Tongzhou District (), formerly known as Tongzhou City (1993–2009) or Nantong County (1912–1993), is one of three urban districts of Nantong, Jiangsu province, China. It was a county-level city under the administration of Nantong until July 2009, when it became a district of Nantong. As of 2010, Tongzhou had a population of 1,246,400.
History The district takes its name from its former position as the capital of Tongzhou, a prefecture of imperial China. Under the southern Song dynasty, the city controlled not just its adjacent lands but also Xisha and Dongsha, the Yangtze River shoals that eventually developed into Chongming Island."Chongming County" in the Encyclopedia of Shanghai, pp. 50 ff. Shanghai Scientific & Technical Publishers (Shanghai), 2010. Hosted by the Municipality of Shanghai.
Shigang Town is located beside the Yangtze where residents made a living mainly by salt making and fishing in ancient times. In 860, Yuhuangdian () was built and, six year later, the palace of Emperor Taizong of the Tang was rebuilt as the Guangyuan Temple. From the Song to the Qing dynasties, many temples were built in Shigang.
Administrative divisions At present, Tongzhou District has 19 towns. 19 towns
Jinsha () Xiting () Erjia () Dongshe () Sanyu () Shizong () Qi'an () Wujia () Shigang () Si'an () Liuqiao () Pingchao () Pingdong () Wujie () Xingren () Xingdong () Chuanjiang () Xianfeng () Zhangzhishan ()
Climate
Local specialities Xiting Crackers () BBoss Beer () Mahogany Carvings () Zhengchang Bacon () Xinzhong Fermented bean curd ()
Transport Nantong West railway station
References
External links "Illustrated Album of Yangzhou Prefecture", from 1573 to 1620, has illustrations of Tongzhou