Overview of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture—Urban and Rural Construction (Part 3)
Section 3 Small Town Construction. In early 1984, the Urban Work Section and Research Section of the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture People's Government conducted a comprehensive survey of small town construction across the prefecture, producing "A Preliminary Study of Small Town Development in Xiangxi." The article argued that the formation and development of small towns in Xiangxi had a unique historical process, forming towns of varying shapes and sizes. First...
This article has been compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · City Overview section). Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.
Section 3 Small Town Construction
In early 1984, the Urban Engineering Section and Research Section of the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture People's Government conducted a comprehensive investigation and study of small town construction throughout the prefecture and wrote "A Preliminary Study of the Development of Small Towns in Xiangxi." The article held that the formation and development of small towns in Xiangxi had a unique historical process, forming small towns of varying forms and sizes. First, in ethnic minority inhabited areas, rural towns gradually developed from natural villages. The "Duli" of Fenghuang County is one example. "Duli" is in the Miao language, meaning "everyone wants to live here," and was a place where the Miao people gathered and lived. The "Shaoha" of Yongshun County is another example. "Shaoha" is in the Tujia language, with "shao" meaning three and "ha" meaning a pinch. The Tujia ancestors first came to this place with only three pinches of grain. Later a market town formed and was named "Shaoha." There were many such small towns in Xiangxi, but because they were located in remote areas, although they experienced long ages, they still maintained the rural market town appearance of "small bridges, flowing water, and households." Second, after class differentiation occurred in primitive tribes, the Tusi and Miao kings, in order to consolidate their ruling status, undertook large-scale construction and built castles, forming a special kind of small town. The "Laosi City" of Yongshun, built in the fifth year of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty (1135), was a famous historical city with "three thousand households inside the city and eight hundred families outside the city" and "governing fifty-eight banners and three hundred eighty dong of soldiers and civilians." But after the "replacement of native officials with appointed officials," "the people of the fifty-eight banners all dispersed, and wild plum blossoms bloomed randomly at the Tusi King's shrine." The famous historical city rapidly declined, and today only ancient city ruins remain for people to investigate. Third, military towns formed by feudal dynasties suppressing ethnic minorities. Examples include Chongshan Guard (present-day Jiwei Town, Huayuan County) and Yangshan Guard (present-day Yangfeng Township, Yongshun County) formed in the early Ming Dynasty, and Zongbing Camp, Ala Camp, Huanghe Camp, and Desheng Camp (presently under Fenghuang County), and Zhenwu Camp and Xique Camp (presently under Jishou City) formed in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Some of these military towns declined because they lacked an economic base, while others prospered because they possessed an economic base. Fourth, with the development of the commodity economy and increased ethnic exchanges, some commercial and handicraft small towns formed along the banks of the four rivers Yuan, You, Li, and Wu and at key rural transportation routes, such as Wangcun, Pushi, Liye, Chadong, Luoyixi, Bi'er, Qingshuiping, Xixi, and Hexi. These towns prospered continuously because they had a commodity economy base. Fifth, from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties onward, with the development of handicraft production, some mining and smelting handicraft towns appeared. Chadian in Fenghuang was famous for mercury smelting, and Longjiazhai in Yongshun was famous for coal mining and lime burning. "There are three trades at Longjiazhai: coal black, lime white, and mules busy from dawn to dusk" was a portrayal of such handicraft towns. After the founding of New China, such industrial towns developed even faster. By early 1984, the prefecture had one county-level city and 14 designated towns.
Compared with towns elsewhere, small towns in Xiangxi had the distinctive characteristics of being ethnic, remote, backward, and small in scale, but they occupied an important position and played an important role in the development of the mountainous areas of Xiangxi. The vast rural areas were the main battlefield for poverty alleviation and development, while small towns were the forward positions and command centers for poverty alleviation and development. Accelerating small town construction was an inevitable requirement for poverty alleviation and development in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture.
On November 4, 1984, the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture People's Government held a prefecture-wide urban work conference in Pushi Town, Luxi County, to summarize and exchange urban work experience and assign tasks for the construction of newly established towns and township market towns. By the end of 1987, the 10 counties and cities within the prefecture had 2 county-level cities and 54 designated towns, with the permanent population increasing by 80%, of which the non-agricultural population increased by 40%. Small towns throughout the prefecture absorbed more than 300,000 surplus rural laborers.
After the adjustment of administrative divisions in 1988, Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture completed the overall urban planning and adjustment and improvement work for the entire prefecture according to actual conditions. By 1995, the prefecture had invested a total of 1 million yuan and completed the planning revision of 26 designated towns, accounting for 57.7% of the prefecture's 45 designated towns; completed 1,113 hectares of detailed urban planning, with the detailed planning coverage rate accounting for 95% of the built-up areas of these designated towns. During the "Ninth Five-Year Plan" period, the prefecture completed the detailed central area planning of 12 key designated towns and the overall planning revision of 61 designated towns, completed the demonstration of population and land use scale for all designated towns and submitted them for approval, and designated towns increased from 52 at the end of the "Eighth Five-Year Plan" period to 61. In 2000, the total population of the prefecture was 2.64 million, of which the urban population was 538,000, and the urbanization level reached 20.4%.
At the beginning of the "Tenth Five-Year Plan," the CPC Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture Committee and the Prefecture People's Government issued the "Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Small Town Construction," further clarifying the thinking and priorities of small town construction and determining the goals and tasks of small town construction. After application and approval by the Hunan Provincial Small Town Construction Leading Group, 6 designated towns—Hexi Town in Jishou City, Tuojiang and Ala Towns in Fenghuang County, Wangcun Town in Yongshun County, and Liye and Guitang Towns in Longshan County—were included among the province's 50 key construction towns.
From 2001 to 2003, Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture highlighted the strengthening of capacity expansion and quality improvement of designated towns. The pace of small town construction, mainly involving infrastructure such as roads, water supply, power supply, and flood control in designated towns, accelerated, and strengthening the management of designated towns was placed on an important agenda. The prefecture's urbanization level rose to 24%.
In 2004, Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture once again held a prefecture-wide urban work conference and comprehensively and deeply carried out the Planning Management Year activity. After application by counties and cities and expert review, the Prefecture People's Government examined, approved, and announced the first batch of prefecture-level historical and cultural famous towns (famous villages). That year, the restoration, renovation, and protection of the ancient city ruins and historical districts of Liye in Longshan and Qingshuiping in Baojing began. Tawo Town in Yongshun County highlighted the protection of historical relics in order to develop red tourism. Alaying Town in Fenghuang County was one of the 6 key towns in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture entering the national western development program, and by 2004 it had begun to take shape as a small town. That year, the prefecture's urban population was 695,300, and the urbanization rate rose to 26.5%.
In 2005, Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture conscientiously carried out the compilation of protection plans for historical and cultural famous towns and villages. Yongshun County completed the protection plans for the ancient town of Wangcun and the prefecture-level historical and cultural village of Kesha. Guzhang County completed the protection plan for the prefecture-level historical and cultural village of Laoshiyan Village. Longshan County completed the digital topographic mapping of Huatang New District, launched the adjustment of the overall plan, and further strengthened the infrastructure construction of small towns. Chadong Town in Huayuan County was renamed "Biancheng Town" to commemorate the famous work "Biancheng" by the great literary master of Xiangxi, Shen Congwen. That year, the Chadong Stele Forest and old street district renovation project completed an investment of 13 million yuan, the Chadong Cuicui Island project completed an investment of 5 million yuan, and the design of the Qimapo Hydropower Station, Chadong Water Plant, Biancheng Hospital, Biancheng Primary School, and Biancheng Middle School was fully completed, with project construction officially launched. Pushi Town in Luxi County, Tuanjie Town and Minle Town in Huayuan County, and Maogou Town, Fuxing Town, and Wanmipo Town in Baojing County had become emerging industrial market towns and were developing forward at extraordinary speed.
In 2005, the urbanization rate of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture reached 28.5%. The improvement of the urbanization level powerfully promoted the economic and social development of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture.