China , Sichuan , shimian

Overview of Asbestos County

Asbestos County, belonging to Ya'an City, Sichuan Province, China, is located at the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau and the middle reaches of the Dadu River, and is named after the rich asbestos mines. With an area of 2,678 square kilometers and a population of about 120,000, the county is a mountainous county with a predominantly Han Chinese population and a concentration of Yi, Tibetan and other ethnic groups.

Geographic and Ecological Features

The terrain of Asbestos County is high in the northwest and low in the southeast, with an altitude of between 780-5793 meters. It has natural landscapes such as the glaciers on the south slope of Gongga Mountain and the Tianwan River Scenic Area. As a buffer zone of the Giant Panda Habitat World Natural Heritage, it is rich in biodiversity, and is also an important hydropower base in western Sichuan.

History and Culture

Asbestos is one of the places where the Red Army's Long March to cross the Dadu River took place, and the Anshunchang Ancient Town is a national key cultural relics protection unit. The local area is a blend of Chinese, Yi and Tibetan cultures, with unique folk activities such as the Torch Festival and the Ersu Tibetan Ringed Chicken Festival, as well as reputable agricultural products such as yellow fruit citrus and walnuts.

Economic Development

With hydropower, minerals (asbestos, yellow phosphorus ore) and specialty agriculture as the pillar industries, ecotourism has been developing rapidly in recent years, and with the Yaxi Expressway running through the whole territory, transportation convenience has been significantly improved, and it is being constructed as an important node of the ecological and economic corridor of western Sichuan.