Tianmen

Tianmen is a sub-prefecture-level city (sometimes considered a county-level city) in central Hubei Province, China.

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.

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.

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.

Population
As of the end of 2022, the permanent resident population of Tianmen City was 1,105,800 people.

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.

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.

Administrative divisions
Tianmen administers:

Climate
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.

Transportation

 * Tianmen South Railway Station and Xiantao West Railway Station on the Wuhan–Yichang Railway.