Economy

The soil in Enshi is rich in selenium. Enshi is known as the "seleninum capital of China" and is the world's sole independent seleninum deposit. Seleninum Square in the city is named after this rare element.The countryside has a diverse range of flora and fauna, including many Chinese herbs. Much of the mountain landscape is covered in virgin forest and is home to pangolins.Enshi locals are especially proud of their potato crops and consider the potato and tea crops to be the region's agricultural specialties.Enshi Prefecture possesses significant hydroelectric resources. Among major hydroelectric dams already completed, or under construction, within the prefecture are:Shuibuya Dam, on the Qing River in Badong County — the tallest concrete face rock-fill dam in the world.Jiangpinghe Dam, on the Loushui River, near Jiangpingh Village, Zouma Town, Hefeng County.Dongping Dam, in Wanjia Township (万家乡) of Xuan'en County

Geography

Enshi Prefecture is located in the mountainous belt separating Hubei's Jianghan Plain from the Sichuan Basin.There are karst phenomena in the region. The most famous of them is perhaps the Tenglong Cave near Lichuan. A 290-meter deep karst sinkhole, located near the village of Luoquanyan (锣圈岩村) in Xuan'en County, is described as possessing its own unique ecosystem.[1][2]The so-called Enshi Grand Canyon (恩施大峡谷) is also a well-known scenic area.

Demographics

The total area is 24,000 square kilometres (9,300 sq mi), and the population is 3,800,000. 52.6% of the population belong to the Tujia and Miao nationalities. Enshi is the only autonomous prefecture in Hubei province.Enshi is also the only part of Hubei which has been included in the Chinese government's Western exploration programme and over the next 5–10 years they will put 50 billion RMB into its development.

History

Imperial"Endless green mountains to walk on, endless clear water going away" (by a poet of the Tang dynasty)RepublicanRepublic of China's Hubei provincial government was relocated to Enshi during the 1937-45 resistance war (against Japanese invasion and occupation).The Roman Catholic Church had the Diocese of Shinan on the territory of today's Enshi Prefecture.