It is on the Jianghan Plain, on the west side of Wuhan (the biggest city of Central China, as well as the capital of Hubei) and the east of Jingzhou (a famous city in Chinese history). Formerly known as Jingling (竟陵), it was renamed to Tianmen in 1726 during the Qing dynasty. The name comes from the Sky Gate Mountains (meaning “tianmen” in Chinese) which lie northwest of the city.[3]
It is the hometown of Lu Yu, the writer of The Classic of Tea, who is respected as "the Sage of Tea" for his contribution to the tea culture. Tianmen has the largest population among the same-level cities in Central China. It was honoured "National Civilized City" by Chinese government in 2014.
History
Prehistoric ancient settlements in the Tianmen area existed at least 7,000 to 8,000 years ago as evidenced by Shijiahe neolithic tribal ruins which include recent discoveries of stone (jade) devices, pottery, bone, mussels, as well as bronze articles and other artifacts, such as those in the original Tao Zu patrilineal cultural heritage period.[3]
In January 2008, more than 100 persons and city officials in Tianmen came under investigation after the fatal beating of a 41-year-old man, Wei Wenhua, general manager of a construction company, who was using his cellphone to photograph a dispute between villagers and city inspectors.[4]
Population
As of the end of 2022, the permanent resident population of Tianmen City was 1,105,800 people.[3]
According to the seventh national census in 2020, the permanent resident population of the city was 1,158,640 people. Compared with the 1,418,913 people from the sixth national census, there was a decrease of 260,273 people over ten years, a decline of 18.34%, with an average annual growth rate of -2.01%. Among them, the male population was 606,285 people, accounting for 52.33% of the total population; the female population was 552,355 people, accounting for 47.67% of the total population. The total population sex ratio (with females as 100) was 109.76. The population aged 0-14 years was 199,948 people, accounting for 17.26% of the total population; the population aged 15-59 years was 659,700 people, accounting for 56.94% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 298,992 people, accounting for 25.81% of the total population, among which those aged 65 and above were 208,068 people, accounting for 17.96% of the total population. The population living in urban areas was 502,908 people, accounting for 43.41% of the total population; the population living in rural areas was 655,732 people, accounting for 56.59% of the total population.
Overseas Chinese
Tianmen City is a famous hometown of overseas Chinese in mainland China and a key hometown of overseas Chinese in Hubei Province. More than 280,000 overseas Chinese, Chinese, and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao from Tianmen live in more than 40 countries and regions across five continents. The city has more than 500 returned overseas Chinese and over 82,000 relatives of overseas Chinese, Hong Kong, and Macao residents.
The emigration of Tianmen overseas Chinese began at the end of the 18th century, going through several stages including moving northward (to Europe), moving southward (to Southeast Asia), and the new immigration period.[5]
Culture
Tianmen City is a renowned cultural hometown. World cultural figures such as the "Tea Saint" Lu Yu, Tang Dynasty poet Pi Rixiu, Ming Dynasty Jingling School literary representative figures Zhong Xing, Tan Yuanchun, and Qing Dynasty top scholar Jiang Liyong were born here. Since the restoration of the college entrance examination system, Tianmen has sent over 54,000 college students to the nation, earning the reputation of the "hometown of top scholars."
Tianmen is full of places of interest and historical sites. Within its territory is the Stone Age village site of Shijiahe, the largest Neolithic village site in the Yangtze River basin to date, the famous Buddhist temple Bai Long Temple built during the Southern Dynasties, well-preserved and majestic, and Lu Yu Pavilion, Wenxue Spring, Ancient Goose Bridge in memory of Lu Yu, as well as Zhong Xing's tomb, Tan Yuanchun's tomb, and the East Lake and West Lake scenic areas.
Hubei Province Tianmen Middle School is a nationally renowned provincial model high school, founded in 1912, located at the western end of Jingling Zhong Xing Avenue in Tianmen City, Hubei Province, the hometown of the Tea Saint Lu Yu. It is a garden-style school in Hubei Province, a provincial model high school, an advanced collective in the national education system, an advanced unit in the construction of spiritual civilization nationwide, with a history of more than one hundred years.
Hubei Province Tianmen Experimental High School is located on the north bank of East Lake in Tianmen. The school's history of education can be traced back to the Tianmen Normal Training Institute founded in the 32nd year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1906), which has gone through the processes of normal schools, secondary normal schools, and high schools, changing its name nine times and relocating eight times. In 2004, Tianmen Experimental High School ranked 28th on the comprehensive strength ranking of key middle schools in Hubei Province.[6]
Geography
Map including Tianmen (labeled as T'IEN-MEN (walled) 天門) (1953)
Hometown of overseas Chinese of Central China:
Tian men is a major hometown of overseas Chinese in Central Chinese. It is hometown of approximately 80,000 overseas Chinese, and also hometown of about 200,000 Hong Kong people, Macau people and Taiwanese.
^天门市历史沿革 [Historical Development of Tianmen City] (in Simplified Chinese). XZQH.org. 6 August 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2017. 2010年第六次人口普查，天门市常住总人口1418913人，其中：竟陵街道169734人，天门经济开发区管委会33768人，杨林街道28208人，多宝镇71908人，拖市镇58347人，张港镇76305人，蒋场镇39989人，汪场镇39225人，渔薪镇56915人，黄潭镇50754人，岳口镇88095人，横林镇63621人，彭市镇52070人，麻洋镇48023人，多祥镇62396人，干驿镇46601人，马湾镇36632人，卢市镇55895人，小板镇32630人，九真镇72608人，皂市镇68272人，胡市镇30211人，石河镇50171人，佛子山镇33154人，净潭乡27855人，蒋湖农场18827人，白茅湖农场6515人，沉湖管委会184人。 全市现辖3个街道、21个镇、1个乡：竟陵街道、侨乡街道、杨林街道、多宝镇、拖市镇、张港镇、蒋场镇、汪场镇、渔薪镇、黄潭镇、岳口镇、横林镇、彭市镇、麻洋镇、多祥镇、干驿镇、马湾镇、卢市镇、小板镇、九真镇、皂市镇、胡市镇、石河镇、佛子山镇、净潭乡。
^2016年中华人民共和国县以下行政区划变更情况 [Changes to Administrative Divisions Below the County Level in the People's Republic of China, 2016]. Ministry of Civil Affairs (in Simplified Chinese). December 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2018. 序号 原区划代码 原名称 变更原因 现区划代码 现名称 批准文件{...}152 429006120 石河镇 名称变更 429006120 石家河镇 鄂民政函【2016】472号
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