Pilal
Pilal is a township of Akto County in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Located in the west of the northeastern part of the county, the township covers an area of 186 square kilometers with a population of 46,981. It has 22 administrative villages and a farm under its jurisdiction. Its seat is at Pilal Village .
Name
The name of Piral is from Uighur language, that evolved from the word "pul-al", meaning "paying" or "pay money". The place was named Pilal because there used to be a market in this place 270 years ago.History
In 1958, Pilal Commune was established.In 1967 during the Cultural Revolution, Pilal Commune was renamed Hongqi Commune.
In 1984, the commune became Pilal Township.
In September 2017, it was reported that a policewoman from Pilal had claimed that "several thousand detainees" were in the Xinjiang internment camps system in Akto County, saying the facilities were "closed schools" where authorities keep internees "detained day and night, and they continuously receive political and ideological education." She further commented that, "A few people are released after two or three months. But most detainees are sent to the camps indefinitely."
Geography and resources
The township of Pilal is located between 75°45′- 76°01′ east longitude and 38°08′- 39°16′ north latitude and in the alluvial plain of Gez River to the northwest of the county seat. It is bordered by Tortayi Farm to the east, by Barin Township, Akto Town and Ujme Township to the south, by Buraksu Township of Shufu County to the west, by the 41st Regiment of the XPCC across Yuepuhu River to the north. Its maximum distance is 24 kilometers from west to east and 11 kilometers from north to south. It has an area of 186 square kilometers with an area of 6 118 hectares of arable land. The distance between the seat of the township and the county seat is 11 kilometers.The township has a temperate continental arid climate with a long frost-free period. Its annual average temperature is 12 °C, the average temperature in January is -7.4 °C, and the average temperature in July is 24.9 °C. Its terrain is flat with sufficient water source. It is rich in mineral resources, mainly iron, copper, gold, aluminum, zinc and coal.
The soil is fertile, part of which are silt and salt soil. The natural conditions for developing agriculture are very advantageous. Pilal Township has a long history of planting rice. It is known as the “Plateau Rice land” and is the main rice producing area in Akto County.
Administrative divisions
The township has 22 administration villages and a farm under its jurisdiction.;22 administration villages:
- Aqmechit Village, ئاقمەسچىت كەنتى, اقمەچئت قىشتاعى )
- Aqtichi Village
- *Aqto Village
- *
- Beshterek Village
- Charbagh Village
- Chongbash Village
- Dondura Village
- Hoyla'aldi Village
- Inaq Village
- Kosila Village
- Parach Village
- Pilal Village
- Qarasu Village
- Suluq Village
- *
- Tazliq Village
- Toghraq Village
- Tughchi Village
- Uzunla Village
- Yaylighan Village
- Yengi'arpa Village
- Yengibagh Village
- Yikchile Village
- Qingnian Farm
- Qarliq