Get to know Tongzhou District
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- Administrative area
- District · 市辖区
- Part of
- Beijing
- Chinese name
- 通州区
- Local areas
- District guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 906.00 km²
- Population · 2020
- 1,840,295
- Administrative seat
- Zhongcang Subdistrict
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
History
A county called Lu (路县) was founded here in 206 BC at the start of the Western Han. In 1151 the Jin ruler Prince Hailing (海陵王) created Tongzhou prefecture, taking the name from the canal's grain transport; under the Ming and Qing it belonged to Shuntian Prefecture (顺天府). In September 1860, at the end of the Second Opium War, Qing troops fought the British and French at Baliqiao (八里桥) and Zhangjiawan (张家湾). The area came under Beijing in 1958, and Tong County (通县) became Tongzhou District in 1997.
What to see
The Grand Canal became a World Heritage Site on 22 June 2014, and the Tongzhou Section of the Tonghui River (通惠河) is the longer of Beijing's two listed sections. It runs about five kilometres from Yongtong Bridge (永通桥) east to Wohu Bridge (卧虎桥), where the Tonghui meets the North Grand Canal (北运河) at an old stone dam used for water transport. The old-town Tongzhou Yamen site and examination hall stand near its eastern part.
The Beijing (Tongzhou) Grand Canal Cultural Scenic Area, a national 5A scenic area, is described by the district as the first such area east of Beijing's central axis. Its northern part holds the Randeng Pagoda (燃灯塔) and the old buildings around it, the centre holds the Grand Canal Olympic Sports Park and Grand Canal Ecological Park with canal boats, and the south is the Grand Canal Forest Park (大运河森林公园).
The Grand Canal Museum of Beijing (北京大运河博物馆), also called the Capital Museum East Branch, is built around the idea of a canal boat and stands north-west of the Central Green Forest Park, beside the Beijing Performing Arts Center and Beijing Library. Universal Beijing Resort (北京环球度假区) opened in Wenjing Subdistrict (文景街道) on 20 September 2021; the district plans its culture and tourism zone around Songzhuang (宋庄) artists in the north, the Universal theme park in the middle and the Taihu (台湖) performing-arts town in the south.
Setting and landscape
The land slopes gently from north-west to south-east, from 27.6 metres at its highest to 8.2 metres. Thirteen rivers cross the district, the Grand Canal and the Chaobai chief among them, and the Chaobai separates it from Sanhe (三河), Dachang (大厂) and Xianghe (香河) in Hebei (河北) to the east. Tianjin's Wuqing (武清) and Hebei's Langfang (廊坊) lie to the south.
Highlights
- Tongzhou Section of the Tonghui River 通惠河通州段: About five kilometres of the Grand Canal World Heritage Site, from Yongtong Bridge to Wohu Bridge.
- Randeng Pagoda 燃灯塔: Centrepiece of the northern part of the Grand Canal 5A scenic area.
- Grand Canal Museum of Beijing 北京大运河博物馆: Capital Museum East Branch, designed around a canal boat.
- Universal Beijing Resort 北京环球度假区: Opened in Wenjing Subdistrict on 20 September 2021.
Sources for this guide
文化旅游区 · Tongzhou District People's Government, Beijing
Welcome to Beijing (Tongzhou) Grand Canal 5A-Level Cultural Scenic Area · Tongzhou District People's Government, Beijing (English portal)
The Grand Canal Museum of Beijing(Capital Museum East Branch) · Foreign Affairs Office, on the Tongzhou District People's Government English portal
The Grand Canal in Tongzhou District · Foreign Affairs Office, on the Tongzhou District People's Government English portal
通州区 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-25.
Explore Tongzhou District
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Tongzhou District
Tongzhou's top POI?Universal Beijing Resort北京环球度假区
Universal Beijing Resort combines the Universal Studios Beijing theme park with Universal CityWalk and resort hotels. The park is organised around film worlds rather than a single linear sightseeing route. Its named lands…
Read the place guide →
Grand Canal Forest Park · 大运河森林公园Grand Canal Forest Park大运河森林公园
Grand Canal Forest Park follows the canal landscape in Tongzhou, combining wooded banks with water views and places linked to the old grain-transport route. The Caoyun Terminal, Yuedao Wenying, and Yuedao Viewing Platform…
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The exterior of the Beijing Grand Canal Museum in Tongzhou, photographed in May 2024.Beijing Grand Canal Museum北京大运河博物馆
Beijing Grand Canal Museum, also known as the Capital Museum East Branch, interprets the relationship between Beijing, the canal, and the people whose lives depended on it. Its founding exhibition program paired the history and…
Read the place guide →
An aerial view of Xihaizi Park's lakes, gardens and surrounding Tongzhou neighbourhood.Xihaizi Park西海子公园
Xihaizi Park is a compact green space in old Tongzhou, close to the traditional shopping-street area and within view of Randengfo Pagoda. Its value lies in that relationship between everyday neighborhood recreation and the older…
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Beijing Grand Canal cultural area · 北京大运河文化旅游景区Beijing Grand Canal cultural area北京大运河文化旅游景区
Tongzhou's Grand Canal cultural area connects Beijing's canal history with waterside public space and the historic Three Temples and One Pagoda ensemble.
Read the place guide →Plan your visit
Getting there
Tongzhou District is about 20 km in a straight line from central Beijing. Search for 通州区 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Universal Beijing Resort and Grand Canal Forest Park are about 6 km apart in a straight line. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Beijing →More in Beijing
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 通州区 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Universal Beijing Resort · N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and WebP compressed; subject not altered.
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Photo: Grand Canal Forest Park · N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and WebP compressed; subject not altered.
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Photo: Beijing Grand Canal Museum · E2568 · CC0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
Photo: Xihaizi Park · 維基小霸王 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
Photo: Beijing Grand Canal cultural area · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.