Tongchuan (铜川)

1. Introduction

Tongchuan City, historically known as Tongguan and Tongguan, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China. It is located in the central part of Shaanxi Province, north of the Weihe Plain. The city borders Weinan City to the southeast, Xianyang City to the west, and Yan'an City to the north. Situated in the transitional zone between the Guanzhong Basin and the Loess Plateau, its terrain is higher in the northwest and lower in the southeast. Major rivers include the Ju River and Qishui River, which belong to the Shichuan River system, and the Baishui River and Qing River, which belong to the Luo River system. The total area of the city is 3,885 square kilometers, with a population of approximately 710,000. The People's Government of Tongchuan City is located at No. 9 Zhengyang Road, Yaozhou District. Tongchuan is an important component of the Guanzhong Economic Belt and a key transportation route from Guanzhong to northern Shaanxi, historically known as "the ancient town north of the Wei River and the old garrison south of Yan'an." The city's primary industry was originally coal mining, but in recent years, it has undergone transformation and relocated its administrative center due to resource depletion.

2. Etymology

Copper Ore Resources: Tongchuan City derives its name from the abundant copper ore resources within its territory. Located in central Shaanxi Province, Tongchuan has historically been an important base for copper mining and smelting in China. The character "川" (Chuan) in Chinese often refers to rivers or flatlands, thus the "川" in Tongchuan reflects the geographical features of the area.

3. History

In the 7th year of the Taiping Zhenjun era of the Northern Wei Dynasty (446 AD), Tongguan County was established, belonging to Beidi Commandery. In the 4th year of the Jiande era of the Northern Zhou Dynasty (575 AD), it was renamed Tongguan County and placed under Yizhou. From the 3rd year of the Tongguang era of the Later Tang Dynasty during the Five Dynasties period (925 AD) until the Qing Dynasty, it was consistently under the jurisdiction of Yaozhou.

In the 35th year of the Republic of China (1946), because Tongguan County was homophonic with "Tongguan" (referring to the Tong Pass), and its administrative seat was located in the valley of the Tong River, it was renamed Tongchuan County. In 1949, Tongguan County came under the leadership of the Sanyuan Sub-district Administrative Supervision Commissioner's Office. In 1950, it was transferred to the Xianyang Administrative Office. In 1953, it came under the direct leadership of the Provincial People's Government. On April 5, 1958, Tongchuan County was abolished, and Tongchuan City was established. In November of the same year, the administrative divisions of Fuping County and Yao County (now Yaozhou District) were abolished, and their administrative areas, along with parts of Yijun County, were merged into Tongchuan City. In 1961, Fuping County and Yao County were restored, and Tongchuan City was transferred to the Weinan Administrative Office.

In 1966, Tongchuan City was again designated as a provincial-level city. In January 1980, four townships from Pucheng County—Guangyang, Gaolouhe, Azhuang, and Xiaojiabao—as well as Yao County, were placed under Tongchuan City. In May of the same year, the urban district and suburban district were established. In October 1983, Yijun County was also transferred to Tongchuan City. In July 1992, the Tongchuan New District was established and was upgraded to a provincial-level economic and technological development zone in 1993. In March 2000, the urban district of Tongchuan City was renamed Wangyi District, and the suburban district was renamed Yintai District. In 2002, Yao County was abolished, and Yaozhou District was established. In 2003, the municipal government officially relocated to Zhengyang Road in the Tongchuan New District. In March 2009, it was designated by the State Council as a resource-exhausted city.

4. Geography

Tongchuan is located in the central part of Shaanxi Province, within the Guanzhong Economic Belt, between 108°34′ to 109°29′ east longitude and 34°50′ to 35°34′ north latitude. It is approximately 68 kilometers from downtown Xi'an. The Xi'an–Huangling Expressway passes through the area, and there are two branch railways within its territory: the Xian–Tong Railway and the Mei–Qi Railway.

Climate

Tongchuan City has a temperate monsoon climate. The average temperature in January is −2.8°C, the annual average temperature is 10.8°C, and the average annual precipitation is 594 mm.

Average Meteorological Data for Tongchuan City (1981–2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Average high °C (°F) | 3.1(37.6) | 6.4(43.5) | 11.7(53.1) | 18.7(65.7) | 23.7(74.7) | 27.9(82.2) | 28.8(83.8) | 27.0(80.6) | 22.4(72.3) | 16.8(62.2) | 10.4(50.7) | 4.8(40.6) | 16.8(62.3) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.8(27.0) | 0.5(32.9) | 5.5(41.9) | 12.1(53.8) | 17.2(63.0) | 21.4(70.5) | 23.2(73.8) | 21.7(71.1) | 16.9(62.4) | 11.0(51.8) | 4.3(39.7) | −1.3(29.7) | 10.8(51.5) | | Average low °C (°F) | −6.9(19.6) | −3.6(25.5) | 1.0(33.8) | 6.7(44.1) | 11.4(52.5) | 15.7(60.3) | 18.5(65.3) | 17.5(63.5) | 12.9(55.2) | 6.9(44.4) | 0.2(32.4) | −5.1(22.8) | 6.3(43.3) | | Average precipitation mm (inches) | 6.6(0.26) | 9.1(0.36) | 21.1(0.83) | 31.1(1.22) | 52.3(2.06) | 66.8(2.63) | 115.7(4.56) | 126.8(4.99) | 92.9(3.66) | 49.1(1.93) | 17.1(0.67) | 5.6(0.22) | 594.2(23.39) | | Average relative humidity (%) | 57 | 57 | 59 | 59 | 62 | 62 | 74 | 78 | 78 | 74 | 66 | 58 | 65 | | Data source | China Meteorological Data Network |

5. Administrative Divisions

Tongchuan City administers 3 municipal districts and 1 county.

Municipal Districts: Wangyi District, Yintai District, Yaozhou District County: Yijun County Additionally, Tongchuan City has established the Tongchuan New Area, which enjoys preferential policies equivalent to those of a provincial-level economic and technological development zone.

Administrative Divisions Map of Tongchuan City

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|----------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|----------------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------| | 610200 | Tongchuan City | Tóngchuān Shì | 3,884.81 | 698,322 | Yaozhou District (Tongchuan New Area) | 727000 | 17 | 20 | 1 | | 610202 | Wangyi District | Wángyì Qū | 157.06 | 135,298 | Hongqi Subdistrict | 727000 | 6 | 1 | | | 610203 | Yintai District | Yìntái Qū | 607.46 | 133,940 | Chengguan Subdistrict | 727000 | 4 | 5 | | | 610204 | Yaozhou District | Yàozhōu Qū | 1,608.47 | 357,370 | Yong'anlu Subdistrict | 727100 | 6 | 8 | | | 610222 | Yijun County | Yíjūn Xiàn | 1,511.83 | 71,714 | Yiyang Subdistrict | 727200 | 1 | 6 | 1 |

6. Economy

The city's economy is primarily industry-based, with coal mining as the traditional sector. The annual coal output exceeds 20 million tons. The Wangyi District Workers' Cultural Palace serves as a carrier of miner culture and a nostalgic symbol of old Tongchuan. Within the project, shops offer a wide variety of goods, featuring attractions such as sightseeing trams and electronic game arcades. The cement industry also stands as a significant pillar. In recent years, the city has actively developed emerging industries like power generation, equipment manufacturing, food, and pharmaceuticals, attracting major enterprises such as Huaneng Power International.

7. Transportation

In 2014, the total passenger traffic volume was 18.23 million, and the freight traffic volume was 45.98 million tons. The number of civilian vehicles owned was 122,763, including 50,616 passenger vehicles, 11,462 freight vehicles, and 7,230 other vehicles; 43,692 motorcycles; 8,351 tractors; and 1,412 trailers.

8. Education

In recent years, Tongchuan City has made significant progress in its education sector, committing to promoting high-quality development. The municipal government has deepened education reforms, improved education quality, and established a high-quality, balanced basic education system. By introducing premium education resources, such as collaborating with the Xi’an Jiaotong University Education Management Group to run schools, Tongchuan has enhanced the quality of its educational institutions. In terms of moral education, the city emphasizes fostering virtue and cultivating talent, creating distinctive moral education brands, such as the "Qixiao" moral education brand of Qiyi Road Primary School.

Tongchuan City has also vigorously improved its educational hardware facilities, constructing, renovating, and expanding various education projects to increase the supply of school places and alleviate difficulties in school enrollment. At the same time, through implementing the "double reduction" policy and optimizing the allocation of education resources, the city has effectively reduced the burden on students and improved educational equity.

In vocational education, Tongchuan Vocational and Technical College, as a municipal higher vocational institution, undertakes important tasks in vocational education and lifelong learning, cultivating a large number of skilled professionals for society. Additionally, Tongchuan actively promotes school-enterprise cooperation, such as the "Dream Cottage" project, which provides a learning environment for disadvantaged youth.

Through a series of reforms and innovative measures, Tongchuan City strives to achieve education modernization and provide higher-quality education services for all its residents.

9. Population

By the end of 2022, the city's permanent resident population was 705,000, with an urbanization rate of 64.41%.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 698,322. Compared with the 834,437 people recorded in the Sixth National Population Census, the population decreased by 136,115 over the ten-year period, a decline of 16.31%, with an average annual growth rate of -1.77%. Among them, the male population was 355,409, accounting for 50.89% of the total population; the female population was 342,913, accounting for 49.11% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 103.64. The population aged 0–14 was 104,063, accounting for 14.9% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 443,181, accounting for 63.46% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 151,078, accounting for 21.63% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 103,257, accounting for 14.79% of the total population. The urban population was 444,612, accounting for 63.67% of the total population; the rural population was 253,710, accounting for 36.33% of the total population.

9.1. Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic group numbered 695,615, accounting for 99.61%; ethnic minorities numbered 2,707, accounting for 0.39%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han population decreased by 135,979, a decline of 16.35%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.05 percentage points; the ethnic minority population decreased by 136, a decline of 4.78%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.05 percentage points.

10. Religion

Tongchuan City is a city rich in religious culture, encompassing five major religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Christianity. Among these, Buddhism holds a profound historical heritage in Tongchuan, represented by Buddhist sites such as Daxiang Mountain and the Southern Nunnery of Yaowang Mountain, showcasing the flourishing development of Buddhist culture from the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang periods. Additionally, Tongchuan City has a total of 41 religious activity venues, including Buddhist temples, Taoist temples, Catholic churches, and Christian churches.

11. Culture

Tongchuan City, located in the central part of Shaanxi Province, is a city with a long history and profound cultural heritage. With a civilization spanning over 6,000 years, Tongchuan is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization. Its culture encompasses multiple aspects, including Buddhism, traditional Chinese medicine, Yaozhou porcelain, and red revolutionary culture.

Tongchuan boasts a rich cultural heritage, including the Jiangnu culture, Yaozhou porcelain culture, traditional Chinese medicine and wellness culture, and Buddhist culture. Among these, Yaozhou kiln porcelain is renowned as "one of the six major ancient porcelain kilns in China" and is celebrated as one of the "five famous porcelains of the Tang and Song dynasties."

Tongchuan is also famous for its red revolutionary culture, with attractions such as the Zhaojin Scenic Area, a nationally renowned red tourism destination.

The city’s folk activities are equally vibrant, featuring traditional performing arts like the Eight Formation Drum, paper-cutting, and Lantern Dance.

In recent years, Tongchuan has implemented a cultural and tourism integration development strategy, focusing on enhancing the quality and efficiency of its cultural tourism industry. By creating the "Colorful Flagship" cultural tourism brand, the city has driven the growth of its local economy.

12. Sister Cities

Domestic

Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province
Yantai City, Shandong Province
Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province
Quanzhou City, Fujian Province
Wuhai City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

International

Bonghwa County, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea

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The River of Copper Water

Yaozhou District

Yaozhou District

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