Located in the east of Sichuan, Dazhou neighbors Shanxi Province and Hubei Province in the north and adjoins Chongqing Municipality to the east. It is entitled “the golden triangle” of economic development in the converging region of Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei and Shanxi. As a large city of Sichuan in resources and population, a town of great importance in industry of eastern Sichuan, and also the trading centre of Qinba region (Qinling and Bashan Mountain area) , Dazhou enjoys a reputation of “ glittering pearl of east Sichuan”.
Dazhou has a convenient transportation system and its trade and commerce are quite dynamic. It is the eastern transportation conjunction of the converging region of Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Shanxi and the east road linking Sichuan with the outside world. National Highways 210 and 318 stretch all over Dazhou. Xiangyu, Dacheng, and Dawan railways extend in all directions. It links directly with Chongqing by waterway. From Heshi Airport, the passengers can fly directly to Chengdu, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Xi’an, Shenzhen, and Beijing. Through Dayu National Highway and the national highway which starts from Dazhou to Chengdu by way of Guang’an and Nanchong, the traveling time from Chongqing to Chengdu is greatly shortened. Dashan National Highway is listed in the Tenth Five-year Plan of the Ministry of Communications. Advantaged geographic position and transportation facilitate the flows of human resources, material resources, capital, and information to Dazhou, making it the trade center of Qinba area. There is still large room for development for Dazhou. With complete industrial sectors and solid foundation of agriculture, Dazhou takes a leading position in economy in Sichuan.
Dazhou has a long history. It was a part of Ba Kingdom in ancient time. It was later annexed by Qin and was renamed as Dangqu County (present Tuxi, Quxian County ) under the administration of Ba Shire. Since the second year of Yongyuan under the reign of Emperor Hein East Han Dynasty（AD 90）when governments establishment administration institute “ Xianzhisuo” there, it had been the location of the administration centre of the local government. In the West Wei Dynasty, Dazhou was set as Tongzhou, a title it continued to use until Sui and Tang Dynasties. During Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, it began to be named as Dazhou. After the Xinhai Revolutionary Movement, Dazhou belonged to No.10 and No.15 Administrative Supervision District of Sichuan. Dazhou was once the crucial site of the Red Army in Sichuan-Shanxi Soviet Area and the key area of “Sanxian” Construction after the Liberation of China. In 1953, the government established Special Prefecture of Daxian, exercising jurisdiction over eleven cities and counties. It was changed as Daxian Prefecture in 1968. In 1993, approved by the State Council, it was set as Dachuan Prefecture. In 1999, with the approval of State Council, Dachuan Prefecture was repealed and was reset as prefecture-level Dachuan City. The former Dachuan City was changed as Tongchuan District.
Dachuan has a rich resource of folk-custom. Quxian Sanhui Colored Pavilion is of great craftiness and quite unique, combining Gaoqiao, acrobatics and opera together. Climbing in Yuanjiu, in Tongchuan District is exceptional in the whole nation. On that day, regardless of bad whether, all the people in the city will rush out of the city to climb mountains. Bashan folk songs, such as “Su’erjie” of Xuanhanmadu, and “Bashan Bei’rge”, are sung and spread all over the nation. Daxian Zhenfo Mountain Temple Fair, the wind and percussion music by local people in Dazhu, Farm Cattle Mimic Show, Bamboom Musical Instrument Playing和Folk Haocao Gong-Drum Music in Xuanhan, are widely hailed by the populaces.
Dazhou has rich tourism resources. It has picturesque mountains and extraordinary splendid natural and human scenic spots. National Cultural Relic, Luojiaba Cultural Relics of Ba People in Xuanhan County, and Han Wacth Twoer in Quxian County, are national treasure of ancient culture of China. The 2A-level Scenic Spott, Xuanhan Baili Valley, is no less beautiful than “Petty Three Georges”. The magnificent and lofty Wanyuan Batai Mountain and Hua’e Mountain win fame as “Mt. Emei in East Sichuan”. Dragon Pond in Quxian County with caves, stones, cliffs, waterfall, meteorological phenomena scenery and humanities, is extremely resplendent. The “Bamboo Sea in East Sichuan” in the National Forest Park of Wufeng Mountain in Dazhu, stretches as far as tens hectares. As the legend goes, it is the “origin of all the bamboos in the world”. Zhenfo Mountain, a 2A-level Scenic Spot and where three religions coexist, is noted for its temples with engraved figures, poems, hung couplets on the columns of a hall. The city has 2 National Cultural Relics, one National Patriotism Education Base, one National Forest Park, three 2A-level Scenic Spots, two Province-level Nature Preservation Zone, four Province-level Key Scenic Spots, and four Province-level Forest Parks.
Dazhou is the origin of Ba People’s Culture. It has preserved a great deal of cultural relics of Ba People. Han Watch Tower with carved stones, sculpture on the cliff, cultural relics of Dangqu and other historic relics. Dazhou City is also the Old Revolution Region and the Second Largest Revolution Base. During the longtime revolution period, there emerged hundreds of generals. Meanwhile, it has reserved plenty of revolution relics worthy of visiting, among which is the exhibition museum of the History of Wanyuan Battle, a National Patriotism Education Center. Through the display of plentiful real materials, sand models, it reveals the commendable and tough battles fought by the Fourth Division of Chinese Red Army and No.33 of Red Army under the leadership of Xu Xiangqian, Zhang Aiping, Xu Shiyou, Li Xiannian, Wang Weizhou, Chen Changhao, and Wang Shusheng. There are still some other relics, monuments and memorials, such as Li Jiajun Memorial Monument, Wang Weizhou Old Residence, and Guifu Revolution Memorial.