Zhijiang, named after the quotation “Yuan River is lush with the grass of Zhi” of Qu Yuan’s (340-278 B.C.) “Nine Songs of Chu: Madame Xiang”, is famous for the Surrender-Acceptance in the Anti-Japanese war, thus ending the World War II. Since the establishment of the county in the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.), it has been more than 2,200 years. Zhijiang Town has been the seat of the county throughout history. From the early Han Dynasty to the late Tang Dynasty (618-907), it was the seat of the state four times, and from the early Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) to the middle Qing Dynasty (1636-1912), it was the seat of the government twice. In 1986, with the approval of the State Council, Dong Autonomous County was established, which is one of the only five Dong Autonomous Counties in China and the first cross-strait exchange base in Hunan Province. The county covers an area of 2,099 square kilometers and governs 9 towns and 9 townships. There are 21 ethnic groups including Dong, Han, and Miao, with a total population of 3,826,000, with the Dong population accounting for 55.8%. It belongs to ethnic counties, provincial-level poverty-stricken counties, revolutionary counties, counties with support for western development, and counties within the scope of poverty alleviation in Wuling Mountain. Zhijiang has a superior location and convenient transportation. The Hunan-Guizhou Railway, National Highway 320, Shanghai-Kunming Expressway, Baotou-Maoming Expressway, and Shanghai-Kunming Expressway pass through the area. The expanding Zhijiang Airport has opened flights to Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Xi’an, and Haikou, thus shaping a three-dimensional transportation network of railway, highway, and aviation. Zhijiang has a long history of inheritance and profound cultural heritage. Through thousands of years of historical accumulation and sedimentation, rich and unique local cultural resources such as peace culture, ethnic culture, religious culture, and ecological culture have been nurtured. Especially in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010, and 2015, five world-renowned “China Zhijiang International Peace Culture Festival” were successfully held, making peace culture a well-known cultural brand at home and broad. Zhijiang has a long history and abundant tourism resources. Among them, the most representative ones are the National Patriotic Education Demonstration Base, the Patriotic Education Base of the Chinese Federation of Overseas Chinese, the National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit, the National AAAA level scenic spot—the Chinese People’s Anti-Japanese Surrender-Acceptance Hall, the only memorial hall in China that comprehensively reflects the achievements of the Flying Tiger Team in aiding China in the Anti-Japanese War—the Flying Tiger Team Memorial Hall, and the world’s longest Dong Wind and Rain Bridge listed in the Guinness World Record—the Longjin Wind and Rain Bridge. There is the largest Mazu Temple in mainland China—Tianhou Temple, the iconic building of Chinese harmony and peace culture— Taihe Tower, and the largest Dong Drum Tower group in China—Wanhe Tower. There are a large number of cultural and natural landscapes, including national AAA level scenic spots and provincial-level ecological tourism demonstration areas—Sandaokeng Primitive Ecological Tourism Zone. In recent years, Zhijiang has been awarded the titles of “National Model Collective for Ethnic Unity and Progress”, “National Advanced County for Cultural Work”, “National Advanced County for Mass Sports”, “Top 100 Counties of the National Family Planning Association”, “National Ecological Demonstration County”, “Famous Cultural and Tourism County in China”, “66 Great Cultural and Tourism Counties to Visit in China in a Lifetime”, “First Cross Strait Exchange Base in the Province”, and “Top 10 Counties and Urban Districts for Tourism Industry Development in the Province”. A series of honorary titles include “Advanced County for the Development of Red Tourism in the Province”, “Provincial Historical and Cultural City”, “Provincial Civilized and Healthy City”, and “Tourism County of Hunan Province”.

(Translated by Tian Xia)