Longlin Various Nationalities Autonomous County
Longlin Various Nationalities Autonomous County is an autonomous county, under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Baise, in the west of Guangxi, China, bordering Guizhou Province to the north and west. As of 2019, the county's population was 437,907 people.
The county is inhabited by several ethnic minorities, including the Miao, Yi, Gelao and Zhuang, who constitute approximately 80% of the county's population.
History
Present-day Longlin was first incorporated into the Song dynasty in 1253, when it fell under the jurisdiction of Anlongdong as part of the. In 1402, the area was reorganized as Anlong Prefecture, until 1666, when it was again reorganized as. Xilong Prefecture underwent administrative changes in 1729, but otherwise went unchanged until 1912, when the Republic of China was established and the area was reorganized as Xilong County.The area became part of the People's Republic of China in March 1950, and a communist-led local government was set up on March 18, 1950. On January 1, 1953, the area was renamed from Xilong County to Longlin County.
Geography
Longlin is bordered by Tianlin County to the east, Xilin County to the south, Xingyi, Guizhou to the west, and by Anlong County and Ceheng County in Guizhou Province to the north. The county is home to the Tianshengqiao I and Tianshengqiao II dams, which sit along the Nanpan River.Climate
Administrative divisions
Longlin County is divided into 6 towns and 10 townships. The county government is seated in the town of .The county's 6 towns are Xinzhou, Yacha, , , De'e, and .
The county's 10 townships are , , , , , , , , , and .
Demographics
Vital statistics
As of 2010, the county had a crude birth rate of 20.04 per 1,000, and a crude death rate of 5.37 per 1,000, giving the county a rate of natural increase of 14.67 per 1,000.Ethnic groups
Zhuang people
The Zhuang people of Longlin have various cultural similarities with the Yue people who historically inhabited the area, including the use of, as well as various autonyms. The towns of,, and, as well as and all have significant Zhuang populations.Miao people
The county is home to six different groups of Miao people:- Lopsided Miao, whose autonyms are Meng Sha and Meng Xia
- Red Head Miao, whose autonyms are Meng Lin, Meng Lun, Meng Ling, or Shou Lun
- Clear Water Miao, whose autonym is Meng Pu
- White Miao, whose autonym is Meng Lou
- Flower Miao, whose autonym is Meng Zou
- Vegetable Miao, also known in Chinese as the Ginger Planing Miao, the Zai River Miao, and the Zai Village Miao, and whose autonyms are Meng Jia Ka and Meng Bai
The towns of and De'e, as well as the townships of,, and all have significant Miao populations. The former townships of Kechang, Changfa, and Changme also have considerable Miao populations.
Yi people
Longlin is home to a considerable amount of Yi, who historically lived in western Yunnan. Historical documents from the Nanzhao State suggest that certain Yi populations left Yunnan to avoid inter-tribal violence. Considerable Yi populations live in, De'e, and. Within De'e, Yi people are concentrated in Agao, Nadi, Nongbao, Tangshi, and 10 other villages. Yi are also found scattered across various villages in,, and the former townships of Changfa and Kechang.Gelao people
The county's Gelao people moved to the area from Guizhou during the early Qing dynasty, with local legends suggesting that the reason for this migration could have been conflict or famine.In May 1990, a group of people known as the Lai, who moved to the area from Guizhou during the early Ming dynasty, were determined to be part of the Gelao people by the county government after a five-day hearing on the matter. When the change was made in 1990, 978 people who were formerly classified as Lai in ethnicity were re-designated Gelao in ethnicity.
The county's Gelao people are largely found in De'e,,,, and. The villages of Sanchong and Moji have particularly large Gelao populations.
Han Chinese
The first migration of Han Chinese to the area took place shortly after the Song dynasty, and a document from 1673 suggests more than 10 Han families lived in area at the time. Areas with large Han populations are, Yacha,,,,,,,, and.Unrecognized groups
The autonomous county is home to some Bolyu people, an unrecognized ethnic minority. The Bolyu mostly live in the northern portion of the autonomous county, alongside local Miao populations.Some Longjia people also live in the northern part of the county.
Economy
As of 2019, the county's primary sector accounts for 26.1% of the economy, the secondary sector accounts for 19.5%, and the tertiary sector accounts for 54.4%.As of 2019, the disposable income of the county's urban residents averages 32,508 Yuan, and the disposable income of the county's rural residents averages 9,972 Yuan.
Culture
Each year, at the beginning of the lunar new year, a festival in the village of De'e is held, featuring the music and dance of the various ethnic groups who live in the area. Each ethnic group also has its own traditions to celebrate the lunar new year, some of which are shared across multiple different groups.The county's different peoples also have festivals unique to their own ethnicity, as well as festivals shared across multiple different ethnicities, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and the Double Third Festival.