Hongtong County (simplified Chinese: 洪洞县; traditional Chinese: 洪洞縣; pinyin: Hóngtóng Xiàn) is a county in the southwest of Shanxi Province, China.[3] It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Linfen.[3] The county spans an area of 1,494 square kilometers, and has a population of approximately 766,579 as of 2019.[1][2]
During the reigns of the Hongwu Emperor through the Yongle Emperor, there was a concerted effort to resettle Chinese peasants to the North China Plains, which had been afflicted by conflict and natural disasters shortly before their reigns.[4][5] While en route to their new homes in the North China Plains, many migrants gathered at the Great Pagoda Tree of Hongtong,[4][5] and many even chose to settle in and around Pingyang Fu,[4] which contained present-day Hongtong County.
Hongtong County is divided into nine towns and seven townships.[3] The county's seat of government is located in the town of Dahuaishu.[3]
The county's nine towns are Dahuaishu, Ganting, Quting, Subao, Guangshengsi, Mingjiang, Zhaocheng, Wan'an, and Liujiayuan.[3]
The county's seven townships are Yandi Township, Xingtangsi Township, Dicun Township, Xincun Township, Longma Township, Shantou Township, and Zuomu Township.[3]
Lying in the northern end of the Linfen Basin, Hongtong County has an average altitude of 430 meters, with its highest peak, Huoshan, reaching 2,347 meters in elevation.[1] The Fen River runs north to south through the county.[1]
On an annual basis, Hongtong County experiences an average temperature of 12.7 °C, 441.5 millimeters of precipitation, and 2079.1 hours of sunshine.[1]
The county's population was 766,579 as of 2019, of which 45.7% of the population lived in urbanized areas, whereas the remaining 54.3% lived in rural areas.[2]
As of 2019, Hongtong County has a GDP of 15.15 billion Renminbi.[2] Of this, the primary sector accounted for 6.6% of the economy, the secondary sector accounted for 45.8% of the economy, and the tertiary sector accounted for 47.6% of the economy.[2] Retail sales in 2019 totaled 7.03 billion Renminbi.[2] Residents of Hongtong County had a disposable income of 19,545 yuan per capita, which stood at 30,848 yuan for urban residents, and 13,025 yuan for rural residents.[2]
Major agricultural products in the county include corn, wheat, millet, beans, yams, apples, red dates, and edible nuts.[2]
Major industrial products in the county include coal, coal coke, benzene, refined methanol, cast iron, natural gas, cement, chemical fertilizers, and plastic products.[2]
Hongtong County has 352 schools, which includes 145 kindergartens, 162 elementary schools, 33 junior high schools, 9 ordinary high schools, and 3 secondary vocational schools.[2]
The Locust Tree of Hongtong retains a high degree of cultural significance, which is visited by about 200,000 tourists each year.[4] The Great Pagoda Tree has become a notable site in Chinese ancestor veneration, with tourists leaving messages at the site for their ancestors, and paying homage to them.[4][8] The site also hosts large events for the annual Qingming Festival.[8]
By the end of 2019, there were 417 registered taxis, as well as 16 bus lines operational in the county serviced by 223 buses.[2]
Major expressways which run through Hongtong County include National Highway 108, National Highway 309, the G5 Beijing–Kunming Expressway, and the G22 Qingdao–Lanzhou Expressway.[1]
The Datong–Xi'an passenger railway and Datong–Puzhou railway both run through Hongtong County.[1]
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