Dahe Township, Gansu

Dahe Township is a township of Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, Zhangye, Gansu, China. Dahe Township is located within the Heihe river basin, in the Qilian Mountains, along Gansu Provincial Highway 220. Most of the township consists of grassland, which is home to around 100 red deer that eat the township's gojis in the midsummer. The township is home to large Yugur population,  which comprises about 46% of its population, and is also home to over 200 Tibetans. The township is home to the Ba'ersi Sheng Mountain Scenic area. Animal husbandry comprises a large portion of the township's economy, and sheep herding in particular plays a prominent role in the local economy.

The township spans an area of 3329 km2, and has a population of 4,401 as of 2018.

History
In 2019, archeologists found a number of rock paintings, many depicting deer, which may date back to approximately 1500 BCE.

Geography
Dahe Township is located in the middle of the Hexi Corridor, bordered by to the east,  to the west, Qilian County in Qinghai to the south, and Gaotai County and Linze County to the west. The township spans 90 km from east to west, and 70 km from north to south. Much of Dahe Township's area is grassland, however, there is a significant amount of forests in the township. The average elevation in Dahe Township is approximately 2660 m above sea level.

Major mountains in the township include Yumu Mountain, Heishan Peak , Jiudungou Ridge , Da Mountain , Binggou Peak , Shijuligou Head , Hongshizuizhong Ridge , and Xihong Geda.

Major rivers that flow through Dahe Township include Longchang River, Da River , Bailang River , Shuiguan River , Xi River , Shihuiguan River , and Maying River.

Flora and fauna
Wild animals native to the township include Thorold's deer, water deer, wild ox, argali, sheep, bears, panthers, wolves, lynx, snowcocks, and the blue eared pheasant. Plants native to the township include Saussurea involucrata, rhubarb, Hansenia weberbaueriana (syn. Notopterygium incisum), yedangshen, and. Many plants found native to the area are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Dahe Township also has an abundance of mushrooms and fat choy.

Climate
The township has an average annual temperature of 3 °C, annual precipitation ranging from 150 mm to 300 mm, an average of 2,680 annual hours of sunshine annually, and between 90 and 120 frost-free days per year.

Administrative divisions
Dahe Township has jurisdiction over the following 18 villages:


 * Guanghua
 * Datan
 * Hongwan
 * Dongling
 * Xiling
 * Xichache
 * Xihe
 * Yingpan
 * Tianqiaowan
 * Songmutan
 * Laohugou
 * Dacha
 * Baizhuangzi
 * Lamawan
 * Xiliugou
 * Jiusiwan
 * Hongbianzi
 * Jinchanghe

Ethnic groups
Dahe Township is a majority minority area, with the largest pluralities being the township's Han Chinese and Yugur populations, which both comprise about 46% of the township's population. Besides these two groups, there is also a sizable Tibetan population, as well as smaller amounts of Hui, Monguor, Mongol, and Miao peoples. Previous figures have put the Yugur population in Dahe Township at about 3,000 people, and noted its spread across numerous villages within the township. The Yugurs of Dahe Township speak a Turkic language, as opposed to many Yugurs to its east, who speak a Mongolic language. Yugurs in Dahe Township belong to the Mountain Yugur, or taglıg, subgroup.

Income
The county's per capita disposable income totaled 20,129.98 renminbi in 2020, a 6.3% increase from 2019.

In the early 1980s the township's average income demographics were studied closely for a book named Village, Market and Well-being.

Economy
Animal husbandry is a major portion of the township's economy, producing 49.64 million renminbi (RMB) worth of income in 2017. Sheep raising in particular is a major component of Dahe Township's economy, employing many. The town has a veterinary station to aid local herders. Dahe Township has a water conservation program to provide local herders with water.

Agriculture represents a much smaller, although still significant, portion of Dahe Township's economy, generating 5.21 million in income in 2017. Walnuts are also grown in the area.

Dahe Township also has a variety of mineral deposits, including coal, jade, serpentinite, copper, gold, gypsum, and limestone. However, Dahe is disputed mining site.

Education
Dahe has one primary school in the center of its administrative boundaries.

Culture
Yugur shamanism was practiced in the township until 1977, when the region's last shaman died.