▁Q in . ▁ ▁Geography ▁L ix ian ▁is ▁border ed ▁within ▁Long nan ▁by ▁the ▁count ies ▁of ▁X ihe ▁to ▁the ▁east , ▁W ud u ▁to ▁the ▁south , ▁and ▁T anch ang ▁to ▁the ▁west . ▁The ▁municipal ities ▁of ▁D ing xi ▁and ▁T ians hui ▁lie ▁to ▁the ▁north west ▁and ▁n ortheast , ▁respectively . ▁ ▁Sir ▁Eric ▁Te ich man , ▁the ▁British ▁diplom at ▁and ▁orient al ist , ▁described ▁the ▁territory ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁before ▁its ▁modern ▁development : ▁... the ▁path ▁[ from ▁T ians hui ] ▁cross es ▁the ▁T sin - ling ▁Sh an , ▁and ▁passes ▁from ▁the ▁bas in ▁of ▁the ▁Hu ang ▁Ho ▁into ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁Yang - t se ▁by ▁an ▁easy ▁pass . ▁The ▁south - e astern ▁corner ▁of ▁Kan - su , ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁T sin - ling ▁Sh an ▁range , ▁diff ers ▁greatly ▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁province . ▁The ▁bare ▁lo ess ▁hills ▁of ▁Central ▁Kan - su ▁with ▁their ▁water less ▁valle ys ▁give ▁way ▁to ▁j ung le - cover ed ▁mountains ▁with ▁abund ance ▁of ▁water , ▁and ▁cool ie ▁transport ▁takes ▁the ▁place ▁of ▁cam els , ▁c arts , ▁and ▁m ules . ▁The ▁people ▁are ▁in ▁close ▁touch ▁with ▁Se ch uan . ▁ ▁The ▁Lib a ▁gold ▁depos it ▁() ▁lies ▁within ▁the ▁county ▁limits . ▁ ▁Agricult ure ▁Hu aniu ▁app les ▁are ▁a ▁special ity