Download Heilongjiang Information

Heilongjiang Information
Overview
Heilongjiang is the country’s northern most province. The capital,
Harbin, is situated on the Songhua Jiang River. At almost 176,000
sq mi (454,600 sq km) it is the nation’s 6th largest province. Its
population is 16th in the country with 38,170,000 people. Harbin
is only an approximate 230 mi (142 km) from the Russian border
to the east. Heilongjiang province covers a portion of what is
historically referred to as Manchuria.
Heilongjiang Geography
The base of the Da Hinggan Ling range forms the province’s
western border with Inner Mongolia. The Da Hinggan Ling runs
northeast and meet the Xiao Hinggan Ling at the apex, which run
southeast inside the Russian border. The watershed from the Da
Hinggan Ling creates the Nen Jiang River, which runs southward to where it meets the western end of Songhua
Jiang. The watershed from the remaining Xiao Hinggan Ling range runs into the middle of the province filling
the Songhua Jiang River. Heilongjiang borders Jilin province to the south.Heilongjiang’s climate is sub-arctic
with long cold and very windy winters.
Heilongjiang Demographics
Heilongjiang China remains home to mostly Han Chinese, who make up 95% of the population. The indigenous
Manchu now make up only 3%. Koreans comprise 1% followed by the Mongols and Hui who compose 0.4%
and 0.3% of the population respectively. Also present in the region are Daur, Oroqen, Hezhen, Kirgiz, and
Ewenki, ordered by decreasing magnitude. There are also a few remaining Russians who fled to China after the
Bolshevik Revolution, and still remain in Harbin.
Heilongjiang History
Heilongjiang Province is situated in the northern part of what is traditionally referred to as Manchuria. Much of
the region’s history is linked to the indigenous Mohe, who are considered the ancestors of Manchu.
Heilongjiang’s political boundaries and autonomy wavered throughout the centuries as they fought primarily
Korean, and also central Chinese, incursions. The Sui Dynasty (581 AD – 618 AD) conquered part of Sumo
Mohe, one of the most powerful Mohe tribes. The Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115 AD – 1234 AD), not to be
confused with the earlier east and west Jin Dynasties or the later Jin Dynasty of the Five Dynasties Ten
Kingdoms period, was based in northern Manchuria. The Manchu Qing Dynasty (1644 AD – 1912 AD), the last
dynasty of China and once called the later Jin Dynasty, was founded by the ancestors of this region. Around
1860, the Qing government allowed Han migration to begin. Within fifty years Han had become the major
ethnic group of the region. Leading up to World War II the Japanese puppet state Manchukuo was established
in modern-day Heilongjiang. After the war, the former provinces Hinggan and Nenjing were added to the
province in 1950. Songjiang was incorporated into the region in 1954. A portion of the northwest was given to
Inner Mongolia in 1949 but was returned to Heilongjiang in 1969 only to be redrawn within the bounds of Inner
Mongolia yet again in 1979.
A large Russian influence can still be seen in much of the culture and especially the architecture of the region
due to a significant migration after the communists took hold of Russia. However, most of the immigrants
returned to Russia after the Chinese communists took power. The architecture and climate make Heilongjiang
Province a popular tourist destination with the annual festival in Harbin of ice sculptures and light shows
attracting visitors from all over the world.
Heilongjiang Industry
Heilongjiang’s economic capability is tethered to its climate. It is a significant source of China’s pine and larch.
Its agriculture includes such crops as soybeans, maize, and wheat. Perhaps most important to the province’s
economy is the petroleum of the Daqing oilfields. Heilongjiang produces almost half of China’s oil. Coal and
graphite also play an important role in the region’s economy. A major part of Heilongjiang’s economy has
become the generation of hydraulic power. The high-powered sub-arctic winds provide it with ample ability to
efficiently harness wind-derived energy. It is also an important trading point between China and Russia.