Get to know Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County
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- Administrative area
- Autonomous county · 自治县
- Part of
- Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture
- Chinese name
- 察布查尔锡伯自治县
- Local areas
- Autonomous county guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 4,469.36 km²
- Population · 2020
- 157,764
- Administrative seat
- Cabcal Town
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Food, embroidery and archery
Xibe Ancient City (锡伯古城) is in Sunzhaqi Niulu Town (孙扎齐牛录镇). The complex presents Xibe history, westward migration and folk traditions through food, clothing, embroidery, bows and arrows, and dance. China News Service (中新社) photographed visitors dancing with local professional dancers there on 10 January 2026. Its coverage also describes the preservation of the Xibe language, writing and folk stories.
A river corridor with different functions
Qapqal Ili River National Wetland Park (察布查尔伊犁河国家湿地公园) received approval as a pilot national wetland park in December 2016. It lies in the Ili valley basin and extends west to the China–Kazakhstan river boundary. Its five functional zones distinguish conservation, ecological restoration, educational display, recreation-oriented use and management services. Wetlands occupy approximately 2,508 of the park’s 3,517 hectares.
Sources for this guide
新疆伊犁：走进察布查尔县锡伯古城_旅游_察布查尔县人民政府网 · China News Service, republished by Qapqal County Government
新疆察布查尔伊犁河国家湿地公园简介_景点推荐_察布查尔县人民政府网 · Qapqal County Government
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-27.
Explore Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County
Xibe Ancient City · Plan your visit
Getting there
Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County is about 15 km in a straight line from central Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. Search for 察布查尔锡伯自治县 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Start with Xibe Ancient City. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture →More in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Photo: Xibe Ancient City · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.