Shizhu Huangshui Forest Park

　　Huangshui Town is situated in the northeast of Shizhu County, 240 kilometers from downtown Chongqing, 63 kilometers from Shizhu County seat, 30 kilometers from Yiquankou at the Chongqing-Hubei border, 26 kilometers from the Shanghai-Chengdu Expressway, and 58 kilometers from the Yangtze River waterway. Ethnic minorities, predominantly Tujia people, account for 79.8% of the population. The terrain is mainly mountainous, with the highest elevation at 1,934 meters, the lowest at 950 meters, and an average elevation of 1,551.4 meters. The government seat sits at an altitude of 1,560 meters, featuring a distinct plateau climate. This is the central roundabout in Huangshui Town’s old street, marked with the words “Hometown of Chinese Coptis.”

　　In the early Qing Dynasty, the area was renamed Huangshuibà (Yellow Water Dam) due to its secluded mountains, dense forests, leaf-laden soil, and yellow-tinted creek water—a name that has endured to this day. It was established as a town in the 19th year of the Republic of China (1930), became Huangshu District in May 1961 with the district government stationed here, and was restructured into the current Huangshui Town in July 2001 after district and township mergers. Huangshui is one of the earliest settlements of the indigenous Tujia people in Shizhu, nurturing a long history and authentic Tujia culture. The region is rich in resources—Huangshui is famed as the “Hometown of Chinese Coptis” and the “Hometown of Chinese Brasenia,” and is at the heart of the forested area of the “National Top 100 Counties for Afforestation,” with a forest coverage rate of 78%. It also boasts nearly 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas reserves and abundant hydropower resources. In 2003, it was listed among Chongqing’s Top 100 Towns and Top 100 Central Towns, and in 2004, it was designated as a Chongqing Economic Comprehensive Development Demonstration Town. With its sound ecology, abundant resources, simple folkways, and thriving economy, it is a key town on the Chongqing-Hubei border.

　　Huangshui Town lies on the first terrace of the Qiyao Mountain Range. Its syncline tilts slightly eastward, forming an inverted terrain. The mountain plateau is mainly mid-level, interspersed with deep valleys, gullies, and trough basins. To the northeast are Maobiliang and Sanjianxi Mountain Ridges; to the southwest are Dazhaping and Dafengbao Mountain Ridges; to the northwest are Sifangbei and Qilongmiao Mountain Ridges, encircled by rolling hills. The average elevation is 1,550.14 meters, with the highest point being Dafengbao at 1,934 meters, the lowest at Dazhongzui in Huangshui Village at 950 meters, and Huangshui Town itself at 1,560 meters.

　　Huangshui Town has a subtropical monsoon humid climate. The four seasons are distinct, with abundant rainfall but insufficient sunlight. Vertical climatic variations are significant, the frost-free period is short, spring warms up late with frequent cold waves, late spring and early summer see persistent drizzle, midsummer often experiences drought, autumn cools quickly with frequent overcast rains, and winter brings heavy snow and dense fog.

　　Huangshui is rich in forest vegetation and is home to Huangshui National Forest Park. The town’s vegetation falls into two main categories (artificial and natural), covering a combined area of 147,734 mu, accounting for 80.99% of the total land area.

　　Bizika (the Tujia people’s self-reference) Green Palace is a demonstration tourist attraction located by the street. It features attractions such as a natural oxygen bar, forest camping, wild delicacy restaurants, a Tujia amusement park, canyon adventures, and the “Eighteen Bends Mountain Road.”

　　Huangshui has a 640-year history of cultivating Coptis. With 15,000 mu of Coptis planted annually and 3,200 mu under cultivation at any given time, the town leads the nation in both yield and quality—accounting for approximately 68% of China’s total production and 40% of the global output. It is the country’s largest GAP-certified Coptis production base.

　　Huangshui Town is predominantly inhabited by the Tujia people, who mostly live in mountainous areas, settling in clans along cliffs, terraces, bays, and flatlands. Houses often feature stilt structures with upper-level balconies (called “sandal fences”). The Tujia diet is characterized by sour and spicy pickles, large chunks of meat, and jar wine, while guests are treated to offerings like yangmi tea, sweet fermented rice, boiled cured meat, and stacked tofu. Traditional clothing is mostly hand-spun, dyed, and woven in white, blue, gray, or indigo, with both men and women wearing white or blue headscarves. Key features include shoulder wraps, floral aprons, and embroidered sock soles. Wedding customs include three unique practices: the “crying wedding,” wearing “parting shoes,” and the “bed-snatching” (or seat-snatching) ritual. The Tujia enjoy lantern dancing, performing during festivals, weddings, house-raising, funerals, and birthdays—with “Daoqian” and “Hand-Waving Dance” being particularly beloved. Their artistic style is distinctive: “Bizika” means Tujia people, “Sheba” refers to the hand-waving dance, and folk songs vary by occasion—there are weeding songs and drumbeats for farm work, mountain songs for herding, love songs for romance, crying songs for weddings, funeral dirges for the deceased, and work chants for stonemasons, laborers, and earthworkers.