Tacheng (Chinese: 塔城), also known as Tarbagatay, Chuguchak or Qoqek, is a county-level city and the administrative seat of Tacheng Prefecture, in northern Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang. The Chinese name "Tacheng" is an abbreviation of "Tarbagatay City", a reference to the Tarbagatay Mountains. Tacheng is located in the Dzungarian Basin, some 10 km (6.2 mi) from the Chinese border with Kazakhstan. For a long time it has been a major center for trade with Central Asia because it is an agricultural hub. Its industries include food processing, textiles, and utilities.

History

In the mid-19th century, Chuguchak was considered the most important commercial center of Western China after Ghulja (Yining), being an important center of trade between China and Russia, in particular in tea. The city, surrounded by an earth wall, was the residence of two Qing ambans and had a garrison of some 1,000 Chinese soldiers and 1,500 Manchu and Mongol soldiers.

Chuguchak suffered harshly in 1865 during the fighting between the Qing forces and the Dungan and Hui rebels.

Tacheng is the site of an internment camp for Turkic Muslims such as the Uyghurs and Kazakhs; it is one of many such camps in Xinjiang. The Chinese government maintains that they are "vocational education centers" for citizens to learn trade skills and the Chinese language, and that the camp was shutdown in 2019. However, satellite imagery shows that the camp expanded five-fold later that year.

Border crossing

The Baktu border crossing (simplified Chinese: 巴克图口岸; traditional Chinese: 巴克圖口岸; pinyin: Bākètú Kǒu'àn) into Kazakhstan is located 17 km (11 mi) from Tacheng. The checkpoint on the Kazakh side of the border is also known as Bakhty and is located 60 km (37 mi) from Makanchi in East Kazakhstan Province. In April 1962, during the Yi–Ta incident, over 60,000 Chinese citizens, including around 48,000 Tacheng residents, crossed the Xinjiang–Kazakh SSR border, leading to massive economic loss in Tacheng; the border crossing closed in August of that year. The crossing re-opened on 20 October 1990, and was deemed a "first-class port of entry" (一类口岸) on 14 March 1994. On 1 July 1995, the crossing opened to use by third nations.

• 
  Kazakh-Chinese border near Tacheng

Demographics

The proportion of nationalities in Tacheng City Nationality Percentage Han People   60.9% Kazakhs   16.9% Hui People   8.5% Uyghurs   3.1% Daur people   3.1% Russian   1.4% Kyrgyz   1.1% Mongols   1.0% Xibe people   0.9% Tatars   0.1% Manchus   0.1% Uzbeks   0.1% Others   2.7% Source of the population statistics :

Administrative divisions

Tacheng is divided into 3 subdistricts, 2 towns, 3 townships, and 1 ethnic township,

Name	Simplified Chinese	Hanyu Pinyin	Uyghur (UEY)	Uyghur Latin (ULY)	Kazakh (Arabic script)	Kazakh (Cyrillic script)	Administrative division code
Subdistricts
Heping Subdistrict	和平街道	Hépíng Jiēdào	تېنچىلىق كوچا باشقارمىسى	tënchiliq kocha bashqarmisi	بەيبىت كوشە ءىس باسقارماسى	Бейбіт көше іс басқармасы	654201001
Dubik Subdistrict	杜别克街道	Dùbiékè Jiēdào	دۇبىك كوچا باشقارمىسى	dubik kocha bashqarmisi	دۋبەك كوشە ءىس باسقارماسى	Дубек көше іс басқармасы	654201002
Xincheng Subdistrict	新城街道	Xīnchéng Jiēdào	يېڭى شەھەر كوچا باشقارمىسى	yëngi sheher kocha bashqarmisi	جاڭا قالا كوشە ءىس باسقارماسى	Жаңа қала көше іс басқармасы	654201003
Towns
Ergong Town	二工镇	Èrgōng Zhèn	ئەرگۇڭ بازىرى	Ergung baziri	ارگۇڭ قالاشىعى	Әргүң қалашығы	654201100
Chasha Town	恰夏镇	Qiàxià Zhèn	چاشا بازىرى	chasha baziri	شاشا قالاشىعى	Шаша қалашығы	654201101
Bozdakh Town	博孜达克镇	Bózīdákè Zhèn	بوزداق بازىرى	bozdaq baziri	بوزداق قالاشىعى	Боздақ қалашығы	654201102
Townships
Karakabak Township	喀拉哈巴克乡	Kālāhǎbākè Xiāng	قاراقاباق يېزىسى	qaraqabaq yëzisi	قاراقاباق اۋىلى	Қарақабақ ауылы	654201200
Abdira Township	阿不都拉乡	Ābùdūlā Xiāng	ئابدىرا يېزىسى	Abdira yëzisi	ابدىرا اۋىلى	Абдыра ауылы	654201203
Ëmil Township	也门勒乡	Yěménlè Xiāng	ئېمىل يېزىسى	Ëmil yëzisi	ەمىل اۋىلى	Еміл ауылы	654201204
Ethnic Township
Axili Daur Ethnic Township	阿西尔达斡尔民族乡	Āxī'ěr Dáwò'ěr Mínzúxiāng	ئاشىلى داغۇر يېزىسى	Ashili daghur yëzisi	اشىلى داعۇر ۇلتتىق اۋىلى	Ашылы Дағұр Ұлттық ауылы	654201202

• Others
  • Bozdaq Farm (博孜达克农场, بوزداق دېھقانچىلىق مەيدانى, بوزداق اۋىل شارۋاشىلىعى الاڭىنداعى)
  • Tacheng Prefectural Pasture (塔城地区种牛场, تارباغاتاي ۋىلايەتلىك چارۋىچىلىق مەيدانى, تارباعاتاي ايماقتىق مال شارۋاشىلىعى الاڭىنداعى)
  • Woyijiayilao Pasture (窝依加依劳牧场, ئويجايلاۋ چارۋىچىلىق مەيدانى, ۋيجايلاۋ مال شارۋاشىلىعى الاڭىنداعى)
  • XPCC 164th Regiment (兵团一六四团, 164-تۇەن مەيدانى, 164-تۋان الاڭىنداعى)

Climate

Tacheng has a typical Xinjiang cool semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) that is almost moist enough to be a hot summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), as being on the west side of the Altay Mountains the region receives more winter snowfall than most of Xinjiang.

Transportation

The Karamay–Tacheng Railway (opened on May 30, 2019) connects Tacheng with Baikouquan Station (百口泉站) on the Kuytun–Beitun Railway in Karamay City. It takes 9 hours from Tacheng to Ürümqi.

Tacheng is also served by the Tacheng Qianquan Airport with flights to Ürümqi and other cities in Xinjiang.