Chabcha

Qabqa, also called Chabcha, lies in Gonghe County in Qinghai, on the high plateau basin south of Qinghai Lake in the Amdo region of the Tibetan world. At 2,835 metres above sea level, the town belongs to an environment whose thin air and cool conditions shape daily life. Its average annual temperature is only about 3.4 degrees Celsius, while average annual precipitation is about 321 millimetres, a dry and sharply seasonal climate that favours grazing over lowland farming.

The basin was pastoral country, grazed by Tibetan and Mongol herders. In the seventeenth century Oirat and Khalkha Mongols migrated to Qinghai and became known as the Qinghai Mongols, while Tibetans lived around the lake. In 1724 the Qinghai Mongols led by Lobzang Danjin revolted against the Qing dynasty. After putting down the rebellion, the Yongzheng Emperor stripped Qinghai of its autonomy and imposed direct rule.