Wensu County (Chinese: 温宿县), also known as Onsu County (Uyghur: ئونسۇ ناھىيىسى, romanized:Onsu Nahiyisi), is a county in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, under the administration of Aksu Prefecture, bordering Kyrgyzstan's Issyk-Kul Region to the northwest. It has an area of 14,309 km2 (5,525 sq mi).

Etymology

The toponym Wensu (温宿) had appeared in historical records of the Western Han Dynasty as one of the 36 states in the Western Regions. The name 'Onsu' means "ten rivers" in Uyghur and other Turkic languages. The name is similar to that of the nearby Zhetysu region which means "seven rivers"- both names consist of a number followed by 'su' (river; water). The name Aksu is Turkic for 'white water'.

In Uyghur, the county is called Aksu Konaxahar (阿克苏阔纳协海尔) meaning 'the old city of Aksu'.

History

Wensu County was established in 1902.

On May 29, 1958, Wensu County was eliminated and its territory made part of Aksu County. In 1962, Wensu County was restored.

In a Radio Free Asia interview, a Han Chinese staffer in the Wensu County local government said that in July 2017, a policy to affix QR codes to all knives belonging to Uyghurs was being carried out.

As of March 2018, every cadre in the county was required to spend eight days a month at the home of villagers.

In the late 2010s, Wensu County was the site of vocational education and training centers (also understood as deradicalization centers, re-education camps or concentration camps). According to a Radio Free Asia interview with an officer at the Wensu county police station, as of August 2018, 30,000 persons, or about one in six Uyghurs in the county (approximately 16% of the overall population of the county), were detained in re-education camps.

Administrative divisions

Wensu County administered 8 towns, 4 townships, and 1 ethnic township.

NameSimplified ChineseHanyu PinyinUyghur (UEY)Uyghur Latin (ULY)Administrative division codeNotes
Towns
Onsu Town (Wensu Town)温宿镇Wēnsù Zhènئونسۇ بازىرىOnsu baziri652922100
Tumxuk Town吐木秀克镇Tǔmùxiùkè Zhènتۇمشۇق بازىرىtumshuq baziri652922101formerly Tumxuk Township (吐木秀克乡)
Qizil Town克孜勒镇Tǔmùxiùkè Zhènقىزىل بازىرىqizil baziri652922102formerly Qizil Township (克孜勒乡)
Aral Town阿热勒镇Ārèlè Zhènئارال بازىرىAral baziri652922103formerly Aral Township (阿热勒乡)
Jam Town佳木镇Jiāmù Zhènجام بازىرىjam baziri652922104formerly Jam Township (佳木乡)
Topkhan Town托甫汗镇Tuōfǔhàn Zhènتوپقان بازىرىtopqan baziri652922105
Komsumul Town共青团镇Gòngqīngtuán Zhènكومسۇمۇل بازىرىkomsumul baziri652922106
Kökyar Town柯柯牙镇Kēkēyá Zhènكۆكيار بازىرىkökyar baziri652922107
Townships
Toxula Township托乎拉乡Tuōhūlā Xiāngتوخۇلا يېزىسىtoxula yëzisi652922200
Chaghraq Township恰格拉克乡Qiàgélākè Xiāngچاغراق يېزىسىchaghraq yëzisi652922202
Ishlemchi Township依希来木其乡Yīxīláimùqí Xiāngئىشلەمچى يېزىسىIshlemchi yëzisi652922204
Gulawat Township (Gule Awati)古勒阿瓦提乡Gǔlè'āwǎtí Xiāngگۈلئاۋات يېزىسىgül'awat yëzisi652922206
Ethnic township
Bozdong Kyrgyz Ethnic Township博孜墩柯尔克孜族乡Bózīdūn Kē'ěrkèzīzú Xiāngبوزدۆڭ قىرغىز يېزىسىbozdöng qirghiz yëzisi652922207(Kyrgyz) بوزدۅڭ قىرعىز ايىلى Боздөң Кыргыз айылы

Climate

Climate data for Onsu, elevation 1,133 m (3,717 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1991–present)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)8.1 (46.6)17.1 (62.8)26.8 (80.2)34.6 (94.3)34.7 (94.5)37.0 (98.6)39.6 (103.3)38.2 (100.8)33.9 (93.0)28.9 (84.0)23.0 (73.4)9.8 (49.6)39.6 (103.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)−1.0 (30.2)5.3 (41.5)14.2 (57.6)22.4 (72.3)26.8 (80.2)29.9 (85.8)31.3 (88.3)30.2 (86.4)26.2 (79.2)19.4 (66.9)9.8 (49.6)0.8 (33.4)17.9 (64.3)
Daily mean °C (°F)−7.3 (18.9)−1.1 (30.0)8.0 (46.4)15.8 (60.4)20.2 (68.4)23.1 (73.6)24.4 (75.9)23.2 (73.8)18.9 (66.0)11.7 (53.1)2.9 (37.2)−4.9 (23.2)11.2 (52.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−12.5 (9.5)−6.8 (19.8)1.7 (35.1)9.2 (48.6)13.9 (57.0)16.7 (62.1)18.0 (64.4)16.8 (62.2)12.3 (54.1)4.9 (40.8)−2.3 (27.9)−9.1 (15.6)5.2 (41.4)
Record low °C (°F)−24.5 (−12.1)−24.7 (−12.5)−9.5 (14.9)−1.0 (30.2)4.8 (40.6)10.3 (50.5)11.5 (52.7)9.6 (49.3)3.9 (39.0)−3.4 (25.9)−10.1 (13.8)−22.5 (−8.5)−24.7 (−12.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches)1.8 (0.07)3.2 (0.13)4.0 (0.16)5.4 (0.21)9.6 (0.38)19.6 (0.77)15.7 (0.62)15.9 (0.63)12.6 (0.50)4.4 (0.17)2.5 (0.10)3.4 (0.13)98.1 (3.87)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)2.92.41.41.93.86.66.37.04.21.41.22.942
Average snowy days5.73.60.80.10000001.45.817.4
Average relative humidity (%)68594437414852565757647255
Mean monthly sunshine hours177.1182.3199.7224.8264.7281.5300.5278.1250.0246.4192.4158.12,755.6
Percentage possible sunshine59605356596266666873665662
Source: China Meteorological Administration

Economy

Agricultural products include rice, wheat, corn, cotton and fruit products. Sheep wool and sheepskins are produced in abundance. Industries produce food, spun cotton, building materials and coal.

As of 1885[update], there was about 139,200 acres (919,475 mu) of cultivated land in Onsu.

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
2000219,219
2010233,933+0.65%

As of 2015, 197,360 of the 259,305 residents of the county were Uyghur, 55,335 were Han Chinese and 6,610 were from other ethnic groups.

According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 210,000.[citation needed]

As of 1999, 76.17% of the population of Wensu County was Uyghur and 21.43% of the population was Han Chinese.

Transportation

Historical maps

Historical English-language maps including Onsu:

  • Map including Uqturpan (labeled as WEN-SU (AKSU-KONE SHAHR)) and surrounding region from the International Map of the World (AMS, 1950)
  • Map including Onsu (labeled as WENSU) (DMA, 1981)
  • From the Operational Navigation Chart; map including Onsu (labeled as WEN-SU (WENSU)) (DMA, 1985)

Notes