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The Tongren Region lies in the northeast part of Guizhou
Province, neighboring Chongqing Municipality to the north and Hunan
Province to the east. It is a vital nexus between Central China
and the southwest frontier, and accordingly is known as the 'Gateway
of the Guizhou Eastern Area'. Tongren City is the political, economic
and cultural center of the Tongren Region and enjoys a level of
a capital City in Tongren Region.
There are no historical records about Tongren before the Warring
States Period (476BC-221BC). Legend has it that during the Yuan
Dynasty (1271-1368) a man found three bronze figures underwater,
hence the name Tongren (bronze figure). Tongren Region's governance
covers 1 city (Tongren City), 4 counties (Jiangkou, Shiqian, Sinan,
Dejiang), 4 autonomous counties (Yuping Dong Autonomous County,
Yinjiang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Yanhe Tujia Autonomous
County, Songtao Miao Autonomous County) and 1 special district (Wanshan
Special District).
Tongren has a complex topology, including features of the outstanding
Karst topology. On the whole, the terrain of the central area is
lower than that of the surrounding areas, even though most of the
land of the Tongren Region is mountainous. There are well-known
tourist destinations in the region including: the Nine-dragon Cave
Scenic Spot (famous for Karst caves), Mt. Fanjingshan National Nature
Reserve, and the beautiful Jinjiang River. There are also many well-known
cultural destinations including: Dongshan Temple, China Nuo Opera
and Nuo Mask Museum.
Tongren has been the home to a variety of ethnic groups including
the Miao, Dong and Tujia and their different social customs attract
the visitors most. In fact, ethnic minorities make up more than
fifty percent of Tongren's population. The customs, folk songs,
and performances of the Dong, Tujia, and Miao ethnic minorities
are not to be missed when visiting Tongren. One of the cultural
heritages in the Tongren Region is the Nuo Opera which is renowned
as the live fossil of Chinese Opera. Special performances, for example
the 'Climbing the blade', can be seen at the Nuo Opera. The performances
are both breathtaking and wonderful. The 'Nuo Mask' and other wares
which are used in Nuo Opera now are on display at the China Nuo
Opera and Nuo Mask Museum.
The transportation system is well developed in Tongren Region.
Tongren Daxing Airport services flights to Guiyang, Chongqing, Guangzhou,
Shenzhen and is the transportation hub of Hunan, Chongqing, Hubei
and Guizhou. Several highways converge in Tongren Region and provide
convenient transportation for tourists. For additional information
on transportation.
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