Tongliao

Tongliao

Tongliao (simplified Chinese: 通辽; traditional Chinese: 通遼; pinyin: Tōngliáo) is a prefecture-level city in eastern Inner Mongolia, China. The city was the administrative centre of the defunct Jurim League. The area is 59,535 km² and population is 3,028,419 (as of 31 November 2001); the city has 411,625 inhabitants (2001).Among then 1,470 ,000 people are Mongolian. So it is the most intensive place of the Mongolian people all over our country. Tongliao Power Station is located here. Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities and Inner Mongolia College of Farming and Animal Husbandry are among the educational institutions of Tongliao. Not far from Tongliao are silica sands. The original Mongolian name for Tongliao is Bayisingtu ('having buildings').

Administrative Division:

1 district (Keerqin); 1 county (Kailu); 5 banners (Kulun Banner, Naiman Banner, Zhalute Banner, Keerqin Left Wing and Central Banner, Keerqin Right Wing and Behind Banner); 1 county-level city (Huolinguole)

History:

The city is one of the headstreams of Mongolian nation. As early as five thousand years ago, Keerqin Grassland was inhabited and the ancients living there entered the slave society. It belonged to the Yan Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC) and is brought into the territory of the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC) after the union of China.

Splendid Culture

Tongliao city is in the hinterland of the beautiful Horchin prairie with a long history and splendid culture. It is one of the birthplaces of the Hongshan culture and the Fuhe culture. It is also the hometown of the patriotic general Zeng Gelinqin, the national hero Ga Dameilin. It is known far and wide that it is the hometown of Andai arts of china, Mongolian nationality songs, national folk art forms and engraving. The Wuli Ger, Mongolian four stringed instrument and Andai dance are listed in the first national nonmaterial cultural heritage list. The 8.18 Horse Racing Festival has become the classical festival event for the Mongolian nationality.

Physical Features:

Tongliao stands at the west of the Songliao Plain, Its northern part lies in the offshoot area of the Great Xing'an Mountains (Daxing'anling). Alluvial plains constitute the central part of the City, and the south and west territory is made up of low hills, ravines and sandy swamps.

Tourism Resources

Tonglao city has various kinds of tourism resources. It has the excavate the original ecological resources such as prairies, forests, deserts, lakes, marshes and mountains. With the national characteristics of Mongolian nationality, it is the first choice for the big city consumers who want to return to the nature, to relax in the prairie, to appreciate the Mongolian culture and customs to have the prairie cultural tourism oriented on the prairie scenery, the tremendous forest spectacle, the Mongolian history and culture, the dense national customs.

The classic resort of the tourist attractions such as the mysterious grand canyon of prairie- the Daqinggou; the home of the Mongolian nationality-Zhurihe; the imaginary, ideal world in the deep pairie-Agula prairie; the green haven-Zhalute mountain meadow; Huolinhe ancient pairie; the Qing dynasty’s empress- Sourdrang’s garden; Mongolian image in Horqin-pastoralist families of Horqin; the tour of national religion-Xingyuan Tempe and Fuyuan Temple of Kulun; the largest desert of the east of china-Taminchagan desert are like the pearls shining on the Horqin prairie, which has the unique Mongolian culture and customs with the natural and beautiful scenery in complete harmony. You well be captivated by several vivid picture scrolls of beautiful grassland and Arcadian life style here.

If you can taste the Mongolian culture and customs here for one day, you will aftertaste it for all your life. The tourism of the homeland of the empress Sourdrang, the Horqin prairie is stepping forward all around the country and the world.

Transportation

Tongliao city is superior in location, convenient in traffic and is the important traffic hub of both the railway and the highway. There are 6 railways links the city with other cities here and 4 national highway runs through. The Tongliao Airport has the everday round-trip flights between Tongliao city and Huhhot, Tongliao city and Beijing.