Shule County

Not to be confused with Yengisar County or Xinshi District, Ürümqi.

Shule County, also known as Yengisheher County^[4] or Yengixahar County,^[5] is a county of Kashgar Prefecture, in Xinjiang, China. It is located to the south of Kashgar. In ancient times, the Shule area was once the home to a Xiyu oasis civilisation, the Shule Kingdom.

Shule County 疏勒县 (Chinese) يېڭىشەھەر ناھىيىسى (Uyghur) Yengisheher, Yengixahar
County
Location of Shule County (red) within Kashgar Prefecture (yellow) and Xinjiang
Shule Location of the seat in Xinjiang Show map of Southern Xinjiang Shule Shule (Xinjiang) Show map of Xinjiang Shule Shule (China) Show map of China
Coordinates: 39°23′29″N 76°02′24″E
Country	China
Autonomous region	Xinjiang
Prefecture	Kashgar
County seat	Yengisheher (Shule)
Area [1]
• Total	2,394 km2 (924 sq mi)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	355,544
• Density	148.5/km2 (384.7/sq mi)
Ethnic groups
• Major ethnic groups	Uyghur[3]
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard[a])
Postal code	844200
Website	shule.gov.cn (in Chinese)

Shule County
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	疏勒县
Traditional Chinese	疏勒縣
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shūlè Xiàn Wade–Giles Shu¹-lê⁴ Hsien⁴
Alternative Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	英纳协海尔县
Traditional Chinese	英納協海爾縣
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yīngnàxiéhǎi'ěr Xiàn
Second alternative Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	喀什噶尔英纳协海尔县
Traditional Chinese	喀什噶爾英納協海爾縣
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Kāshígá'ěr Yīngnàxiéhǎi'ěr Xiàn
Uyghur name
Uyghur	قەشقەر يېڭىشەھەر ناھىيىسى‎
Literal meaning	Kashgar New City County
Transcriptions Latin Yëziqi Qeshqer Yëngisheher Nahiyisi Yengi Yeziⱪ Ⱪəxⱪər Yengixǝⱨǝr naⱨiyisi SASM/GNC Kaxgar Yengixahar Nahiyisi Siril Yëziqi Қәшқәр Йеңишәһәр наһийиси

Etymology

Shule originally referred to Kashgar's new city, built by Han Chinese settlers, located 6 miles (9.7 km) from the old one.^[6] Shule may have been an attempt by the Chinese to transcribe the Sanskrit name for Kashgar, Śrīkrīrāti (lit. 'fortunate hospitality').^[7] The county's Uyghur name literally means "Kashgar New City".

History

On May 31, 2012, Sidik Kurban was sentenced by Shule County Intermediate People's Court to fifteen years in jail and five years deprivation of political rights for 'inciting ethnic separatism' related to involvement in 'illegal religious activities'. For a decade, he had overseen home-based religious schools for eighty-six students.^[8]

Administrative divisions

The county includes 3 towns and 12 townships.^[9][10][1]

Name	Simplified Chinese	Hanyu Pinyin	Uyghur (UEY)	Uyghur Latin (ULY)	Administrative division code
Towns
Yengisheher Town[11][12] (Shule Town)	疏勒镇 (英协海尔镇)	Shūlè Zhèn	يېڭىشەھەر بازىرى	yëngisheher baziri	653124100
Hanerik Town	罕南力克镇	Hǎnnánlìkè Zhèn	خانئېرىق بازىرى[12]	xan'ëriq baziri	653124101
Yapchan Town	牙甫泉镇	Yáfǔquán Zhèn	ياپچان بازىرى	yapchan baziri	653124102
Townships
Barin Township	巴仁乡	Bārén Xiāng	بارىن يېزىسى[12]	barin yëzisi	653122200
Yanduma Township	洋大曼乡	Yángdàmàn Xiāng	ياندۇما يېزىسى	yanduma yëzisi	653122201
Yamanyar Township	亚曼牙乡	Yàmànyá Xiāng	يامانيار يېزىسى	yamanyar yëzisi	653122202
Baghchi Township	巴合齐乡	Bāhéqí Xiāng	باغچى يېزىسى	baghchi yëzisi	653122203
Tazghun Township	塔孜洪乡	Tǎzīhóng Xiāng	تازغۇن يېزىسى[12]	tazghun yëzisi	653122204
Yengierik Township	英尔力克乡	Yīng'ěrlìkè Xiāng	يېڭىئېرىق يېزىسى	yëngi'ëriq yëzisi	653122205
Kumusherik Township	库木西力克乡	Kùmùxīlìkè Xiāng	قۇمۇشئېرىق يېزىسى	qumush'ëriq yëzisi	653122206
Tagharchi Township	塔尕尔其乡	Tǎgǎ'ěrqí Xiāng	تاغارچى يېزىسى	tagharchi yëzisi	653122207
Ermudun Township	艾尔木东乡	Ài'ěrmùdōng Xiāng	ئەرمۇدۇن يېزىسى	Ermudun yëzisi	653122208
Aral Township	阿拉力乡	Ālālì Xiāng	ئارال يېزىسى	Aral yëzisi	653122209
Harap Township	阿拉甫乡	Ālāfǔ Xiāng	ھاراپ يېزىسى[12]	harap yëzisi	653122210
Yengiawat Township	英阿瓦提乡	Yīng'āwǎtí Xiāng	يېڭىئاۋات يېزىسى	yëngi'awat yëzisi	653122211

Economy

As of 1885^[update], there was about 85,400 acres (555,448 mu) of cultivated land in Shule.^[13]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2000	284,853	—
2010	312,455	+0.93%
[9]

As of 2015, 350,301 of the 377,029 residents of the county were Uyghur, 25,709 were Han Chinese and 1,019 were from other ethnic groups.^[14]

As of 1999, 93% of the population of Shule County was Uyghur and 6.7% of the population was Han Chinese.^[15]

Transportation

Shule is served by China National Highway 315 and the Kashgar-Hotan Railway.

Notable persons

• Almikhan Seyit / Alimihan Seyiti (ئالمىخان سېيىت / 阿丽米罕·色依提) (in Uyghur), claimed to have died at 132 years old

Historical maps

Maps including Shule:

• 
  Map including Shule (labeled as Yangishahr) (1917)
• 
  Map including Shule (labeled as SU-LO) from the International Map of the World (AMS, 1966)^[b]
• 
  From the Operational Navigation Chart; map including Shule (labeled as SHULE (SU-LE) (walled)) (DMA, 1980)^[c]
• 
  Map including Shule (Shu-le) (DMA, 1983)
• 
  Map including Shule (labeled as SHULE (SU-LE) (walled)) (DMA, 1984)^[d]

Notes

1. Locals in Xinjiang frequently observe UTC+6 (Xinjiang Time), 2 hours behind Beijing.
2. From map: "DELINEATION OF INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES MUST NOT BE CONSIDERED AUTHORITATIVE"
3. From map: "The representation of international boundaries is not necessarily authoritative."
4. From map: "The representation of international boundaries is not necessarily authoritative"