Qian County

Qian County (乾县; Qián Xiàn) or Qianxian is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Xianyang, in the central part of Shaanxi province, China.

Qian County is divided into 1 subdistrict and 15 towns, which are further divided into 173 administrative villages. The county's administrative officers are located in Chengguan Subdistrict.

The county is bordered by Liquan County to the east, Xingping City and Wugong County to the south, Fufeng County to the west, Yongshou County to the north and west, and Linyou County to the west. The northern portion of Qian County is higher in altitude than the southern portion.

Qian County has an average annual precipitation of 539 mm, and an average annual temperature of 12.6 °C.

Qianling County's history can be traced as far back as the Neolithic Age, due to two archaeological studies which uncovered the ruins of Neolithic settlements. These digs uncovered a variety of human tools, such as stone axes and pottery. The uncovered village ruins sat at the confluence of two rivers, and exhibited evidence which suggests that these villagers were well-versed in both agriculture and animal husbandry.

The county's name derives from the Tang settlement of Qianzhou [zh], which was established in present-day Qian County in 895 CE.

The county came under control of the People's Republic of China in 1949, and was incorporated as part of the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region until its dissolution one year later. The area's jurisdiction would be further altered in 1956, 1959, 1961, 1968, and 1984.

During Mao Zedong's Down to the Countryside Movement, famous director Zhang Yimou was sent to Qian County, where he worked as a farmer and painter.