Reported By Tamdin Tso and Kelsang Jinpa
Translated By TenGyal
edited by kelsang Jinpa
The Chinese government reportedly aims to complete relocating Dechen (Deqen/Diqing) County to Yezhi Township in Weixi County by the end of the year.
The Chinese government is currently relocating Dechen County of the Dechen (Deqen) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture from its present location to another site. Under the first phase of the relocation plan, starting from May 13 this year until today, Aug 28, 414 households from Dechen County have already been moved to Yezhi Town in Weixi County. Dechen County and Yezhi Town are only 4.5 kilometres apart, and a local source mentioned that more than 700 households from Dechen County will be relocated in the near future.
According to information gathered by our correspondent, under the second phase of the relocation plan, 718 households from Dechen County, along with local Communist Party and government offices, as well as hospitals and schools, are scheduled to be relocated, with the entire relocation project slated to be completed by the end of this year.
The Chinese government stated that Dechen County is among the 165 regions in China at high risk for natural disasters, it faces a continuous threat of hazards such as landslides, rockfalls, and floods. Additionally, officials noted that the heavy concentration of residents in the county seat leaves no safe place to evacuate when a natural disaster strikes.
Additionally, according to a local source in Dechen County, extensive government mining operations in the surrounding area have caused severe geological damage, compounded by ongoing reservoir construction for hydropower projects. At the same time, a growing influx of outside settlers has led to a significant population increase in the region.
The plan to relocate Dechen County was first proposed in 2020, and in September 2024, Yezhi Town and Bade (Badong) Township were officially incorporated into Deqen County.
Census data collected by Chinese authorities between late 2024 and early 2025 places the total population of Dechen County at 74,800, with 14,000 residents based in the county seat and 60,800 distributed across rural areas. Ethnic minorities account for 98 percent of the county’s population, spanning 25 groups—including Tibetan, Naxi, Lisu, and Han communities—across its three towns and seven townships.
Dechen County located in the Dechen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, sits at the foot of Mount Khawa Karpo—a sacred peak revered by Tibetans as one of the Twelve Protector Deities. The county lies at the core of the Three Parallel Rivers UNESCO World Heritage site, where the Gyalmo Ngulchu (Salween/Nu), Zachu (Mekong/Lancang), and Drichu (Yangtze/Jinsha) rivers run side-by-side, and historically served as a vital hub along the ancient Tea Horse Road.
Reports emerged in May that Chinese authorities had shut down the Khawa Karpo Beneficent Technical School in Dechen County. Following the closure, there are currently no Tibetan-language schools operating in Dechen County, leaving only a small minority of residents fluent in written Tibetan.
