Northeast China

{{Chinese|s=中国东北|t=中國東北|p=''Zhōngguó Dōngběi''|pic=Dongbei China.png|piccap=Northeast China ([[Heilongjiang]], [[Jilin]], [[Liaoning]])|mi={{IPAc-cmn|zh|ong|1|g|uo|2|-|d|ong|1|b|ei|3}}|w=Chungkuo Tungpei}} '''Northeast China''', historically known in English as '''[[Manchuria]]''', is a geographical [[region of China]], consisting of the three provinces of [[Liaoning]], [[Jilin]] and [[Heilongjiang]]. The region is sometimes called the '''Three Northeast Provinces''' (东北三省/東北三省; ''Dōngběi sānshěng''). It is separated from [[Russia]] largely by the [[Amur River|Amur]], [[Argun River (Asia)|Argun]], and [[Ussuri]] rivers, from [[North Korea]] by the [[Yalu River]] and [[Tumen River]], and from the [[Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region]] by the [[Greater Khingan]] Range. The heartland of the region is the [[Northeast China Plain]]. The part of [[Manchuria]] that is part of Russia is referred to as "[[Outer Manchuria]]". In the context of the [[Northeast China Revitalization]] strategy of the [[State Council of the People's Republic of China|State Council]], five eastern [[prefectures]] of [[Inner Mongolia]] are also defined as part of the Northeast: [[Xilin Gol League|Xilin Gol]], [[Chifeng]], [[Tongliao]], [[Hinggan League|Hinggan]] and [[Hulunbuir]]. The region is nearly congruent with some definitions of "[[Manchuria]]" in historical foreign usage. Another term for the area is '''Guandong''' (关东/關東; ''Guāndōng'') meaning "east of the gate," referring to the gate at [[Shanhaiguan District|Shanhaiguan]]. This name was also used by the Japanese to their [[leased territory]] of [[Dalian]], as [[Kwantung Leased Territory|Kwantung Chou]], and its [[Kwantung Army]] which was later mobilized to set up the [[puppet state]] of [[Manchukuo]] in Northeast China. ==Administrative divisions== Provinces {| border=1 cellpadding=3 style="border-collapse: collapse;" |-bgcolor=cccccc ! Name !! Chinese ([[Simplified Chinese|S]]/[[Traditional Chinese|T]]) !! [[pinyin]] !! Abbreviation !! Provincial capital (省會/shěnghuì) !! Chinese !! pinyin !! List of county-level divisions |- |[[Heilongjiang]]||黑龙江/黑龍江||Hēilóngjiāng||黑 hēi||[[Harbin]]||哈尔滨/哈爾濱||Hā'ěrbīn||[[List of administrative divisions of Heilongjiang|List of county-level divisions]] |- |[[Jilin]]||吉林||Jílín||吉 jí||[[Changchun]]||长春/長春||Chángchūn||[[List of administrative divisions of Jilin|List of county-level divisions]] |- |[[Liaoning]]||辽宁/遼寧||Liáoníng||辽 liáo||[[Shenyang]]||沈阳/瀋陽||Shěnyáng||[[List of administrative divisions of Liaoning|List of county-level divisions]] |} == History == {{History of Manchuria}} [[Image:Wood Bodhisattva 2.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A wooden [[Bodhisattva]] statue, [[Jin Dynasty (1115-1234)|Jin Dynasty]], [[Shanghai Museum]].]] Northeast China was the homeland of several nomadic tribes, including the [[Manchu]]s (or [[Jurchens]]), [[Ulchs]], [[Hezhen]] (also known as the Goldi and Nanai). Various ethnic groups and their respective kingdoms, including the [[Sushen]], [[Xianbei]], and [[Mohe people|Mohe]] have risen to power in the Northeast. Many Korean kingdoms have also rose to power in Manchuria, including [[Gojoseon]], [[Buyeo (state)|Buyeo]], [[Goguryeo]], and [[Balhae]]. [[Yan State]] once occupied the [[Liaodong Peninsula]], [[Han Chinese]] [[Dynasties in Chinese history|dynasties]] in China loosely controlled the southern parts of the region. During the Song dynasty, the Khitan set up the [[Liao Dynasty]] in Northeast China. Later, the [[Jurchen people|Jurchen]] overthrew the Liao and formed the [[Jin Dynasty (1115–1234)|Jin Dynasty]], which went on to conquer northern China. In [[Anno Domini|AD]] 1234, the Jin Dynasty fell to the [[Mongol Empire|Mongols]], whose [[Yuan Dynasty]] was later replaced by the [[Ming Dynasty]] in 1368. In 1644, the Manchu conquered the entirety of China and established the [[Qing dynasty]] (1644–1912). Northeast China came under influence of the [[Russian Empire]] with the building of the Chinese eastern railway through [[Harbin, China|Harbin]] to [[Vladivostok]]. The [[Empire of Japan]] replaced Russian influence in the region as a result of the [[Russo-Japanese War]] in 1904–1905, and Japan laid the [[South Manchurian Railway]] in 1906 to [[Lüshunkou|Port Arthur]]. During the [[Warlord Era]] in China, [[Zhang Zuolin]] established himself in Northeast China, but was murdered by the Japanese for being too independent. The last [[Qing dynasty]] emperor, [[Puyi]], was then placed on the throne to lead a Japanese [[puppet state]] of [[Manchukuo]]. After the [[nuclear weapon|atomic bombing]] of Japan in 1945, the [[Soviet Union]] invaded the region as part of its declaration of war against Japan. From 1945 to 1948, Northeast China was a base area for the [[Communist]] [[People's Liberation Army]] in the [[Chinese Civil War]]. With the encouragement of the [[Soviet Union]], the area was used as a [[staging area|staging ground]] during the Civil War for the [[Communist Party of China|Chinese Communists]], who were victorious in 1949 and have been controlling this region since. ==Demographics == Northeast China has a total population of about 107,400,000 people, accounting for 8% of China’s total population. The majority of the population in the Northeast is now [[Han Chinese]], whose ancestors came only recently in the 19th and 20th centuries in a population movement called "[[Chuang Guandong]]" (literally: To escape the hardship by going beyond the pass) or Rush to Northeast China. [[Manchu]]s form the second significant ethnic group in the region. Other major ethnic groups include the [[Ethnic Mongols in China|Mongols]], [[Korean people|Koreans]], and the [[Hui people|Huis]]. == Economy == The Northeast was one of the earlier regions to [[industrialize]] in China. After the founding of the [[People's Republic of China]], Northeast China continued to be a major industrial base of the country. Recent years, however, has seen the stagnation of Northeast China's heavy-industry-based economy, as China's economy continues to liberalize and privatize; the government has initialized the [[Revitalize the Northeast]] campaign to counter this problem. The region is, on the whole, more heavily urbanised than most parts of China, largely because it was the first part of the country to develop [[heavy industry]] owing to its abundant [[coal]] reserves. Major cities include [[Shenyang]], [[Dalian]], [[Harbin]] and [[Changchun]], all with several million inhabitants. Other cities include the [[steel]] making centres of [[Fushun]] and [[Anshan, China|Anshan]] in Liaoning, [[Jilin City]] in Jilin, and [[Qiqihar]] and [[Mudanjiang]] in Heilongjiang. Harbin, more than any other city in China, possesses significant Russian influences: there are many Orthodox churches that have fallen out of use since the Cultural Revolution. Shenyang and Dalian, meanwhile, have sizable populations of Japanese and Koreans due to their traditional linkages. The rural population of Manchuria is heavily concentrated in the warmer southern part of the area, where very warm to hot summer weather permits crops such as [[maize]] and [[millet]] to be grown with high yields. [[Soybean]]s and [[flax]] are also very important, as are [[wheat]] and [[barley]]. The region possesses large flocks of [[sheep]], and [[pig]]s are abundant in the more densely settled southern part. The northern half of Heilongjiang is so cold and poorly drained that agriculture is almost impossible; however, the Amur River provides very rich [[fishing]] prospects, and sheep are even more abundant than in southern Heilongjiang. Northeast China is the country’s traditional [[heavy industry|industrial]] base, focusing mainly on equipment manufacturing. Major industries include the [[steel]], [[automaker|automobile]], [[shipbuilding]], [[aircraft]] manufacturing, and [[oil refinery|petroleum refining]] industries. The gross regional product of the three northeast provinces totaled [[Renminbi|¥]]1.63 trillion in 2002. In recent years, the Chinese government has initialized the "Revitalize the Northeast campaign" to turn this region into one of China's economic growth engines. == Culture == Northeastern Mandarin retains elements from native [[Tungusic languages]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]], and [[Russian language|Russian]] and there are enough differences to give the dialect its own distinctive characteristics. Ethnic [[Manchus]] speak Mandarin, and the [[Manchu language]] is almost extinct due to widespread assimilation to Han culture over the last four centuries. [[Ethnic Mongols in China|Mongols]] tend to be bilingual in their own languages [[Mongolian language|Mongolian]]) as well as [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]]. (See [[Northeastern Mandarin]]) [[Northeastern Chinese cuisine]] reflects the region's ethnic diversity. Native Manchu, Northern Chinese, Russian and Japanese cooking styles all find their traces in Manchurian cooking. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the cuisine is the use of uncooked fresh vegetables. During the long winter season, pickled Chinese cabbage, [[Suan cai]], is preserved and used for cooking. In almost every other region of China, vegetables are cooked thoroughly before being eaten. In general, the culture of Northeast China takes its elements from the cultures of [[North China]] and [[Shandong]], where most of the [[Han Chinese]] migration into Northeast China, known as [[Chuang Guandong]] (闯关东), originated, the native [[Tungusic peoples]], and its own innovations. [[Errenzhuan]], [[Yangge]], [[Jilin opera]] and [[Stilts]] are popular forms of traditional entertainment in Northeast China. ''"[[Northeastern Cradle Song]]" (东北摇篮曲)'' is an example of the folk songs of this region. Because of its climatic conditions, Northeast China is the base for China's [[winter sports]]. [[Ice hockey]] and [[ice skating]] athletes often come from or were educated in Northeast China. [[Image:Friendship Square, Dalian.JPG|thumb|200px|Friendship Square in Dalian]] == Major universities == *[[Jilin University]] (吉林大学) *[[Northeast Normal University]] (东北师范大学) *[[Harbin Institute of Technology]] (哈尔滨工业大学） *[[Northeastern University (Liaoning)|Northeastern University]] (东北大学) *[[Dalian University of Technology]] (大连理工大学) *[[Northeast Forestry University]] (东北林业大学) *[[Shenyang Normal University]] (沈阳师范大学) *[[Changchun University of Science and Technology]] (长春理工大学) *[[Northeast Petroleum University]] (东北石油大学) == Literature == * Thomas R. Gottschang and Diana Lary: ''Swallows and Settlers - The Great Migration from North China to [[Manchuria]]'', Centre for Chinese Studies, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 2000 ISBN 0-89264-134-7 == External links == *[http://www.ln.gov.cn/ The Provincial Government of Liaoning] *[http://www.hlj.gov.cn/ The Provincial Government of Heilongjiang] {{People's Republic of China topics}} {{coord missing|People's Republic of China}}