Get to know Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County
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- Administrative area
- Autonomous county · 自治县
- Part of
- Chongqing
- Chinese name
- 彭水苗族土家族自治县
- Local areas
- Autonomous county guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 3,903.00 km²
- Population · 2020 census
- 530,599
- Administrative seat
- Hanjia Subdistrict
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
History
In 140 BC the Han emperor Wu set up Fuling County (涪陵县) with its seat at what is now Yushan town (郁山镇). Pengshui County itself dates from 593, under the Sui; the Yu River (郁江) was then called the Pengshui, and the county took the river's name. From 618 the Tang prefecture of Qianzhou (黔州) was governed from the present county town, and the county government notes that it was once the seat of the Tang Qianzhong circuit (黔中道). It counts salt and cinnabar among the strands of local culture. The State Council approved the autonomous county in 1983, and it was formally set up on 10 November 1984.
What to see
The Ayi River (阿依河), once called the Changxi River (长溪河), rises in Wuchuan County (务川县), Guizhou, and runs into the Wu River. Its scenic area, rated 5A, takes its name from the Miao word for a woman who brings happiness and good health. Visitors can walk the gorge, ride bamboo rafts, go rafting, visit the Niujiao Village (牛角寨) folk-culture resort area and explore Qinglong Cave (青龙洞).
Chiyou Jiuli City (蚩尤九黎城) stands at the foot of Mount Mowei (摩围山) beside the Wu River. It combines Miao culture, Miao architecture and visitor facilities, named after Chiyou (蚩尤), the ancestor of the Miao, and every building in it is joined with mortise and tenon. It became a 4A scenic area in 2016, followed by Mount Mowei in 2017 and the Wu River Gallery (乌江画廊) in 2018. The county has held the Wujiang Miao flower-mountain festival (乌江苗族踩花山节) fourteen times.
Food and local products
The best-known local dish is Crown Prince tofu pudding (太子豆花), also called chicken tofu pudding, made from the meat, eggs, fat and stock of a hen. Legend credits it to a maid of the Tang crown prince Li Chengqian (李承乾), and a local saying runs "you eat chicken without seeing chicken, and beans without seeing beans". Jingsi sweet-potato noodles (晶丝苕粉) are sold under a geographical trademark. Miao Village Recipes (苗乡菜谱), a recipe book published in 2019, lists more than 100 dishes, among them dujuanzi (嘟卷子), Yushan ganshu pastry (郁山擀酥) and bitter-buckwheat cakes dipped in honey.
Highlights
- Ayi River 阿依河: 5A scenic area on a Wu River tributary, named from a Miao word for a woman who brings happiness.
- Chiyou Jiuli City 蚩尤九黎城: Miao-culture complex below Mount Mowei, built entirely with mortise-and-tenon joints; 4A since 2016.
- Wu River Gallery 乌江画廊: Rated a 4A scenic area in 2018.
- Crown Prince tofu pudding 太子豆花: Hen-based 'tofu pudding' credited by legend to a maid of the Tang crown prince Li Chengqian.
Sources for this guide
彭水概况 - 彭水苗族土家族自治县人民政府 · Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County People's Government
彭水苗族土家族自治县 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
彭水阿依河景区_重庆市人民政府网 · Chongqing Municipal People's Government
阿依河 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
国家4A级旅游景区 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
道道苗食快朵颐 - 彭水苗族土家族自治县人民政府 · Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County People's Government
巍巍苗城傲武陵 - 彭水苗族土家族自治县人民政府 · Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County People's Government
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-25.
Explore Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County
Wujiang River Gallery Pengshui Section · 乌江画廊彭水段Wujiang River Gallery Pengshui Section乌江画廊彭水段
The Wujiang Gallery is the gorge-lined stretch of the Wujiang river between Pengshui County, Chongqing, and Yanhe County, Guizhou; that 100-kilometre run carries the name 'thousand-li Wujiang, hundred-li gallery'. The Wujiang itself, formerly called the Fuling River or Qianjiang, rises in Guizhou's Wumeng Mountains.
Read the place guide →
AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）Ayi River阿依河
The Ayi River cuts a wooded limestone canyon outside Pengshui, with cliff paths, caves and water-based excursions offering different ways to explore it. Qinglong Valley is the place to focus on the rock walls and vegetation from…
Read the place guide →
Chiyou Jiuli City · 蚩尤九黎城Chiyou Jiuli City蚩尤九黎城
Chiyou Jiuli Cheng is a modern themed building complex at Tingzi Dam next to the county town of Pengshui, Chongqing's only Miao-majority autonomous county. Built on previously barren hillside, it recreates the legendary Jiuli tribal settlement and the royal city of Chiyou, and is a national AAAA-grade scenic area.
Read the place guide →Local life & food
Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County local specialties
彭水苗族土家族自治县特色美食 · 7 specialties to discover
Pengshui Crystal Sweet Potato Noodles 彭水晶丝苕粉AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Pengshui Crystal Sweet Potato Noodles (彭水晶丝苕粉) are starch noodles made from local sweet potatoes in Yushan (郁山) town, Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County (彭水苗族土家族自治县), Chongqing.
Read the dish guide →
Pengshui Buckwheat Noodles with Soft Tofu 彭水荞面豆花AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Pengshui Buckwheat Noodles with Soft Tofu (彭水荞面豆花) is a dish from Pengshui (彭水), Chongqing, in which cooked buckwheat noodles are laid over soft soybean curd and each mouthful is dipped in a separate bowl of seasoning.
Read the dish guide →
Miao Sour Soup 苗家酸汤AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Miao Sour Soup (苗家酸汤) is listed among the local specialties of Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Chongqing. The term 汤 points to soup.
Read the dish guide →
Yushan Flaky Pastry Cakes 郁山擀酥饼Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Yushan Flaky Pastry Cakes (郁山擀酥饼) are baked flaky cakes from Yushan (郁山) in Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County (彭水苗族土家族自治县), Chongqing, made from fine wheat flour with more than twenty other ingredients.
Read the dish guide →
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Dujuanzi Rolls 嘟卷子AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Dujuanzi Rolls (嘟卷子) are a traditional Pengshui (彭水) snack made from sweet-potato starch. Rolled, sliced and steamed, they have a translucent appearance and a soft, moist texture beneath their sour, spicy seasoning.
Read the dish guide →
Buckwheat Cakes 荞粑AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Buckwheat Cakes (荞粑) are one of the steamed grain cakes made in Pengshui (彭水). At the stall run by Tuo Huayun (庹华云) and his wife, buckwheat flour is mixed with water and naturally fermented before steaming.
Read the dish guide →
Doujuanzi Rolls 都卷子
Doujuanzi Rolls (都卷子) are a Pengshui (彭水) snack made by cooking sweet-potato starch into a sheet, rolling it and cutting it into short pieces. The rolls are steamed and dressed with a hot, tangy mixture of seasonings.
Read the dish guide →Photo adjustments
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More dishes from across Chongqing are in the Chongqing food guide.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County is about 160 km in a straight line from central Chongqing. Search for 彭水苗族土家族自治县 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Wujiang River Gallery Pengshui Section and Ayi River are both listed here. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Chongqing →More in Chongqing
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 彭水苗族土家族自治县 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 阿依河 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 国家4A级旅游景区 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Wujiang River Gallery Pengshui Section · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Chiyou Jiuli City · 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.