Tongzhou, Beijing Explained

Tongzhou
Other Name:Tungchow
Settlement Type:District
Image Map1:Tongzhou.png
Map Caption1:Location of Tongzhou District in Beijing
Mapsize1:250px
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:People's Republic of China
Subdivision Type1:Municipality
Subdivision Name1:Beijing
Subdivision Type2:Township-level divisions
Subdivision Name2:4 subdistricts
10 towns
1 ethnic township
Seat Type:District seat
Seat:Zhongcang Subdistrict
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:101149
Area Code:0010
Area Total Km2:906
Population As Of:2020
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Total:1,840,295
Coordinates:39.91°N 116.6564°W
Elevation Ft:106
Elevation M:32
Timezone:China Standard
Utc Offset:+8
Website:bjtzh.gov.cn/
Pic:通州.png
Piccap:"Tongzhou", as written in Chinese
Picsize:130px
Tongzhou
Psp:Tungchow
C:通州
W:T'ung1-chou1
P:Tōngzhōu
Also Known As:Tongxian (Tong County)
Psp2:Tungchow
S2:通县
T2:通縣
W2:T'ung1-hsien4
P2:Tōngxiàn
Order:st

Tongzhou is a district of Beijing. It is located in southeast Beijing and considered the eastern gateway to the nation's capital. Downtown Tongzhou itself lies around 20km (10miles) east of central Beijing, at the northern end of the Grand Canal (on the junction between the Tonghui Canal and the Northern Canal) and at the easternmost end of Chang'an Avenue. The entire district covers an area of 906km2, or 6% of Beijing's total area. It had a population of 673,952 at the 2000 Census, and has seen significant growth and development since then, growing to a population of 1,184,000 at the 2010 Census and 1,840,295 at the 2020 census.[1] The district is subdivided into four subdistricts, ten towns, and one ethnic township.

History

Tongzhou was founded in 195 BC during the Western Han Dynasty under the name of Lu (路) County, although there is evidence for human settlement in the Neolithic. At the start of the Eastern Han Dynasty the character Lu by which it was known was altered by the addition of a water radical to become Lu (潞). In 1151 under the Jin dynasty Lu County was renamed Tongzhou, roughly meaning 'the place for passing through', in recognition of its importance as the land and water approach to Beijing.

Ming, Qing & Republican era

In July 1937, subsequent to the infamous Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Tongzhou became another site of determined Chinese resistance. In the Tongzhou mutiny troops of the nominally Japanese-puppet East Hebei Army rebelled and came to the aid of hard-pressed Kuomintang troops, and attacked the Japanese garrison. In the fall of Tongzhou to the Nationalists, many civilians were tortured and murdered as well as captured Japanese military personnel.

People's Republic

The place name changed to Tong County when the area was placed under the new municipal region of Beijing in 1914. It again reverted to "Tongzhou" when the area was upgraded in 1997 to a district.[2]

On 11 July 2015, Tongzhou became the second administrative seat of Beijing as a "sub-administrative center" for the municipality.[3] Numerous local government departments will be moved to Tongzhou to reduce crowding within the city center of Beijing.[4]

Economy

In 2017, the regional GDP of the district was 75.8 billion yuan,[5] with GDP per capita at 50.3 thousand yuan.

Geography and environment

Tongzhou District borders the Beijing districts of Shunyi, Chaoyang and Daxing, Wuqing District of Tianjin Municipality, and Langfang City (both the Sanhe City−Dachang CountyXianghe County exclave and Guangyang District) of Hebei province, and is 12 miles from Tiananmen Square and 10 miles from Beijing Capital International Airport.

Tongzhou is situated on the North China Plain with an average elevation of 20m (70feet). Its climate belongs to the mild temperate zone, with distinct seasons including hot summers and freezing winters. Dust storms are common. It has an annual mean temperature of 11.3°C. and 620mm of rainfall. Several large rivers, among them the Wenyu, the Liangshui and Chaobai flow through the district.

Climate

Tongzhou District has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dwa). The average annual temperature in Tongzhou is . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around, and lowest in January, at around .

Administrative divisions

Tongzhou District is divided into six subdistricts, ten towns, and one ethnic township. Two of the towns of which carry the "area" (Chinese: 地区) label.[6] [7]

Name Chinese (S) Population (2010)[8] Area (km2) Population density (per km2)
Chinese: 中仓街道 Chinese: Zhōngcāng Jiēdào 57,550 6.50 8,854
Chinese: 新华街道 Chinese: Xīnhuá Jiēdào 8,891 3.25 2,736
Chinese: 通运街道 Chinese: Tōngyùn Jiēdào
Chinese: 北苑街道 Chinese: Běiyuàn Jiēdào 73,423 36.60 2,006
Chinese: 玉桥街道 Chinese: Yùqiáo Jiēdào 64,482 11.20 5,757
Chinese: 潞源街道 Chinese: Lùyuán Jiēdào 72,611 144.00 504
Lucheng town Chinese: 潞城镇 Chinese: Lùchéng Zhèn
Yongshun (town) Area Chinese: 永顺(镇)地区 Chinese: Yǒngshùn (Zhèn) Dìqū 195,194 39.46 4,947
Liyuan (town) Area Chinese: 梨园(镇)地区 Chinese: Líyuán (Zhèn) Dìqū 140,520 24.87 5,650
Songzhuang town Chinese: 宋庄镇 Chinese: Sòngzhuāng Zhèn 104,143 116.00 898
Zhangjiawan town Chinese: 张家湾镇 Chinese: Zhāngjiāwān Zhèn 89,273 105.80 844
Huoxian town Chinese: 漷县镇 Chinese: Huǒxiàn Zhèn61,413 113.68 540
Majuqiao town Chinese: 马驹桥镇 Chinese: Mǎjūqiáo Zhèn 107,048 82.00 1,305
Xiji town Chinese: 西集镇 Chinese: Xījí Zhèn 43,244 95.29 454
Taihu town Chinese: 台湖镇 Chinese: Táihú Zhèn 99,039 82.50 1,200
Yongledian town Chinese: 永乐店镇 Chinese: Yǒnglèdiàn Zhèn 40,241 105.00 383
Chinese: 于家务回族乡 Chinese: Yújiāwù Huízú Xiāng 27,184 65.70 414
On May 11, 2020, Tongzhou District Government made a series of changes to its administrative divisions by adding the following subdistricts:[9]

Transportation

Downtown Tongzhou is connected to downtown Beijing by Jingtong Expressway and several metro lines operated by Beijing Subway. Beijing's Fifth and Sixth Ring Road are roughly equidistant from Tongzhou's CBD. Highways lead to Shenyang, Harbin and Tianjin/Tanggu.

Metro

Tongzhou is currently served by four metro lines operated by Beijing Subway:

Suburban railway

Tongzhou is also served by two suburban railway lines:

Industry and tourism

There are seven industrial zones with a total area of 64km2 in Tongzhou, focusing on manufacturing and high-tech industries. Downtown Tongzhou is earmarked for redevelopment into a comprehensive central business district with an emphasis on consumer retail. In agriculture, the district emphasizes on horticulture, fruit-farming, seed-growing and aquatics. The district government is currently promoting Tongzhou's position at the head of the Grand Canal to attract tourists to its Grand Canal Cultural Park.

The Songzhuang artists' village, where many Chinese contemporary artists live and work, is located in the Tongzhou District.[10] [11]

The Universal Beijing Resort is also located in Tongzhou, and opened on 20 September 2021.Canal Business District is under construction. Headquarters of Beijing branches of Central Government-owned Enterprises and Headquarters of Beijing Government-owned Enterprises will move to Tongzhou.[12] Canal Business District plans to develop industrial clusters of headquarters economy and wealth management.[13]

Gallery of the construction site of Canal Business District:

Education and health

See also: List of schools in Tongzhou District, Beijing. Tongzhou has good education facilities including 113 kindergartens, 141 primary schools, 51 high schools and many adult education colleges. It also boasts the Beijing Materials Institute, Beijing University of Technology and the Beijing Institute of Music. Its hospitals include a specialist tuberculosis treatment center and a hospital specializing in traditional Chinese medicine.

Private schools include:

See also

References

  1. Web site: China: Bĕijīng (Districts) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map . 2024-02-09 . www.citypopulation.de.
  2. Web site: History & Culture . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111005151931/http://english.bjtzh.gov.cn/Default.aspx?tabid=653 . 2011-10-05 . Tongzhou. []
  3. Web site: 2015-07-11 . zh:北京加快"行政副中心"建设 将聚焦通州 . http://finance.ifeng.com/a/20150711/13833744_0.shtml . 15 July 2015 . zh . zh:凤凰财经.
  4. News: Johnson . Ian . 2015-06-25 . China Aims to Move Beijing Government Out of City's Crowded Core . . 2016-11-03.
  5. http://tjj.beijing.gov.cn/nj/qxnj/2018/zk/indexch.htm
  6. These towns are officially classified as subdistricts, but as they coincide with the area of the same name, they are commonly named "areas" (Chinese: 地区)
  7. Web site: http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjbz/cxfldm/2011/11/01/110112.html . zh:2011年统计用区划代码和城乡划分代码:通州区 . National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China . zh . 2013-01-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130411010019/http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjbz/cxfldm/2011/11/01/110112.html . 2013-04-11.
  8. Book: Census Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China . Population and Employment Statistics Division of the National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China . 2012 . China Statistics Print . 978-7-5037-6660-2 . 1 . Beijing . zh:中国2010人口普查分乡、镇、街道资料.
  9. Web site: 政策文件文章页_北京市通州区人民政府 . 2022-10-12 . www.bjtzh.gov.cn.
  10. Branding Songzhuang . Studio 360: Made in China . 2007-11-16.
  11. Web site: Songzhuang Artists Community . November 28, 2008.
  12. News: 2020-01-05 . zh:北京城市副中心行政办公区二期加快建设 . zh . http://bj.people.com.cn/n2/2020/0105/c82840-33689598.html . zh:人民网.
  13. News: 徐飞鹏 武红利 . 蔡奇:建设一流的现代运河商务区-新华网 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191210141630/http://www.bj.xinhuanet.com/2019-12/09/c_1125324251.htm . dead . 10 December 2019 . 北京日报 . 2019-12-09.

External links