Tongren Travel Guide

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.