Xikang

Xikang (shē'käng') or Sikang (shē'käng', sē'-), former province, SW China. Kangding was the capital before 1950 and Ya'an from 1950 to 1955. It is largely a region of high mountains (over 10,000 ft/3,050 m) cut by the gorges of several rivers. The area became a province c.1939. In 1955 the portion of Xikang E of the Chang River was joined to Sichuan prov.; the Tibet Autonomous Region received the remainder. The name sometimes appears as Hsi-k'ang.