Yanqi Hui Autonomous County

Yanqi Hui Autonomous County 焉耆回族自治县 (Chinese) ﻳﯾًﺎ چِ ﺧُﻮِ ذُﻮْ ذِ جِ ﺷِﯿًﺎ (Xiao'erjing) يەنجى خۇيزۇ ئاپتونوم ناھىيىسى (Uyghur) Kara Shahr; Yenki
County
Mosque in the city center of Yanqi
Yanqi County (red) within Bayin'gholin Prefecture (yellow) and Xinjiang
Yanqi Location of the seat in Xinjiang
Coordinates: 42°03′35″N 86°34′27″E
Country	People's Republic of China
Autonomous region	Xinjiang
Autonomous prefecture	Bayin'gholin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard)

Yanqi Hui Autonomous County
Kaidu River (开都河), ancient name Liusha River (流沙河), in the seat of Yanqi
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	焉耆回族自治县
Traditional Chinese	焉耆回族自治縣
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yānqí Huízú Zìzhìxiàn other Mandarin Xiao'erjing ﻳﯾًﺎ چِ ﺧُﻮِ ذُﻮْ ذِ جِ ﺷِﯿًﺎ
Uyghur name
Uyghur	يەنجى خۇيزۇ ئاپتونوم ناھىيىسى‎
Transcriptions Latin Yëziqi Yenji Xuyzu Aptonom Nahiyisi Yengi Yeziⱪ Yenji Xuyzu Aptonom Nahiyisi SASM/GNC Yanji Huyzu Aptonom Nahiyisi Siril Yëziqi Үәнҗи Хуизу Аптоном Наһийиси

Yanqi Hui Autonomous County (Uyghur: Qarasheher, Karashahr) is an autonomous county in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Bayin'gholin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture. It has an area of 2,429 km² (938 sq mi). According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 120,000. The Qigexing Buddhist Temple Ruins are located in Yanqi County, about 25–30 km (16–19 mi) southwest of the town of Yanqi.

Administrative division

The autonomous county contains four towns and four townships:

Towns:

• Yanqi Town (焉耆镇; Yānqí Zhèn), consisting of ten residential communities (社区; shèqū) und one village, seat of the county government, 29.000 inhabitants (2000);
• Qigxin (七个星镇; Qīgèxīng Zhèn), one residential community and nine villages, 12.629 inhabitants (2000);
• Yongning (永宁镇; Yŏngníng Zhèn), two residential communities and eight villages, 18.235 inhabitants (2000);
• Sishilichengzi (四十里城子镇; Sìshílǐchéngzi Zhèn), one residential community and five villages, 8.722 inhabitants (2000);

Townships:

• Beidaqu (北大渠乡; Bĕidàqú Xiāng; 'Northern Great Canal Village'), six villages, 9.026 inhabitants (2000);
• Wuhaoqu (五号渠乡; Wŭhàoqú xiāng; 'Fifth Canal Village'), one residential community and nine villages, 14.791 inhabitants (2000);
• Qagan Qehe (查汗采开乡; Cháhàn Cǎikāi Xiāng), four villages, 5.841 inhabitants (2000);
• Borhoi (包尔海乡; Bāoĕrhǎi Xiāng), five villages, 6.614 inhabitants (2000).

In addition, there three state owned operations in the county (2000):

• State farm (for pasture farming) Wangjiazhuang (王家庄牧场; Wángjiāzhuāng Mùchǎng), 1.221 inhabitants,
• Breeding farm for the Suhai breed (苏海良种场; Sūhǎi Liángzhŏng Chǎng), 1.555 inhabitants,
• Production and Construction Corps Number 27 (兵团27团; Bīngtuán 27 Tuán), 9.895 inhabitants

History

See Karasahr.

Economy

The county economy is predominately agricultural with 13,000 hectares used to cultivate red pepper. The county is considered the most important area for red pepper production in China. During the red pepper harvest season beginning in September, the county is home to the remarkable sight of drying peppers sitting in the Gobi Desert "as far as the eye can see".