Deqin County 德钦县

Setting and landscape

The county is shaped like a long blade, about 188 kilometres north to south and 68 kilometres wide, with the Yunling range (云岭) on the east and the Nu River range (怒江山脉) on the west. The Mekong, here called the Lancang (澜沧江), and the Jinsha (金沙江) run through deep gorges; in places the valley floor lies 2,000 to 2,500 metres below the plateau surface. The Meili Snow Mountains (梅里雪山), Jiawu (甲吾雪山), Runzi (闰子雪山) and Baima Snow Mountains (白马雪山) all rise above 5,000 metres. The county town, Shengping (升平镇), stands at 3,400 metres.

Kawagebo (卡瓦格博), the main peak of the Meili range at 6,740 metres, is Yunnan's highest mountain, and the county government lists it among the snow peaks that no one has yet climbed. With twelve surrounding snow peaks that average above 4,800 metres, it forms the "Thirteen Peaks of the Prince" (太子十三峰). Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve covers 281,600 hectares and is a key habitat of the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey.

History

The name comes from a lamasery called Deqinling; in Tibetan "Deqin" means "great peace and happiness". In 1726 the Qing fixed the Sichuan-Yunnan boundary and placed the area, then called Adunzi (阿墩子), under Yunnan. The Republican authorities set up an Adunzi administrative bureau in 1932 and renamed it Deqin in 1935. In September 2024 Yezhi (叶枝镇) and Badi (巴迪乡) were moved into Deqin from Weixi Lisu Autonomous County (维西傈僳族自治县), and because of geological hazards a new county seat began construction at Yezhi on 26 April 2025.

What to see

The Mingyong Glacier (明永冰川) and Sinong Glacier (斯农冰川) are low-altitude, low-latitude glaciers visible from the east bank of the Lancang. The county government also points to Yubeng village (雨崩村), known as a secluded, otherworldly retreat. Between Benzilan (奔子栏) and the top of Baima Snow Mountain, the county government says, the landscape passes through different climate zones and shows the landforms of a tectonic plate suture.

The county has 16 Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, including Hongpo (红坡寺), Deqin (德钦寺) and Dongzhulin (东竹林寺). Nationally protected sites are Cizhong Church (茨中教堂), the Adunzi and Meili sections of the Tea Horse Road (茶马古道), the Yezhi chieftain's office (叶枝土司衙署) and the Tongle Lisu village houses (同乐傈僳族民居建筑群). Feilai Temple (飞来寺) is a provincial protected site. The Liutong River iron-chain bridge (溜筒江铁索桥) survives from the Yunnan-Tibet tea route, and Xidang (西当) and Niuba (纽巴) have hot springs.

Highlights

• Kawagebo 卡瓦格博: Main peak of the Meili range, 6,740 m, Yunnan's highest.
• Mingyong Glacier 明永冰川: Low-altitude glacier visible from the east bank of the Lancang.
• Yubeng village 雨崩村: Village known as a secluded retreat, in the county government's list of sights.
• Cizhong Church 茨中教堂: Nationally protected heritage site.
• Feilai Temple 飞来寺: Yunnan provincial protected site.
• Dongzhulin Monastery 东竹林寺: Tibetan Buddhist monastery known for murals; provincial protected site.