'' (;
Postal map spelling: Heilungkiang;
Manchu: Sahaliyan ula) is a
province of the
People's Republic of China located in the
northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means
Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the
Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑 (
pinyin: Hēi). The Manchu name of the region is Sahaliyan ula (literally meaning "Black river"), from which the name of
Sakhalin island is derived.
Heilongjiang borders
Jilin in the south and
Inner Mongolia to the west; it also borders
Russia to the north.
The
Amur River marks the border between the
People's Republic of China and
Russia to the north. Heilongjiang contains China's northernmost point (in
Mohe County along the Amur) and easternmost point (at the junction of the
Amur and
Ussuri Rivers).
History
In ancient times Heilongjiang was far from any literate civilization, and information was sparse.
Chinese and other sources state that Heilongjiang was inhabited by people such as the
Xianbei, the
Mohe, and the
Khitan. The eastern portion of Heilongjiang was ruled by the kingdom of
Bohai between the
7th century and
10th century. The
Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) that subsequently ruled much of north China arose within the borders of modern Heilongjiang.
Under the
Manchu Qing Dynasty, the western part of Heilongjiang was under the supervision of the General of Heilongjiang, whose power extended, according to the
Treaty of Nerchinsk, as far north as the
Stanovoy Mountains; eastern Heilongjiang was under the supervision of the General of Jilin, whose power reached the
Sea of Japan. These areas deep in
Manchuria were closed off to
Han Chinese migration.
However, in
1858 and
1860 the
Qing government gave up all land beyond the
Amur and
Ussuri Rivers to
Russia, cutting China off from the
Sea of Japan and giving Heilongjiang its present northern borders. At the same time,
Manchuria was opened to
Han Chinese migration by the
Qing government. By the early
twentieth century, the
Han Chinese had become the dominant ethnic group in the region. In
1932, present-day Heilongjiang became part of the
Japanese
puppet state of
Manchukuo.
After the
Japanese defeat in
1945,
Soviet forces entered Manchuria and gave the Chinese communists control over most of the area. Heilongjiang became the first province to be completely controlled by the Chinese communists and
Harbin the first major city. From Manchuria, the communists were able to conduct the initial phases of the
Chinese Civil War.
At the beginning of communist rule, Heilongjiang province included only the western portion of the present-day province, and had its capital at
Qiqihar. The remaining area was the
province of Songjiang; its capital was
Harbin. In
1954, these two provinces were merged into present-day Heilongjiang. During the
Cultural Revolution Heilongjiang was also expanded to include
Hulunbuir League and some other areas previously in
Inner Mongolia; this has since mostly been reversed.
Geography
Heilongjiang is a land of varied topography. Much of the province is dominated by mountain ranges such as the
Greater Khingan Range and
Lesser Khingan Range,
Zhangguangcai Mountains,
Laoye Mountains, and
Wanda Mountains. The highest peak is
Mount Datudingzi at 1690
m (5545
ft), located on the border with
Jilin province). The Greater Khingan Range contains China's largest remaining virgin forest and is an important area for China's forestry industry.
The interior of the province, which is relatively flat and low in altitude, contains the
Songhua River, the
Nen River, and the
Mudan River, all tributaries of the
Amur, while the northern border forms part of the
Amur valley.
Xingkai Lake (or
Khanka Lake) is found on the border with
Russia's
Primorsky Krai.
Heilongjiang is subarctic in
climate. Winters are long and frigid, with an average of −31 to −15
°C in January, and summers are short and cool with an average of 18 to 23°C in July. The annual average rainfall is 500 to 600
mm, concentrated mostly in
summer.
Major cities:
★
Harbin
★
Qiqihar
★
Mudanjiang
★
Jiamusi
★
Yichun
★
Daqing
★
Heihe
★
Shuangyashan
Administrative divisions
Heilongjiang is divided into thirteen
prefecture-level divisions, consisting of twelve
prefecture-level cities and one
prefecture:
★
Harbin (
Simplified Chinese: 哈尔滨市,
Hanyu Pinyin: Hā'ěrbīn shì)
★
Qiqihar (齐齐哈尔市 Qíqíhā'ěr shì)
★
Hegang (鹤岗市 Hègǎng shì)
★
Shuangyashan (双鸭山市 Shuāngyāshān shì)
★
Jixi (鸡西市 Jīxī shì)
★
Daqing (大庆市 Dàqìng shì)
★
Yichun (伊春市 Yīchūn shì)
★
Mudanjiang (牡丹江市 Mǔdānjiāng shì)
★
Jiamusi (佳木斯市 Jiāmùsī shì)
★
Qitaihe (七台河市 Qītáihé shì)
★
Heihe (黑河市 Hēihé shì)
★
Suihua (绥化市 Suíhuà shì)
★
Daxing'anling Prefecture (大兴安岭地区 Dàxīng'ānlǐng Dìqū)
(About this last prefecture there is information to find at the section
Greater Khingan)
The thirteen
prefecture-level divisions of Heilongjiang are subdivided into 130
county-level divisions (65
districts, nineteen
county-level cities, forty-five
counties, and one
autonomous county). Those are in turn divided into 1284
township-level divisions (473
towns, 400
townships, 58
ethnic townships, and 353
subdistricts).
See '
List of administrative divisions of Heilongjiang' for a complete list of
county-level divisions.
Economy
The
agriculture of Heilongjiang, heavily defined by its cold climate, is based upon crops such as
soybeans,
maize, and
wheat. Commercial crops grown include
beets,
flax, and
sunflowers.
Heilongjiang is also an important source of
lumber for China.
Pine, especially the
Korean pine and
larch are the most important forms of lumber produced in Heilongjiang. Forests are mostly to be found in the
Daxingan Mountains and
Xiaoxingan Mountains, which are also home to protected animal species such as the
Siberian Tiger, the
red-crowned crane, and the
lynx.
Herding in Heilongjiang is centered upon
horse and
cattle. Heilongjiang has the greatest number of milk cows and the highest production of
milk among all the province-level divisions of China.
Petroleum is of great importance in Heilongjiang, and the
Daqing oilfields are an important source of petroleum for China.
Coal,
gold, and
graphite are other important minerals to be found in Heilongjiang. Heilongjiang also has great potential for
wind power, with an average wind energy density of 200
watts per
square metre.
Heilongjiang is part of
northeast China (Manchuria), the traditional base of
industry for the
People's Republic of China. Industry is focused upon
coal,
petroleum,
lumber,
machinery, and
food. Due to its location, Heilongjiang is also an important gateway for
trade with
Russia. In recent years, however, Manchuria has suffered from stagnation. As a result, the government has started the
Revitalize Northeast China campaign to deal with this problem, using
privatization as the preferred method of
economic reform.
In 2005, Heilongjiang's nominal GDP was 551 billion yuan (US$68.87 billion), an annual growth rate of 11.6%. Its per capita GDP was 14,430 yuan (US$1,762). Heilongjiang's primary, secondary, and tertiary industries were worth 67.25 billion yuan, 297.08 billion yuan, and 186.67 billion yuan respectively
[1]. The per capita
disposable income of urban residents in Heilongjiang reached 8,273 yuan (over US$1,000), a rise of 10.7% from the previous year. The per capita net income of rural residents in the province surged 7.2% year-on-year to 3,221 yuan (US$400).
[2]
Demographics
The majority of Heilongjiang's population is
Han Chinese, while other
ethnic minorities include the
Manchus,
Koreans,
Mongols,
Hui,
Daur,
Xibe,
Oroqin,
Hezhen and
Russians.
Excludes members of the
People's Liberation Army in active service.
Source: Department of Population, Social, Science and Technology Statistics of the National Bureau of Statistics of China (国家统计局人口和社会科技统计司) and Department of Economic Development of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission of China (国家民族事务委员会经济发展司), eds. ''Tabulation on Nationalities of 2000 Population Census of China'' (《2000年人口普查中国民族人口资料》). 2 vols. Beijing: Nationalities Publishing House (民族出版社), 2003. (ISBN 7-105-05425-5)
Culture
Heilongjiang's culture is part of a
culture of Northeast China that is relatively homogeneous across all northeastern China (see
Culture of Manchuria).
Media
Heilongjiang Television and
Harbin Economy Radio serve as broadcasters.
Tourism
Harbin, the provincial capital, is a city of contrasts, with Chinese,
Russian, and eclectic worldwide influences clearly apparent.
Eastern Orthodox,
Roman Catholic, and
Protestant churches dot the city.
The long, cold winter is the backdrop for its famed
ice sculpture exhibitions. In 2007 already the 8th Ice and Snow World opened to visitors in Harbin. More than 2000 ice sculptures were on display at the annual event.
[3]
Wudalianchi Lakes are a series of five lakes formed between
1719 and
1721 when volcanic eruption shaped one section of a tributary of the
Amur into five interconnected lakes. The second lake in particular is renowned for its irregular geological sights.
Jingbo Lake, found in
Ning'an County, is a section of the
Mudan river that has been narrowed and shaped by volcanic eruption into a series of sights, including the
Diaoshuilou Falls.
Miscellaneous topics
Colleges and universities
★
Heilongjiang University
★
Harbin Institute of Technology
Sports
★
Asia League Ice Hockey
External links
★
The Provincial Government of Heilongjiang
العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
Español
