Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, or Youyang County for short () is located in southeastern Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, bordering the provinces of Hunan to the east and Guizhou to the southwest.

The county spans an area of , and has a population of approximately 854,400 people as of 2018.

History Youyang was known as Youzhou in ancient times.

Geography Youyang Tujia Miao Autonomous County is located east of Wu River and west of . It is the largest county-level division of Chongqing, having an area of .

The county contains about 1.5939 million mu () of arable land, 4.46 million mu () of forested land, and 2.92 million mu () of grassland.

The Wuling Mountains run through the county, and the county's highest point reaches above sea level.

Climate

Administrative divisions Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County is divided into 2 subdistricts, 19 towns, and 18 townships. These are then divided into 8 residential communities, and 270 administrative villages.

2 subdistricts (桃花源街道) (钟多街道) 19 towns (龙潭镇) (麻旺镇) (酉酬镇) (大溪镇) (兴隆镇) (黑水镇) (丁市镇) (龚滩镇) (李溪镇) (泔溪镇) (酉水河镇) (苍岭镇) (小河镇) (板溪镇) (涂市镇) (铜鼓镇) (五福镇) (万木镇) (南腰界镇)18 townships (可大乡) (偏柏乡) (木叶乡) (毛坝乡) (花田乡) (后坪乡) (天馆乡) (宜居乡) (两罾乡) (板桥乡) (官清乡) (车田乡) Yudi Township (​腴地乡) (清泉乡) (庙溪乡) (浪坪乡) (双泉乡) (楠木乡)

Demographics As of 2018, the county has a population of approximately 854,400 people. Of this, 275,000 live in urban areas, and 579,400 live in rural areas.

Vital statistics In 2018, the county registered a birth rate of 10.89 per thousand, a death rate of 5.74 per thousand, giving it a rate of natural increase of 5.15 per thousand.

Ethnic groups Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County is home to 16 ethnic minorities, including the Tujia and Miao people, for which the county is named. +Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County Ethnic Groups (2018)GroupPopulation (total)Population (percent)Tujia689,70080.72%Miao97,10011.36%Han67,2007.87%Other4000.05%Total854,400100.00%

Culture The county is nicknamed the "Cradle of Tujia people" for its rich Tujia culture.

It is the home of the Baishou Dance, a symbolic tradition of Tujia people. It is a traditional dance which involves waving hands to convey stories of human origins, myths and legends, ethnic migration, ancient wars, hunting and fishing, forestry, labor, food, and other aspects of social life. The dance was added to the second batch of the on June 7, 2008.

The county is also home to a number of traditional folk songs, which perhaps date back to the Southern Song dynasty. The folk songs are popular at festivals, weddings, funerals, and other activities.

Economy The county has a labor force 40-50% cheaper than that of coastal areas. It is one of the counties with the most water resources in China, and has more than 20 kinds of mineral resources. Youyang is also a "Sanmu" () production base, as it grows three major plants used in Chinese medicine: Eucommia ulmoides (), Magnolia officinalis (), and Phellodendron amurense (). The country as a whole grows about 1,200 kinds of Chinese herbal medicine materials, and is home to large amounts of Artemisia annua.

Tourism

Taohuayuan Taohuayuan () is a 5A Tourist Attraction, the highest rank of designated attractions in China. Located in the northern corner of the county, Taohuayuan is a place at first described in The Peach Blossom Spring written by Tao Yuanming, a famous writer of the Eastern Jin dynasty (317–420). It is notable that there are more than one Taohuayuan spots in China, and the one in Youyang is a nationwide recognised Taohuayuan.

Gongtan Ancient Town Gongtan Ancient Town () is located at the intersection of Wu River and Apeng River, and it is a 4A Tourist Attraction. It has a history of more than 1,700 years. More than 200 courtyards and stilted buildings from the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty are preserved in Gongtan.

Wu River Gallery Wu River Gallery is the long, naturally formed river bank of Wu River in Chongqing Youyang, and it is a 4A Tourist Attraction. It is famous for the strangely shaped mountains along the gallery.

Longtan Ancient Town Longtan Ancient Town () is an ancient town with ancient wood architecture.

Notable people Zhao Shiyan, communist revolutionary

References

External links Introduction of Tujia people