Wen County or Wenxian () is a county under the administration of the
prefecture-level city
A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure.
During the Republican era, many of China' ...
of
Longnan
Longnan () is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Gansu province in China. It borders Sichuan on its south and Shaanxi on its east. As of the 2020 Chinese census, the population of the prefecture-level city was 2,855,555.
Geography and ...
, in the southeast of
Gansu
Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province.
The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
province, China, bordering
Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
province to the south and west. It has a land area of 4,994 square kilometers, and a population of 241,000 (2019), notably having the largest population of
Baima people
The Baima people (), also called Baima Tibetans (), are classified by the Chinese government as a subgroup of Tibetans living in the southeast of Gansu and the northwest of Sichuan in China, especially in Pingwu and Jiuzhaigou Counties of Sichu ...
Wen County has been inhabited since the neolithic era, as evidenced by
Majiayao culture
The Majiayao culture was a group of neolithic communities who lived primarily in the upper Yellow River region in eastern Gansu, eastern Qinghai and northern Sichuan, China. The culture existed from 3300 to 2000 BC. The Majiayao culture represen ...
sites. The area was later inhabited by the Di people. Throughout the centuries, the area was ruled by many different dynasties and kingdoms.
As a result of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, 93% of households in Wen County had their homes damaged or collapsed. The main road to access the county,
China National Highway 212
China National Highway 212 (G212) runs from Lanzhou in Gansu to Chongqing. It was originally 1302 kilometres in length. In the 2013 National Highway Network Planning it was extended to Longbang, Guangxi, on the border with Vietnam. After the ex ...
, was also blocked in both directions.
Economy
Tea,
Codonopsis pilosula
''Codonopsis pilosula'', also known as ''Dangshen'' (), is a perennial species of flowering plant in the bellflower family. It is native to Asia, where it grows in forests, meadows, and scrub.Sichuan pepper,
walnut
A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''.
Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...
s and olive oil are the main agricultural produce of the region.
Two reservoirs ( Bikou Reservoir and Miaojiaba Reservoir) have been constructed in the
Bailong River
The Bailong River () is a river 576km long river in the Yangtze River basin. From its source to confluence with the Jialing River, the Bailong is actually longer and is thus the main stem of the Jialing River system. The scenic Jiuzhaigou reserve ...
. The reservoirs serve to provide hydroelectricity, aquaculture, flood control, irrigation and for tourism development. The county holds one fifth of total exploitable hydropower resources of Gansu. Wenxian is also rich in metal deposits, most notably the Yangshan gold mine is Asia's largest
Carlin–type gold deposit
Carlin–type gold deposits are sediment-hosted disseminated gold deposits. These deposits are characterized by invisible (typically microscopic and/or dissolved) gold in arsenic rich pyrite and arsenopyrite. This dissolved kind of gold is c ...
.
Geography
Major rivers in Wen County are the Bailong River, Baishui River, Baima River and Rangshui River.
Climate
Transport
*
China National Highway 212
China National Highway 212 (G212) runs from Lanzhou in Gansu to Chongqing. It was originally 1302 kilometres in length. In the 2013 National Highway Network Planning it was extended to Longbang, Guangxi, on the border with Vietnam. After the ex ...
*
G8513 Pingliang–Mianyang Expressway
The Pingliang–Mianyang Expressway (), commonly referred to as the ''Pingmian Expressway'' () is an expressway that connects the cities of Pingliang, Gansu, China, and Mianyang, Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; ...