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Tangshan is a mainly industrial prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It became known after the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, 8.2 on the Richter scale which flattened the city. The city has since been rebuilt and has become a tourist attraction.
Geography
Tangshan is located in the central section of circum-Bohai Sea Gulf region, facing the Bohai Sea in the south, depends on Yanshan mountain in the north, border Luanhe with Qinhuangdao city in the east, the west adjoin with Beijing, Tianjin. It is a throat strategic area and corridor linking two major regions of North China and Northeast China.
Tangshan is part of North China Plain, with Yanshan Mountain lying its north. The greatest river in Tangshan is Luanhe, which ranks No.2 in North China.
Administration
The prefecture-level city of Tangshan administers 16 county-level divisions including 6 districts, 6 counties, 2 county-level cities and 2 county-level farms.
Districts
* Lunan District
* Lubei District
* Fengrun District
* Fengnan District
* Kaiping District
* Guye District
Counties
* Tanghai County
* Luannan County
* Luan County
* Laoting County
* Qianxi County
* Yutian County
County-level Cities
* Zunhua
* Qian'an
County-level Farms
* Lutai Farm
* Hangu Farm
History
Tangshan city has a history of over one hundred years. Its name derives from Tangshan Mountain in the urban city.
Tangshan suffered an earthquake of magnitude 8.2 (7.8 from official report) at 3:42 a.m. on July 28, 1976, the Tangshan earthquake, which resulted in a tragically colossal number of casualties. The official death toll was 255,000, but many experts believe that the actual number of fatalities was two to three times that number, making it the most destructive earthquake in modern history. As a result of the earthquake, most of the town had to be rebuilt.
Economy and Industry
Tangshan is an important heavy industry city in North China. Its manufactures include machinery, motor vehicles, chemicals, textiles, glass, petroleum products, and cement. It is a coal-mining center since late Qing Dynasty, as Cantonese merchant Tong King-sing opened the first coal mine using modern techniques in Kaiping in 1877. With the construction of Caifeidian Project, it launches large iron and steel plants, chemical projects, and electricity works. Tangshan is also called "the capital of porcelain in north China".
Historically, the Chinese modern industry started in this city. The first railway in China was built from Xugezhuang to Tangshan in 1877 and the first fire-resistant material manufactory, and the first and largest cement manufactory were constructed in Tangshan as well.
In 2006, the GDP of Tangshan was ￥236.2 billion, ranked No.1 in all the prefecture-level cities in Hebei Province, and No.19 in China.
Traditional Arts
* Ping Opera
* Tangshan Shadow Play
* Leting drums
Education
* Tangshan No.1 high middle school
Tourist attractions
* Eastern Tombs of the Qing Dynasty
* Jingzhong Mountain, a religious shrine for the believers of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism
* The Anti-seismic Monument, landmark of Tangshan, located in The Anti-seismic Square
Notable People
* Li Dazhao early founder of Communist Party of China
* Jiang Wen a contemporary director and actor
* Cao Xueqin author of Dream of the Red Chamber
Twin towns
* Sakata, Japan
* Zyrardow, Poland
* Malm?, Sweden
* Lincoln, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
* Cedar Rapids, USA
