Jigin

Jigin Township (جىغىن يېزىسى / جىعىن ايىلى / Jigen ) is considered to be the westernmost township of China located in Ulugqat County (Wuqia), Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The township covers an area of 1,452 square kilometers. It has four villages under its jurisdiction and its seat is at Saz Village (萨孜村).

History
The word Jigin comes from the Kyrgyz language, which means "get-together". It was part of the 4th Township of the 2nd district of Wuqia County in 1950 and part of Ulugqat Commune (乌鲁克恰提公社) in 1958.

Jigin Commune (吉根公社) was formed from Ulugqat Commune in 1962. In 1968 during the Cultural Revolution, the commune was renamed Fanxiu Commune (反修公社). The original name was restored in 1980.

In 1984, the commune was reorganized as a township.

Geography
Jigin Township is located 120 kilometers west of the county seat Wuqia Town and 25 kilometers away east of Arkaxtam Port on the China–Kyrgyzstan border. It is adjacent to Ulugqat Township in the east and Oksalur Township in the south, and borders with the Kyrgyz Republic in the northwest with a boundary line of 108 kilometers.

Jigen is located between 2,700 and 5,700 meters above sea level, with an average annual temperature of 6.2 degrees and an annual precipitation of 2.2 ml. The township has 253 hectares of cultivated grassland, 870 square kilometers of natural grassland, 2,667 hectares of natural forest. There are 18 mountain passes in the township.

Settlements
The township has 4 administration villages and 4 unincorporated villages under its jurisdiction.
 * Saz Village (Sazi; 萨孜村)
 * Simhana Village (Simuhana; 斯木哈纳村) 39.71278°N, 73.96361°W
 * Simhana is Kyrgyz for 'phone room' (电话房). Simhana is 113 km west of the Ulugqat (Wuqia) county seat on the southern bank of the Kezi River. Simhama is considered to be the westernmost village of China, located near Erkeshtam, Kyrgyzstan.
 * Sahal Village (Sahale; 萨哈勒村)
 * Hanaterak (Halatielieke; 哈拉铁列克村)

CCP Party Secretaries

 * Zhong Zi'ou (钟梓欧), 2017

Demographics
, the population of Jigin was 99.6% Kyrgyz.

Notable people

 * Burumahan Maoleduo (布茹玛汗·毛勒朵), wife in a herding family and on-foot border guard of fifty years