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| Introduction |
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Ngari Prefecture is located in the western part of Tibetan Autonomous Region, bordering Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, India and Nepal. It covers an area of 304,683 sq km. The average altitude of Ngari is approximately 4,500 meters, which is the highest among all the regions of the Tibet. The population of the prefecture amounted to 0.08 million by the end of 2009. Tibetans account for over 90% of Ngari's population.
Because of the high altitude, Ngari has an extremely cold and dry climate. The temperature difference between day and night is very large. The average temperature is 0°C, while the average annual precipitation is 190 mm. Rainfall in May to September accounts for over 80% of the total every year.
Ngari is rich in natural resources. The Shiquan River and Yarlung Zangbu Geothermal Area, Kunlun Mountain and Kekexili Geothermal Area, and Gangdisi Mountain and Nianqing Tanggula Mountain Geothermal Area, are located in Ngari. Mineral resources such as salt, boron, aluminum, Glauber's salt, chromium, silver and gold are abundant. Grassland occupies approximately 87% of Ngari's total area.
Transportation in Ngari mainly relies on highways and is not convenient. There are two highways connecting Ngari with Lhasa, capital of Tibet, namely the northern highway and the southern highway, which are 1,760 km and 1,190 km from Lhasa, respectively. The Ngari Kunsha Airport, located in the southwestern part of Shiquanhe Town, currently is under construction and is expected to start operation in 2011.
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| Economic Features |
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Ngari realized GDP of RMB 1.5 billion in 2008, representing a rise of 13% year on year. The prefecture's GDP accounted for approximately 3.8% of Tibet's total and ranked the last out of seven in the autonomous region.
Agricultural sector, the smallest contributor to the prefecture's economy, generated value-added output of RMB 328 million in 20087, accounting for 21.7% of the prefecture's GDP. Animal husbandry is an important contributor to the city's agricultural sector.
In 2008, secondary industry (industry and construction) realized value-added industrial output of RMB 357 million, accounting for 23.6% of the prefecture's total. By the end of 2008, the city has more than 270 enterprises. In 2008, the private sector generated sales revenue of RMB 210 million and brought output value of RMB 7 million.
Service sector, the largest contributor to Ngari's economy, generated value-added output of RMB 828 million, accounting for 55.7% of the prefecture's total GDP in 2007.
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| Cultural Highlights |
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Ngari is famous as a religious faith center in Tibet. Since ancient times, Ngari has been known as a religious center of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Bon, a traditional Tibetan religion.
In addition to traditional Tibetan festivals such as the Bathing Festival, the Tibetan Yoghourt Festival, the Horse Racing Festival and the Sunning of the Buddha Festival, Ngari also attaches importance to Daqin Buddhist Celebrations and Kejia Temple Buddhist Celebrations.
In addition, since Ngari, headstream of hundreds of rivers, is located at the intersection of Mount Everest, the Gangdise Mountains, the Karakorum Mountains and the Kunlun Mountains, it is called the ancestor of mountains and rivers.
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| Tourist Attraction |
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Ngari has natural beauty and a charming cultural heritage. Tourist attractions include Kejia Temple, Ritu Cave Ancient Fresco, Gangren Boqi Mountain (which is considered a holy mountain by local people), Tuolin Temple, Holy Mapang Yongcuo Lake, the Guge Kingdom Ruins (which are 1,300 years old), and Bangong Lake.
Traditional Tibetan staple foods such as Zanba, which is made of roasted qingke (a kind of cereal), barley flour, butter tea, and Tibetan Qingke Liquor, are also popular among local Ngari Tibetan people.
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