Xietongmen County (Shetongmen) is located in the south-central Tibet Autonomous Region, on the north shore of the Yarlung Zangbo River. It borders Nanmulin County to the east, Lazi County, Sagya County, and Shigatse City to the south, Angren County to the west, and Nagqu Nyima County and Shenza County to the north. The county’s name, Xietongmen, translates to “happy at sight” in Tibetan.
During the Tubo Zangzampu period, Xietongmen was the residence of the Muxin family, one of the six families of the descendants of this religion. In the 14th century, it was under the jurisdiction of Sangzhuzizong. In the middle of the 18th century, the Gaxia government set up a card for us to live in and pass through. County in June 1959, is under the jurisdiction of the Shigatse region so far. It covers an area of 14,063 square kilometers and has 18 townships with a population of nearly 50,000. The county government is located in the town of Kaga.
Geographically, Xietongmen County is situated in the central valley of Tibet, with the Gangdishan Mountains lying between east and west, and low-lying land to the north and south. The county is roughly divided into three parts: the northern plateau, which accounts for 2/3 of the county area and has an average elevation of more than 5,000 meters; the southern valley, which is flat with different widths and has an average elevation of about 4,100 meters; and the western plateau, which is a high mountain and deep valley with an average altitude of 4,500 meters.
Xietongmen experiences a plateau temperate semi-arid monsoon climate zone, with the north being dry and cold, the south and west being more humid, and the sunshine being long with a large temperature difference. The annual sunshine hours range from 2,980 to 3,120, the annual amount of precipitation is about 400 millimeters, and the annual average temperature is 4 degrees Celsius. Natural disasters include drought, frost, hail, and snow.
Xietongmen is a semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral county. The cultivated land area spans 66,000 mu, with major crops including highland barley, wheat, buckwheat, rape, and more. The grassland area covers 10 million mu, primarily used for raising yaks, yellow cattle, sheep, goats, and other animals. Mineral resources in the county include gold, copper, iron, lead, zinc, limestone, granite, and more, earning it the name “mineral source treasure place.”
Wild animals in Xietongmen County include Tibetan wild donkeys, gazelle, antelope, snow pigs, lynxes, leopards, bears, bobcats, snow chickens, yellow ducks, swans, and black-necked cranes, among others. The county is famous for its leather goods, cushions, pulu, pottery, and Ka Ga Tibetan Dao. Among these, ancient cattle pottery is exported to Lhasa, Shigatse, and other places, while Kaga Tibetan Dao is renowned both at home and abroad. The county also has musk, cordyceps, fritillaria, rhubarb, and other precious medicinal materials.
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