Overview of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture — Geographical Environment (Part 4)
Section 4: Administrative Divisions. From September 1949 to March 1950, counties within Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture were successively liberated, and new people's governments were rapidly established, with corresponding large-scale adjustments to administrative divisions. By the end of December 1949, Hunan Province established 10 special districts. Among those located within the current prefecture was Yongshun Special District. In 1950...
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 Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.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 4 Administrative Divisions
From September 1949 to March 1950, the counties within the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture were successively liberated, and new people's governments in which the people were masters of their own affairs were rapidly established. Administrative divisions were accordingly adjusted extensively. By the end of December 1949, Hunan Province established 10 special districts. Among those within the present prefecture was Yongshun Special District. In January 1950, the Hunan Provincial People's Government established the Xiangxi Administrative Office in Yuanling, governing the three special districts of Yongshun, Yuanling, and Huitong. The Yongshun Special District, with its commissioner's office in Yongshun, governed six counties: Yongshun, Baojing, Guzhang, Longshan, Sangzhi, and Dayong. The four counties of Qiancheng (present-day Jishou), Yongsui (present-day Huayuan), Luxi, and Fenghuang belonged to Yuanling Special District.
In August 1952, the Xiangxi Miao Autonomous Region was established, governing six counties: Qiancheng, Fenghuang, Luxi, Yongsui, Baojing, and Guzhang. In September, the Xiangxi Administrative Office and its three subordinate special districts of Yongshun, Yuanling, and Huitong were abolished, and the four counties of Yongshun, Longshan, Dayong, and Sangzhi were placed under the provisional administration of the Xiangxi Miao Autonomous Region. In December, these four counties were formally taken over. At this point, the Xiangxi Miao Autonomous Region governed 10 counties: Qiancheng, Fenghuang, Luxi, Yongsui, Baojing, Guzhang, Yongshun, Longshan, Dayong, and Sangzhi. The region had a total of 74 districts, 1,216 townships, and 25 towns. In February 1953, Qiancheng County was renamed Jishou County, and the county seat, Suoli, was renamed Jishou Town. On September 1 of the same year, Yongsui County was renamed Huayuan County. That year, the region continued to adjust its administrative divisions; by 1954, the 10 counties under its jurisdiction had a total of 75 districts, 23 towns, and 1,242 townships. In May 1956, districts were abolished and townships merged; by August, all 75 districts were abolished, and the original 1,242 townships and 23 towns were merged to establish 271 townships and 22 towns. On April 28, 1955, in accordance with Article 53 of the Constitution, the Xiangxi Miao Autonomous Region was renamed the Xiangxi Miao Autonomous Prefecture, with no change to its seat or territory.
On September 6, 1957, the 57th Plenary Session of the State Council approved the Hunan Provincial People's Committee's decision to establish the Hunan Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture and abolish the Xiangxi Miao Autonomous Prefecture. On September 20, the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture was formally established, and the abolition of the Xiangxi Miao Autonomous Prefecture was announced, with no change to its original jurisdiction. In 1958, with the people's commune movement, the integration of government and commune was implemented; the 10 counties established a total of 135 people's communes, 22 towns, 1,331 production brigades, and 9,702 production teams. In 1959, administrative divisions were adjusted: the 22 towns were reduced to 15, and the 1,331 production brigades increased to 1,350. In 1960, the prefecture's 15 towns were further reduced to 13, the 135 communes were reduced to 123, and production brigades increased to 1,351. From 1960 to 1961, seven counties — Huayuan, Dayong, Sangzhi, Longshan, Yongshun, Baojing, and Fenghuang — restored the district system, totaling 38 districts. At the same time, the scale of people's communes was adjusted: the original 123 communes were adjusted to 285, and the 1,351 production brigades were adjusted to 3,716. In November 1982, Jishou County was abolished and established as a city, with no change to its jurisdiction. From December 1983 to April 1984, communes were abolished and townships established, implementing the township (town), village, and group system. A total of 284 townships, 14 towns, 3,459 villages, and 22,243 village groups were established. Subsequently, township-government integration was carried out, and some townships were converted to towns; by November, 39 new town divisions were added. At that time, the prefecture had a total of 39 districts, 251 townships, 53 towns, 6 offices, and 3,483 villages. In January 1989, Dayong City and Sangzhi County were transferred to Zhangjiajie City, and the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture was reduced from 8 counties and 2 cities to 7 counties and 1 city, namely Jishou City, Luxi, Fenghuang, Huayuan, Baojing, Guzhang, Yongshun, and Longshan Counties. There were a total of 45 towns, 4 subdistrict offices, 123 residents' committees; 25 districts, 173 townships, 268 villages, and 14,699 village groups. In 1995, districts were abolished and townships merged, with no change to townships, villages, or groups. At that time, the prefecture had 52 towns, 166 townships, 4 subdistrict offices, 140 residents' committees, 2,657 villages, and 15,001 village groups.
In 2005, the counties and cities under its jurisdiction remained unchanged, and the township, village, and group systems were adjusted: townships were reduced from 151 to 92, towns were merged and adjusted from 65 to 66, villages were reduced from 2,653 to 1,975, subdistrict offices were adjusted from 4 to 6 (3 in Jishou, 3 in Longshan), residents' committees were reduced from 102 to 76, community residents' committees were adjusted from 63 to 104, residents' (community) groups were reduced to 1,016, and village groups were reduced to 13,612.
Jishou City is located in the south-central part of the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, bordering Luxi County to the east, Fenghuang County to the south, Huayuan County to the west, and Baojing and Guzhang Counties to the north. Within its territory, towering mountains are draped in green, streams and rivers wind and turn, and the natural scenery is magical and magnificent. The total area is 1,062.5 square kilometers. It is the seat of the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. On August 3, 1982, the county was abolished and established as a city. It currently governs 7 townships, 5 towns, 3 subdistrict offices, 5 residents' committees, and 138 villages. The total population is 286,000, of which the Miao and Tujia peoples account for 40.2% and 33.5% respectively. In the past, transportation was isolated; today, the Jiaozuo-Liuzhou Railway runs north-south through it, and National Highways 209 and 319 intersect here, providing transportation in all directions. It has become a key gateway city in southwestern China, the political, economic, and cultural center of the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, and an important materials distribution center and commercial trade center in the border area of the four provinces and municipalities of Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, and Chongqing. The land is endowed with outstanding people. Wu He, a Miao philosopher and educator of the Ming Dynasty; Wu Bayue, leader of the Miao people's uprising during the Qianjia period of the Qing Dynasty; Yang Yuebin, a famous modern general who fought against the French and former Governor-General of Shaanxi and Gansu; Luo Rongguang, the Tianjin garrison commander who died resisting the Eight-Power Allied Forces; and Zhang Yizun, one of the "Four Masters" of modern Chinese horse painting, are all outstanding figures who grew up on this land. In 1994, Jishou City was approved by the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and the Provincial People's Government as a pilot zone for reform and opening up in ethnic autonomous areas of the province. A series of pioneering, experimental, and demonstrative efforts have achieved phased results, and the city has entered the ranks of the "Top 50 Small and Medium-sized Cities with the Most Investment Potential in China."
Luxi County is located on the west bank of the middle reaches of the Yuan River and is the "east gate" of the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. It governs 7 townships, 8 towns, and 134 villages. The total area is 1,656.5 square kilometers. The total population is 288,100, of which the Miao and Tujia peoples account for 39.7% and 17.4% respectively. Within its territory there are 127 streams and rivers, with enormous potential for hydropower development. The soil is fertile and loose, particularly suitable for the cultivation of economic forests such as citrus and tung oil trees, as well as for growing grass and raising livestock. Mineral resources are abundant; 45 types of mineral deposits have been discovered, and reserves have been verified for stone coal, phosphate rock, potassium-bearing shale, limestone, quartz, chrysanthemum stone, and bauxite, among others. Among these, bauxite reserves total 53.7 million tons, accounting for 73.8% of the province's reserves. The pillar industries of industry include metallurgy, chemicals, and pharmaceutical raw material processing. Major products include aluminum ingots, aluminum powder, sulfuric acid, and phosphate fertilizer. The pillar industries of agriculture mainly include the fruit industry, dominated by ponkan oranges, and the livestock industry, dominated by pigs and goats. Among these, the high-quality ponkan development area reaches 150,000 mu, with an annual output of over 80,000 tons. Luxi ponkan has won gold awards multiple times at provincial fruit evaluation fairs. The county has many cultural and natural attractions. Key scenic areas include Quwang Village, which the patriotic poet Qu Yuan once visited; Xiangzi Rock, a famous Yuan River hanging coffin site; "Shengxin Tower," where Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping stayed when they led their troops into the great southwest; the Baisha Paleolithic site; and numerous Panhu myths and legends.
Fenghuang County is located in the southern part of the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, bordering Luxi County to the east, Mayang Miao Autonomous County to the south, Tongren City and Songtao Miao Autonomous County of Guizhou Province to the west, and Jishou City and Huayuan County to the north. The total area is 1,759 square kilometers. The county governs 15 townships, 9 towns, 9 residents' committees, and 344 villages. The total population is 376,000, of which the Miao and Tujia peoples account for 54.7% and 18.8% respectively. Fenghuang County has a long history and superior transportation location. From the establishment of the subprefecture during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty to the end of the Republic of China, Fenghuang was always the political, economic, military, and cultural center of greater Xiangxi. Today, National Highway 209, Provincial Highway 308, and the Jiaozuo-Liuzhou Railway pass through, making transportation very convenient. Fenghuang has a profound cultural heritage and many famous people and talents. In the Qing Dynasty, it produced 20 provincial military commanders, 21 garrison commanders, and 43 deputy generals; during the Republic of China period, there were 7 lieutenant generals and 24 major generals; the contemporary era has produced even more talents, especially Xiong Xiling, Premier of the Republic of China's cabinet, literary master Shen Congwen, and famous painter Huang Yongyu, who have made Fenghuang renowned throughout the world. Fenghuang also has magical natural scenery and numerous cultural relics and historic sites. It is hailed as "China's most beautiful small town." With the discovery of the "Southern Great Wall of China" in April 2000 and Fenghuang's approval by the State Council as a National Historical and Cultural City in December 2001, Fenghuang County gained a historic opportunity to develop tourism. Since then, under the traction of market operating mechanisms, Fenghuang's tourism industry has entered a period of high-speed, efficient, and high-quality development.
Guzhang County is located in the central-eastern part of the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, sandwiched between the You River to the north and the Dong River to the south. The total area is 1,297 square kilometers. The county governs 8 townships, 4 towns, 140 villages, and 15 residents' committees. The total population is 138,100, of which the Miao and Tujia peoples account for 45.8% and 39.4% respectively. In the past, due to the barriers of deep mountains and gorges, the entire county relied solely on the You River, which skirts its northern border, to maintain contact with the outside world. Today, with the completion of the Jiaozuo-Liuzhou Railway and Provincial Highway 1828, the county has formed a water and land transportation network extending in all directions.
Here, there are abundant forest resources, and since ancient times it has had the reputation of "home of forestry." The natural environment here is even more suitable for tea cultivation, and it is recorded as having over 3,000 years of tea production history. After the founding of New China, through large-scale cultivation, the tea area has now reached over 46,000 mu, with an annual output of 630 tons. Among these, "Guzhang Maojian," seven-leaf ginseng tea, and jasmine tea have long been renowned at home and abroad, so Guzhang is also known to the world as the "home of tea." The land is rich in natural treasures and endowed with outstanding people. Famous scenic areas include Qifeng Lake and the Red Stone Forest. These scenic areas, together with Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and the Mengdong River Scenic Area in Yongshun County, form a single route and have become a new hotspot and highlight for tourists visiting for sightseeing, convalescence, and vacation.
Huayuan County is located in the southwestern corner of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, bordering Baojing County to the northeast, Jishou City to the southeast, Fenghuang County to the south, Songtao Miao Autonomous County of Guizhou Province to the west, and facing Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County of Chongqing Municipality across a river to the northwest. It is an important gateway from central-south China to the great southwest. Its total area is 1,108 square kilometers. It administers 10 townships and 8 towns, 288 villages, and 8 neighborhood committees. Its total population is 274,600, of which the Miao and Tujia peoples account for 75.5% and 6.3% respectively. Huayuan has abundant mineral resources distributed over a wide area. More than 10 types of minerals have been proven, mainly including iron, manganese, lead, zinc, vanadium, and molybdenum. Among these, its lead-zinc ore reserves rank second in Hunan Province, and its manganese ore reserves rank third in the country. Since the 1980s, Huayuan County's industry has risen rapidly. An industrial cluster with four major sectors as its backbone—metallurgy and chemicals, electric power, building materials, and light industry and pharmaceuticals—has already taken shape. The county has an annual production capacity of 145,000 tons of electrolytic manganese, 180,000 tons of electrolytic zinc, and 260,000 tons of sulfuric acid. Huayuan County has become one of China's larger electrolytic manganese production bases, one of Hunan Province's larger lead-zinc smelting and export-earning bases, and an important industrial base of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. Industrial development has become the strongest engine of Huayuan County's economic growth. In 2004, Huayuan County ranked among the top 100 counties (cities) with the fastest economic growth in the country, placing 27th; in 2005, its county economy's basic competitiveness ranked first in all of Hunan Province in terms of speed. With rapid economic growth, Huayuan's fiscal and tax revenue increased from 76 million yuan in 2002 to 322 million yuan in 2005. Urban and rural construction, science, education, culture, and health, and other social undertakings have also developed fairly rapidly, and the people's living standards have improved fairly quickly.
Baojing County is located in the central part of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, with the You River flowing through its middle. Within its borders, mountains rise in ranges, ravines crisscross, and trees are lush and green. Its total area is 1,745 square kilometers. It administers 6 townships and 10 towns, 195 villages, and 8 neighborhood committees. Its total population is 281,300, of which the Tujia and Miao peoples account for 56.7% and 22.5% respectively. Over the past 50 years, especially after the Third Plenary Session of the Party's Eleventh Central Committee, Baojing's traditional agricultural pattern has been gradually adjusted, and agricultural industrialization has begun to take shape. The county has steadily formed several distinctive pillar industries, including a forestry and fruit industry based mainly on ponkan, and an industrial crop sector based mainly on tea, Sichuan pepper, tobacco leaves, and vegetables, with products sold far beyond the province. The branded teas "Huanjin Tea," "Xianren Tea," and "Qinjian Tea" have repeatedly won many gold awards for scientific research and new products at provincial expos, the Central China Expo, and the World Expo. Animal husbandry and aquaculture have become a major distinctive pillar industry. There are more than 1,000 specialized households raising cattle and sheep, including 1 household with more than 1,000 head, 26 households with more than 200 head, and 250 households with more than 100 head. Baojing's industry shows a strong momentum of rise and has formed four pillar industries: electric power, ceramics, metallurgy, and food. Backbone enterprises with profits and taxes exceeding 10 million yuan and output value exceeding 100 million yuan are taking shape and growing stronger one after another, and their products are beginning to travel beyond the mountains and go abroad. With the completion and power generation of the Wanmipo Hydropower Station, Baojing County has become a major power-exporting county in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture.
Yongshun County is located in the northern part of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, bordering Yongding District of Zhangjiajie City and Yuanling County of Huaihua City to the east, connecting with Guzhang and Baojing Counties to the south, bordering Longshan County to the west, and adjacent to Sangzhi County of Zhangjiajie City to the north. Its total area is 3,810 square kilometers. It administers 19 townships and 11 towns, 302 villages, and 20 neighborhood committees. Its total population is 493,800, of which the Tujia and Miao peoples account for 75.4% and 9.4% respectively. The area is rich in natural resources and has a great variety of flora and fauna, including 43 species of nationally key protected plants and 68 species of animals. Transportation is convenient, with the Jiaozuo-Liuzhou Railway passing through the southeastern part of the county seat, and national and provincial highways crisscrossing the area. The county has 418,000 mu of cultivated land, ranking first in the prefecture, and is a major grain-producing area of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. It has 81,000 hectares of natural forest and is one of Hunan Province's 22 key forestry counties. It abounds in rice, camellia oil, tung oil, Chinese chestnuts, peanuts, ginger, gastrodia elata, coptis chinensis, and other agricultural and sideline products and precious medicinal materials. In recent years, through vigorous adjustment of the agricultural structure, the county has initially built four major rural pillar industries: a high-quality rice industry based mainly on super rice, a forestry and fruit industry based mainly on citrus and kiwifruit, an industrial crop sector based mainly on flue-cured tobacco and vegetables, and an animal husbandry sector based mainly on yellow cattle, pigs, and goats. The area has beautiful and peculiar natural scenery, rich historical and cultural deposits, and uniquely distinctive folk customs. It possesses six "national-level" brands, including the Mengdong River National Key Scenic Area, the Bu'ermen National Forest Park, the Xiaoxi National Nature Reserve,
the Xizhou Bronze Pillar and the Laosicheng Site, both National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units, and Tawo, a National Patriotism Education Demonstration Base. All of these make Yongshun County an ideal place today for Chinese and foreign visitors to travel, conduct inspections, vacation, and recuperate.
Longshan County is located on the northwestern frontier of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, connecting with Yongshun County and Sangzhi County of Zhangjiajie City to the east, adjacent to Baojing County to the south, bordering Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County and Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County of Chongqing Municipality and Laifeng County of Hubei Province to the west, and adjoining Xuan'en County of Hubei Province to the north. Its total area is 3,131 square kilometers. It administers 20 townships, 11 towns, and 3 subdistrict offices, with 11 neighborhood committees and 434 villages. Its total population is 545,500, of which the Tujia and Miao peoples account for 52.3% and 12.8% respectively. Within its borders, countless mountains pile up in ranges and peaks rise and fall. Daling Mountain, at 1,736 meters above sea level, is the highest peak in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. Its main rivers are the You River and the Li River, and groundwater resources are also very abundant. In the 50 years since the establishment of the prefecture, Longshan County has undergone historic changes. Agricultural industrialization has begun to take shape, forming three major series—traditional crop farming, industrial crop production, and animal husbandry and aquaculture—and eight advantageous agricultural industries: flue-cured tobacco, lily, orange-mandarin-pomelo, Chinese medicinal materials, herbivorous livestock, two potatoes, vegetables, and konjac. A modern industrial system with more than 30 industries, including electric power, mining, metallurgy, chemicals, machinery, papermaking, cement, building materials, glass, cigarettes, plastics, and food processing, has gradually taken shape. Electric power, food, ferroalloys, and cement have become pillars of the industrial economy. Various social undertakings are developing rapidly with abundant achievements, and the people's lives are flourishing day by day. In November 2002, the Liye Ancient City Site was added as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit; in 2003, the "Liye·Wulong Mountain Scenic Area" was approved as a provincial-level scenic area of Hunan; in September 2005, the Ministry of Construction and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage named Liye a "Famous Historical and Cultural Town of China." Liye has now become an important scenic area of "Mysterious Xiangxi Tour" and the leader of Longshan's cultural tourism.