Tongzhou, located in southeast Beijing, is considered as the capital's eastern gate. It is at the north end of Grand Canal and the east end of Chang'an Avenue. Tongzhou is 37 km wide from east to west and 48 km from north to south, covering an area of 906.27 square kilometers which accounting for 5.55% of Beijing's total territory and 14.3% of Beijing's plain. Tongzhou has 11 towns and 4 communities, with a population of 870,000.