Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture
Encyclopedia
Demographics
The total area is 24,000 square kilometers, and the population is 3,800,000. 52.6% of the population belong to the Tujia and MiaoMiao people
The Miao or ม้ง ; ) is an ethnic group recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China as one of the 55 official minority groups. Miao is a Chinese term and does not reflect the self-designations of the component nations of people, which include Hmong, Hmu, A Hmao, and Kho Xiong...
nations, who -while officially minority nations- are thus a majority here. Enshi is the only autonomous prefecture in Hubei province.
Enshi is also the only part of Hubei which has been included in the Chinese government's Western exploration programme and over the next 5-10 years they will put 50 billion RMB into its development.
Transportation
The prefecture has only a small amount of Yangtze River frontage, but Badong, in the prefecture's northeast, has a Yangtze River port.The Qingjiang River in the central part of the prefecture, with its cascade of reservoirs, is an important waterway as well.
Due to the mountainous terrain, until recently the prefecture had no railways, and even the highways were of doubtful quality.
The Yichang-Wanzhou Railway
Yiwan Railway
The Yichang–Wanzhou Railway, or the Yiwan Railway connects the cities of Yichang and Wanzhou via Lichuan, in the central People's Republic of China. It was completed in 2010, and will be part of the future Huhanrong Passenger Dedicated Line from Shanghai to Wuhan to Chengdu...
(the Yiwan Railway), completed in December 2010, crosses the prefecture from east to west, providing a more direct connection between Hubei and Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
than there were previously available. In addition, a direct connection to Chongqing
Yuli Railway
The Chongqing-Lichuan Railway, or the Yuli Railway is a railway under construction in the Chinese province of Hubei and the municipality of Chongqing....
from the Lichuan Station
Lichuan Railway Station
Lichuan Railway Station is a railway station currently being built in Lichuan City, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture,Hubei Province of the People's Republic of China. It will be an important junction point on the Huhanrong Passenger Dedicated Line, which will cross China from Shanghai on...
on the Yiwan line is completed. A single line now connects Enshi with Beijing and Wuahn as well as many additional cities. The train between Beijing and Enshi takes approximately 24 hours and includes many stops along the way.
A new expressway (G42 Hurong Expressway) is being built along the same Yichang-Wanzhou corridor as well. The Si Du River Bridge
Si Du River Bridge
The Si Du River Bridge is a long suspension bridge crossing the valley of the Si Du River near Yesanguan in Badong County of the Hubei Province of the People's Republic of China. The bridge was designed by CCSHCC Second Highway Consultants Company, Ltd. and built at a cost of 720 million yuan...
on that road has become the world's highest bridge.
Agriculture
The soil in Enshi is rich in seleniumSelenium
Selenium is a chemical element with atomic number 34, chemical symbol Se, and an atomic mass of 78.96. It is a nonmetal, whose properties are intermediate between those of adjacent chalcogen elements sulfur and tellurium...
. The countryside has a diverse range of flora and fauna, including many Chinese herbs. Much of the mountain landscape is covered in virgin forest, and is home to pangolin
Pangolin
A pangolin , also scaly anteater or Trenggiling, is a mammal of the order Pholidota. There is only one extant family and one genus of pangolins, comprising eight species. There are also a number of extinct taxa. Pangolins have large keratin scales covering their skin and are the only mammals with...
s. Enshi locals are especially proud of their potato crops and consider the potato and tea crops to be Enshi agricultural specialties.
Imperial
"Endless green mountains to walk on, endless clear water going away"(by a poet of the Tang dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
)
Republican
Republic of ChinaRepublic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
's Hubei provincial government was relocated to Enshi during the 1937-45 resistance war (against Japanese invasion and occupation).
The Roman Catholic Church had the Diocese of Shinan on the territory of today's Enshi Prefecture.