 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Northeast China" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(September 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Northeast China | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | China |
| Area | |
• Total | 791,826 km2 (305,726 sq mi) |
| Population | 98,514,948 |
| • Density | 124/km2 (320/sq mi) |
| GDP(nominal, 2024) | |
| • Total | CN¥6.35trillion (US$983.72billion)[2] |
| Largest city | Shenyang |
Northeast China (Chinese:东北;pinyin:Dōngběi) is ageographical region ofChina, consisting officially of threeprovincesLiaoning,Jilin andHeilongjiang. The heartland of the region is theNortheast China Plain, the largestplain in China with an area of over 350,000 km2 (140,000 sq mi). The region is separated from theRussian Far East to the north and east by theAmur,Argun andUssuri Rivers; fromNorth Korea to the south by theYalu andTumen Rivers; and from the neighboringNorth China to the west by theGreater Khingan Range andYan Mountains. It is also bounded by theBohai Bay andYellow Sea to the southwest, about 100 km (62 mi) away fromEast China'sJiaodong Peninsula across theBohai Strait, due to be connected viaa proposed undersea tunnel.
The fourprefectures ofInner Mongolia (which is part of North China) east of the Greater Khingan, i.e.Chifeng,Tongliao,Hinggan andHulunbuir, are sometimes also considered broader parts of Northeast China, and together with the aforementioned three provinces formed what was historically known asInner Manchuria, in contrast to theOuter Manchuria (or "Outer Northeast" in Chinese literatures)annexed by theRussian Empire during the mid-19th century.
Northeast China is one of the country's most importantbreadbaskets due to its fertileblack soil, producing over 20% of China's totalstaplefood production in 2020.[3] It was also one of the first regions of China toundergo industrialization, and was the pioneering region during theplanned economy era that followed thefounding of the People's Republic of China, earning it the honorfic nickname "the Republic's eldest son" (Chinese:共和国长子;pinyin:gònghéguó zhǎngzǐ). However, since theChinese economic reform of the 1980s, which had mostly benefited the coastal provinces inEast andSouth China that have direct access to exportsea routes andforeign investments, the Northeast's once-powerful industrial sector hasshrunk significantly with stagnant economic growth, masslayoffs fromstate-owned enterprises during the late 1990s, and ongoing exodus ofskilled population since the turn of the 21st century, leading to the region being often referred to as China'sRust Belt.[4][5][6][7][8] To salvage the situation, an economic campaign named theNortheast Area Revitalization Plan was launched in 2003 by theState Council and the newly ascendedHu–Wen Administration, in which five prefectures of eastern Inner Mongolia, namelyHulunbuir,Hinggan,Tongliao,Chifeng andXilin Gol, are also formally defined as regions of the Northeast.[9]
The nameManchuria is anexonym of Japanese origin, derived from the endonymManchu and first used in the 18th or 19th century, though not itself used by the Manchus or Chinese people.[10] Variations ofManchuria which arrived in European languages throughDutch, as acalque of the JapaneseManshū(満州;lit. 'Region of the Manchus').[11] The toponym has since become associated with Japanese colonialism. Its use is considered controversial by some historians such asMark C. Elliott, Norman Smith, and Mariko Asano Tamanoi who question its legitimacy.[12][13] In China, areas once considered part of Manchuria are referred to as theNortheast.[14][15]
The area was historically referred to by various names. During theMing dynasty, the region in which the Jurchens livedwas a military administrative commission referred to asNurgan.[16] TheQing dynasty used names such asGuandong (simplified Chinese:关东;traditional Chinese:關東;pinyin:Guāndōng;lit. 'east of thePass')[note 1] or theThree Eastern Provinces (東三省;东三省;Dōngsānshěng) referring toJilin, Heilongjiang and Fengtian (modern Liaoning) since 1683 when Heilongjiang was split from Jilin.[17]
| GB[18] | ISO No.[19] | Province | Chinese Name | Capital | Population | Density | Area (km2) | Abbr. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liáo | 21 | Liaoning | 辽宁省 Liáoníng Shěng | Shenyang | 43,746,323 | 299.83 | 145,900 | LN | 辽 |
| Jí | 22 | Jilin | 吉林省 Jílín Shěng | Changchun | 27,462,297 | 146.54 | 191,126 | JL | 吉 |
| Hēi | 23 | Heilongjiang | 黑龙江省 Hēilóngjiāng Shěng | Harbin | 38,312,224 | 84.38 | 454,800 | HL | 黑 |
| # | City | Urban area[20] | District area[20] | City proper[20] | Prov. | Census date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenyang | 5,718,232 | 6,255,921 | 8,106,171 | LN | 2010-11-01 |
| 2 | Harbin | 4,933,054 | 5,878,939 | 10,635,971 | HL | 2010-11-01 |
| 3 | Dalian | 3,902,467 | 4,087,733 | 6,690,432 | LN | 2010-11-01 |
| 4 | Changchun | 3,411,209 | 4,193,073 | 7,674,439 | JL | 2010-11-01 |
| 5 | Anshan | 1,504,996 | 1,544,084 | 3,645,884 | LN | 2010-11-01 |
| 6 | Jilin | 1,469,722 | 1,975,121 | 4,413,157 | JL | 2010-11-01 |
| 7 | Daqing | 1,433,698 | 1,649,825 | 2,904,532 | HL | 2010-11-01 |
| 8 | Fushun | 1,318,808 | 1,431,014 | 2,138,090 | LN | 2010-11-01 |
| 9 | Qiqihar | 1,314,720 | 1,553,788 | 5,367,003 | HL | 2010-11-01 |
| 10 | Benxi | 1,000,128 | 1,094,294 | 1,709,538 | LN | 2010-11-01 |
Northeast China was the homeland of several ethnic groups, including theKoreans,Manchus (orJurchens),Ulchs,Hezhen (also known as the Goldi and Nanai),Sushen,Xianbei, andMohe. TheHan Chinese have settled in Northeast China at several points in history, with the first Chinese kingdom to enter the area being the state ofYan. The region came under the rule of various states throughout history, including Yan,Gija Joseon,Wiman Joseon,Buyeo,Western Han,Goguryeo,Xin dynasty,Eastern Han,Gongsun Yan,Cao Wei,Western Jin,Former Yan,Former Qin,Later Yan,Tang dynasty,Wu Zhou,Balhae,Liao dynasty,Jin dynasty,Eastern Liao,Later Liao,Eastern Xia,Mongol Empire,Yuan dynasty,Northern Yuan,Ming dynasty,Qing dynasty, andRepublic of China.
During the late Qing dynasty, Northeast China came under influence of theRussian Empire with the building of theChinese Eastern Railway throughHarbin toVladivostok. TheEmpire of Japan replaced Russian influence in the region as a result of theRusso-Japanese War in 1904–1905, and Japan laid theSouth Manchurian Railway in 1906 toPort Arthur. During theWarlord Era in the Republic of China,Zhang Zuolin established himself in Northeast China, but was murdered by the Japanese for being too independent. The last Qing emperor,Puyi, was then placed on the throne to lead a Japanesepuppet state ofManchukuo. After theatomic bombing of Japan in 1945, theSoviet Union invaded the region as part of its declaration of war against Japan. From 1945 to 1948, Northeast China was a base area for theCommunistPeople's Liberation Army in theChinese Civil War. With the encouragement of theSoviet Union, the area was used as astaging ground during the Civil War for theChinese Communists, who were victorious in 1949 and have been controlling this region since.
Northeast China has a total population of about 107,400,000 people, accounting for 8% of China's total population. The overwhelming majority of the population in the Northeast isHan Chinese, many of whose ancestors came in the 19th and 20th centuries during a migration movement called "Chuang Guandong" (simplified Chinese:闯关东;traditional Chinese:闖關東;lit. 'venture into the east of the Pass'). Northeast China historically had a significant Han Chinese population, reaching over 3 million by the end of theMing Dynasty, but they were subjected toeviction andassimilation by the conquest of theQing dynasty, who then set upWillow Palisades during the reign ofShunzhi Emperor and prohibited any settlement of Han Chinese into the region. Despite officially prohibiting Han Chinese settlement, by the 18th century the Qing decided to settle Han into the Northeast so that Han Chinese farmed 500,000 hectares in the region by the 1780s.[21][22][23][24][25] Besides moving into the Liao area in southern Manchuria, the path linking Jinzhou, Fengtian, Tieling, Changchun, Hulun, and Ningguta was settled by Han Chinese during the Qianlong Emperor's reign, and Han Chinese were the majority in urban areas of Manchuria by 1800.[26][27]This resulted in the local Han Chinese population growing to over 20 million before theSecond Sino-Japanese War. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China at the end of theChinese Civil War, further immigrations were organized by the Central Government to "develop the Great Northern Wilderness" (开发北大荒), eventually peaking the population at over 100 million people.
Because most people in Northeast China trace their ancestries back to the migrants from the Chuang Guandong era, Northeastern Chinese were more culturally uniform compared to othergeographical regions of China. People from the Northeast would first identify themselves as "Northeasterners" (东北人) before affiliating to individual provinces and cities/towns.
EthnicManchus form the second significant ethnic group in Northeast China, followed by theMongols, Koreans, and theHuis, as well as 49 otherethnic minorities such asDaurs,Sibos,Hezhens,Oroqens,Evenks, andKyrgyz. Located in the Northeast is theYanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture whereethnic Koreans make up roughly 35% of the population.[28]
Taoism andChinese Buddhism coexist alongside predominatingChinese folk religions led bylocal shamans. The region has also a strong presence offolk religions and Confucian churches.
The Northeast was one of the earliest regions toindustrialize in China during the era ofManchukuo. Many of what becameChinese state-owned enterprises in the region originated underJapanese colonialization, particularly in the Manchukuo puppet state.[29]: 4
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Northeast China continued to be a major industrial base of the country, and has been hailed as "the Republic's eldest son" (共和国长子). Recent years, however, have seen the stagnation of Northeast China's heavy-industry-based economy, as China's economy continues to liberalize and privatize; the government has initialized theRevitalize the Northeast campaign to counter this problem, and established theNortheast Summit to improve policy coordination and integration. The region has experienced difficulty distancing itself from a planned economy, a legacy that began in 1905 with the establishment of the Japanesesphere of influence there. The region's once-abundant raw materials have also depleted and the economy has suffered from bureaucratic inefficiency and protectionist politics.[30]
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 developheavy industry owing to its abundant coal reserves. Major cities includeShenyang,Dalian,Harbin,Changchun andAnshan, all with several million inhabitants. Other cities include the steel making centres ofFushun andAnshan in Liaoning,Jilin City in Jilin, andQiqihar andMudanjiang 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 South Koreans due to their traditional linkages.
The Northeast is an importantbreadbasket region of China, as theNortheast China Plain has the largest stretch of arable flatland in the country, with an abundance of fertileblack soil. The rural population heavily concentrated in the warmer southern part of the Northeast, where very warm to hot summer weather permits crops such as maize andmillet to be grown with high yields.Soybeans andflax are also very important, as are wheat andbarley. The region possesses large flocks of sheep, and pigs 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, theAmur River provides very richfisheries, and sheep are even more abundant than in southern Heilongjiang.
Northeast China is the country's traditionalindustrial base, focusing mainly on equipment manufacturing. Major industries include the steel,automobile,shipbuilding, aircraft manufacturing, andpetroleum refining industries. TheAnshan Iron and Steel Works was the most important industrial enterprise in northeast China until the discovery of theDaqing Oil Field in 1959.[31]: 38
The region supplied many of the staff for theThird Front Construction of industrial bases in China's interior.[29]: 16
As a response to the return ofsent-down youth, state-owned enterprises in the late 1970s and 1980s often started collectively-owned enterprises to create employment opportunities for the family of SOE workers.[29]: 283 This approach to providing jobs for returning youth was particularly common in northeast China.[29]: 283
AfterReform and Opening Up, much of the industry in China's northeast lagged in economic activity.[29]: 265–266
In the 2000s, the Chinese government developed theNortheast Area Revitalization Plan to counteract the economic stagnation that had resulted from an overreliance on state-own enterprises and heavy industry. However, the region has continued to struggle economically.[32][33] In 2023, Heilongjian had the second-lowest GDP per person out of all Chinese provinces.[33] An aging population and the net outward migration of young workers have introduced additional demographic challenges; in 2023, the population in Heilongjian was declining faster than any other province in China.[33]
In general, the culture of Northeast China takes its elements from the cultures of North China andShandong, the hometowns of most of theHan Chinese who migrated into Northeast China during theChuang Guandong. Northeast China also takes cultural inspiration from theTungusic peoples.
There are two main varieties ofMandarin Chinese spoken in Northeast China.
The most widely spokenlect isNortheastern Mandarin, commonly asdongbeihua (simplified Chinese:东北话;traditional Chinese:東北話;pinyin:Dōngběihuà;lit. 'northeastern speech'), spoken throughout Heilongjiang, Jilin, and most of Liaoning.[34] It is very closely related toStandard Mandarin, though with unique phonological and syntactic features colloquially known as the "corny accent" (Chinese:大碴子味),[35] and has noticeable vocabulary differences, with some terms originating fromManchu,Japanese and evenRussian.[36] There are enough differences from Mandarin to givedongbeihua its own distinctive characteristics.
The second variety isJiaoliao Mandarin, spoken in theLiaodong Peninsula, as well as theJiaodong Peninsula inShandong province across theBohai Strait. It is phonologically more different to Standard Mandarin than the more prevalent Northeastern Mandarin,[37] and is colloquially called the "oystery accent" (Chinese:海蛎子味) due to the dialect's coastal distribution.
EthnicManchus nowadays are verysinicized and speak mostly Northeastern Mandarin, and theManchu language is almost extinct due to widespread assimilation to Han culture over the last four centuries. EthnicMongols tend to be bilingual in their ownMongolian tongues as well as Mandarin. EthnicKoreans spoke both Mandarin (Northeastern or Jiaoliao, depending on locations) anda variety of Korean, the latter being very similar toNorth Korean standard language with some local variations corresponding to the regions ofNorth Korea where they share border.
Northeastern Chinese cuisine reflects the region's ethnic diversity, blending Northern Han, Manchu and Korean cooking styles. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the cuisine is the use of uncooked fresh vegetables. During the long winter season, pickledChinese cabbage, which is called "suan cai", is preserved and used for cooking.[38] Different from other parts of Northern China, rice is consumed more in Northeast China. Most of the meat dishes are based around pork due to how cold it can get. Often braised pork or dumplings are the main attraction of a meal.
Errenzhuan,yangge,Jilin opera andstilts are popular forms of traditional entertainment in Northeast China."Northeastern Cradle Song" is an example of the folk songs of this region.
Because of its climatic conditions, Northeast China is the base for China'swinter sports.Ice hockey andice skating athletes often come from or were educated in Northeast China.
In 2019, the termDongbei renaissance was coined by the rapper Gem to describe a revival in interest in the culture of the Northeast after his song Yelang Disco went viral. Artwork associated with the Dongbei renaissance often incorporatesnostalgia for the "corny" aesthetics of the 1970s boom period of the Northeast, self-deprecating humor, and speculations on the decline and potential future of the economically depressed region. Notable works associated with the movement includeShuang Xuetao's fiction collectionMoses on the Plain and theDiao Yinan filmBlack Coal, Thin Ice.[39]
