt.de
- travel videos about Buddhist Monasteries and Tibetan Art of the Tongren-Rebkong valley and Xiahe
Videos about a great festival in Tongren-Rebkong, July 2006
By Italian writer Mario Biondi
Mario Biondi (born Mario Ranno, on 28 January 1971) is an Italian singer. His pseudonym takes up that of his father Giuseppe Ranno, singer, aka Stefano Biondi.
Early life
Born in Catania, Italy, Mario Biondi is the son of a popular song si ...
, in Italian
Photographs of Tongren/Repkong Shaman Festival
County-level divisions of Qinghai
Amdo
Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Cities in Qinghai
{{Qinghai-geo-stub