Chengde
Encyclopedia
Chengde previously known as Jehol or Re He , is a prefecture-level city
in Hebei
province, People's Republic of China
, situated northeast of Beijing
. It is best known as the site of the Mountain Resort, a vast imperial garden and palace formerly used by the Qing emperors as summer residence. The urban center had a population of approximately 450,000 as of 2009.
In 1703, Chengde was chosen by the Kangxi Emperor
as the location for his summer residence. Constructed throughout the eighteenth century, the Mountain Resort (避暑山庄; literally "avoiding the heat mountain villa") was used by both the Yongzheng
and Qianlong
emperors. The site is currently an UNESCO
World Heritage Site
. Since the seat of government followed the emperor, Chengde was a political center of the Chinese empire during these times.
The city of Jehol reached its height under the Qianlong Emperor
1735-1796 (died 1799). The great monastery temple of the Potala, loosely based on the Potala in Lhasa, was completed after just four years of work in 1771. It was heavily decorated with gold and the emperor worshipped in the Golden Pavilion. In the temple itself was a bronze-gilt statue of Tsongkhapa, the Reformer of the Gelugpa sect.
Under the Republic of China
, Chengde was the capital of Rehe
province. From 1933 to 1945 the city was under Japanese control as a part of the Manchurian puppet state known as Manchukuo
. After World War II
the Kuomintang
regained jurisdiction. In 1948, the People's Liberation Army
took control of Chengde. It would remain a part of Rehe until 1955, when the province was abolished, and the city was incorporated into Hebei
.
The city is home to large populations of ethnic minorities
, Mongol
and Manchu
in particular. The name for Chengde in Manchu
is Erdemu be aliha fu.
, Liaoning
, Beijing
, and Tianjin
. Neighbouring prefecture-level provincial cities are Qinhuangdao
and Tangshan
on the Bohai Gulf, and land-locked Zhangjiakou
. Due to its Liaoning border, it is often considered a part of both Northern
and Northeastern China
. From north to south the prefecture stretches 269 kilometres (167.1 mi), and from west to east 280 kilometres (174 mi), for a total area of 39702.4 sqkm, thus occupying 21.2% of the total provincial area. It is by area the largest prefecture in the province, though as most of its terrain is mountainous, its population density is low.
-influenced humid continental climate
(Köppen
Dwa), with widely varying conditions through the prefecture due to its size: winters are moderately long, cold and windy, but dry, and summers are hot and humid. Near the city, however, temperatures are much cooler than they are in Beijing, due to the high altitude of at least 1000 metres: Monthly means range from −9.1 °C in January to 24.5 °C (76.1 °F) in July. Spring warming is rapid, but dust storms can blow in from the Mongolian steppe; autumn cooling is similarly quick. Precipitation averages at 512 millimetres (20.2 in) for the year, with more than two-thirds of it falling during the three summer months.
links to Beijing
, Chengde has developed into a distribution hub, and its economy is growing rapidly. The newly-built Jingcheng Expressway
connects Chengde directly to central Beijing, and more freeways are planned for the city.
The project of building Chengde Mountain Resort started in 1703 and finished in 1790. The whole mountain resort covers an area 5,640,000 square meters. It is the largest royal garden in China. The wall of the mountain resort is over 10,000 meters in length. In summers, emperors of Qing Dynasty came to the mountain resort to relax themselves and escape from the high temperature in Beijing.
The whole Resort can be divided into three areas which are lakes area, plains area and hills area. The lakes area, which includes 8 lakes, covers an area of 496,000 square meters. The plains area covers an area of 607,000 square meters. The emperors held horse races and hunted in the area. The largest area of the three is the hills area. It covers an area of 4,435,000 square meters. Hundreds of palaces and temples were built on the hills in this area.
The elaborate Mountain Resort features large parks with lakes, pagoda
s, and palaces ringed by a wall. Outside the wall are the Eight Outer Temples (外八庙), built in varying architectural styles drawn from throughout China. One of the best-known of these is the Putuo Zongcheng Temple
, built to resemble the Potala Palace
in Lhasa
, Tibet
. The resort and outlying temples were made a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
in 1994. The nearby Puning Temple
, built in 1755, houses the world's tallest wooden statue of the Bodhisattva
Avalokiteśvara
.
Chengde's older name of Rehe (or Jehol) came from the name for the local river (热河; Pinyin
: Rèhé) which translates as "hot river." The river was so named because it did not freeze in the winter. Most sections of the river are currently dry because of a new dam
ming project.
Another popular attraction of the Chengde area is Sledgehammer Peak (磬锤峰), a large rock formation in the shape of an inverted sledgehammer
. A variety of other mountains, valleys, and grasslands lie within the borders of the city.
with the following cities: Santo André, Brazil
Takasaki, Japan
Dakota County, Minnesota
, USA
Prefecture-level city
A prefectural level city , prefectural city or prefectural level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. Prefectural level cities form the second level of the administrative...
in Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
province, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, situated northeast of Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. It is best known as the site of the Mountain Resort, a vast imperial garden and palace formerly used by the Qing emperors as summer residence. The urban center had a population of approximately 450,000 as of 2009.
History
Kangxi Emperor
The Kangxi Emperor ; Manchu: elhe taifin hūwangdi ; Mongolian: Энх-Амгалан хаан, 4 May 1654 –20 December 1722) was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the first to be born on Chinese soil south of the Pass and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 1661 to 1722.Kangxi's...
as the location for his summer residence. Constructed throughout the eighteenth century, the Mountain Resort (避暑山庄; literally "avoiding the heat mountain villa") was used by both the Yongzheng
Yongzheng Emperor
The Yongzheng Emperor , born Yinzhen , was the fifth emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty and the third Qing emperor from 1722 to 1735. A hard-working ruler, Yongzheng's main goal was to create an effective government at minimal expense. Like his father, the Kangxi Emperor, Yongzheng used military...
and Qianlong
Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1735 to 8 February 1796...
emperors. The site is currently an UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. Since the seat of government followed the emperor, Chengde was a political center of the Chinese empire during these times.
The city of Jehol reached its height under the Qianlong Emperor
Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1735 to 8 February 1796...
1735-1796 (died 1799). The great monastery temple of the Potala, loosely based on the Potala in Lhasa, was completed after just four years of work in 1771. It was heavily decorated with gold and the emperor worshipped in the Golden Pavilion. In the temple itself was a bronze-gilt statue of Tsongkhapa, the Reformer of the Gelugpa sect.
Under the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, Chengde was the capital of Rehe
Rehe
Rehe , also known as Jehol, is a defunct Chinese Special administrative district and later province.-Administration:Rehe was located north of the Great Wall, west of Manchuria, and east of Mongolia. The capital of Rehe was the city of Chengde. The second largest city in the province was Chaoyang,...
province. From 1933 to 1945 the city was under Japanese control as a part of the Manchurian puppet state known as Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
regained jurisdiction. In 1948, the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
took control of Chengde. It would remain a part of Rehe until 1955, when the province was abolished, and the city was incorporated into Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
.
The city is home to large populations of ethnic minorities
Ethnic minorities in China
Ethnic minorities in China are the non-Han Chinese population in the People's Republic of China. The People's Republic of China officially recognizes 55 ethnic minority groups within China in addition to the Han majority. As of 2010, the combined population of officially recognised minority...
, Mongol
Ethnic Mongols in China
Mongols in China are citizens of the People's Republic of China who are ethnic Mongols. They form one of the 55 ethnic minorities officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. There are approximately 5.8 million ethnic Mongols living in China. Most of them live in Inner Mongolia,...
and Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
in particular. The name for Chengde in Manchu
Manchu language
Manchu is a Tungusic endangered language spoken in Northeast China; it used to be the language of the Manchu, though now most Manchus speak Mandarin Chinese and there are fewer than 70 native speakers of Manchu out of a total of nearly 10 million ethnic Manchus...
is Erdemu be aliha fu.
Administrative divisions
Chengde comprises:| Map | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2004 est.) | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
| 1 | Shuangqiao District Shuangqiao District, Chengde Shuangqiao District is a district of Chengde, Hebei, China.-Administrative Divisions:Subdistricts:*Xida Avenue Subdistrict , Toudaopailou Subdistrict , Panjiagou Subdistrict , Zhonghua Road Subdistrict , Xinhua Road Subdistrict , Shidongzigou Subdistrict , Qiaodong Subdistrict Towns:*Shuiquangou ,... |
双桥区 | Shuāngqiáo Qū | 290,000 | 311 | 932 |
| 2 | Shuangluan District Shuangluan District -Administrative Divisions:Subdistricts:*Lianghe Subdistrict , Shuangtashan Subdistrict Towns:*Shuangtashan Town , Lianghe Town , Damiao , Pianqiaozi The only township is Chenzhazi Township -External Links:... |
双滦区 | Shuāngluán Qū | 100,000 | 250 | 400 |
| 3 | Yingshouyingzi Mining District Yingshouyingzikuang District -Administrative Divisions:Towns:*Wangjiazhuang , Yingshouyingzi Town , Shouwangfen , Beimaquanzi... |
鹰手营子矿区 | Yīngshǒuyíngzi Kuàngqū |
70,000 | 148 | 473 |
| 4 | Chengde County Chengde County Chengde County is a county in the northeast of Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of the Chengde city.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:... |
承德县 | Chéngdé Xiàn | 470,000 | 3,990 | 118 |
| 5 | Xinglong County Xinglong County Xinglong County is a county of Hebei, China. It is under the administration of the Chengde city.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:*Xinglong Town , Maoshan , Liudaohe , Gualanyu , Banbishan , Ping'anbao , Beiyingfang... |
兴隆县 | Xīnglóng Xiàn | 320,000 | 3,116 | 103 |
| 6 | Pingquan County | 平泉县 | Píngquán Xiàn | 470,000 | 3,297 | 143 |
| 7 | Luanping County Luanping County Luanping County is a county of Hebei, China. It is under the administration of the Chengde city.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:*Luanping Town , Changshanyu , Hongqi , Jingoutun , Hushenhe , Bakeshenying , Zhangbaiwan Townships:*Fuyingzi Township , Huotoushan Township , Liangjianfang Township ,... |
滦平县 | Luánpíng Xiàn | 320,000 | 3,195 | 100 |
| 8 | Longhua County Longhua County Longhua County is a county of Hebei, China. It is under the administration of Chengde City.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:*Longhua Town , Hanmaying , Zhongguan , Qijia , Tangtougou , Zhangsanying , Tangsanying , Lanqi , Bugugou , Guojiatun Townships:*Huangdi Township , Zhangjiying Township ,... |
隆化县 | Lónghuà Xiàn | 420,000 | 5,474 | 77 |
| 9 | Fengning Manchu Fengning Manchu Autonomous County Fengning Manchu Autonomous County is a Manchu autonomous county of Hebei Province, China, lying under the administration of Chengde Prefecture.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:... Autonomous County Fengning Manchu Autonomous County Fengning Manchu Autonomous County is a Manchu autonomous county of Hebei Province, China, lying under the administration of Chengde Prefecture.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:... |
丰宁满族 自治县 |
Fēngníng Mǎnzú Zìzhìxiàn |
380,000 | 8,747 | 43 |
| 10 | Kuancheng Manchu Kuancheng Manchu Autonomous County Kuancheng Manchu Autonomous County is a Manchu autonomous county of Hebei Province, China, lying under the administration of Chengde Prefecture.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:... Autonomous County Kuancheng Manchu Autonomous County Kuancheng Manchu Autonomous County is a Manchu autonomous county of Hebei Province, China, lying under the administration of Chengde Prefecture.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:... |
宽城满族 自治县 |
Kuānchéng Mǎnzú Zìzhìxiàn |
230,000 | 1,933 | 119 |
| 11 | Weichang Manchu and Weichang Manchu and Mongol Autonomous County -Administrative Divisions:There are 7 towns and 30 townships in the county.Towns:*Weichang Town , Siheyong , Kelegou , Qipanshan , Banjieta , Chaoyangdi , Chaoyangwan Townships:... Mongol Autonomous County Weichang Manchu and Mongol Autonomous County -Administrative Divisions:There are 7 towns and 30 townships in the county.Towns:*Weichang Town , Siheyong , Kelegou , Qipanshan , Banjieta , Chaoyangdi , Chaoyangwan Townships:... |
围场满族 蒙古族自治县 |
Wéichǎng Mǎnzú Měnggǔzú Zìzhìxiàn |
520,000 | 9,058 | 57 |
Geography
Chengde is located in the northeastern portion of Hebei province, with latitude 40°12′－42°37′ North, and longitude 115°54′－119°15′ East. It borders Inner MongoliaInner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
, Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, and Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
. Neighbouring prefecture-level provincial cities are Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao is a port city in northeastern Hebei province of North China. It is about 300 km east of Beijing, on the Bohai Sea, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea....
and Tangshan
Tangshan
"唐山"redirects here. For an alternative name of China, see Names of China#TangTangshan is a largely industrial prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It has become known for the 1976 Tangshan earthquake which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale and killed at least...
on the Bohai Gulf, and land-locked Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou, also known also by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province of North China, adjacent to Beijing to the southeast. Its administrative area has a population of 4.35 million, and covers...
. Due to its Liaoning border, it is often considered a part of both Northern
North China
thumb|250px|Northern [[People's Republic of China]] region.Northern China or North China is a geographical region of China. The heartland of North China is the North China Plain....
and Northeastern China
Northeast China
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...
. From north to south the prefecture stretches 269 kilometres (167.1 mi), and from west to east 280 kilometres (174 mi), for a total area of 39702.4 sqkm, thus occupying 21.2% of the total provincial area. It is by area the largest prefecture in the province, though as most of its terrain is mountainous, its population density is low.
Climate
Chengde has a four-season, monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
-influenced humid continental climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dwa), with widely varying conditions through the prefecture due to its size: winters are moderately long, cold and windy, but dry, and summers are hot and humid. Near the city, however, temperatures are much cooler than they are in Beijing, due to the high altitude of at least 1000 metres: Monthly means range from −9.1 °C in January to 24.5 °C (76.1 °F) in July. Spring warming is rapid, but dust storms can blow in from the Mongolian steppe; autumn cooling is similarly quick. Precipitation averages at 512 millimetres (20.2 in) for the year, with more than two-thirds of it falling during the three summer months.
Economy
With road and railroadBeijing–Chengde Railway
The Beijing–Chengde Railway or Jingcheng Railway , is a railroad in northern China between Beijing, the national capital, and Chengde in Hebei Province. The line is long and runs northwest from Beijing Municipality to Chengde in northern Hebei....
links to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Chengde has developed into a distribution hub, and its economy is growing rapidly. The newly-built Jingcheng Expressway
Jingcheng Expressway
The Jingcheng Motorway is a motorway in China which links Beijing to Chengde in Hebei province. The total length is 210 kilometres.It is a new motorway linking the northeastern portion of the 3rd Ring Road with the north and northeastern outlying regions of Beijing municipality...
connects Chengde directly to central Beijing, and more freeways are planned for the city.
Sights
The whole Resort can be divided into three areas which are lakes area, plains area and hills area. The lakes area, which includes 8 lakes, covers an area of 496,000 square meters. The plains area covers an area of 607,000 square meters. The emperors held horse races and hunted in the area. The largest area of the three is the hills area. It covers an area of 4,435,000 square meters. Hundreds of palaces and temples were built on the hills in this area.
The elaborate Mountain Resort features large parks with lakes, pagoda
Pagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
s, and palaces ringed by a wall. Outside the wall are the Eight Outer Temples (外八庙), built in varying architectural styles drawn from throughout China. One of the best-known of these is the Putuo Zongcheng Temple
Putuo Zongcheng Temple
The Putuo Zongcheng Temple of Chengde, Hebei province, China is a Qing Dynasty era Buddhist temple complex built between 1767 and 1771, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor . It is located near the Chengde Mountain Resort, which is south of the Putuo Zongcheng. Along with the equally famed...
, built to resemble the Potala Palace
Potala Palace
The Potala Palace is located in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It was named after Mount Potala, the abode of Chenresig or Avalokitesvara...
in Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
, Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. The resort and outlying temples were made a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 1994. The nearby Puning Temple
Puning Temple
The Punning Temple , or Temple of Universal Peace of Chengde, Hebei province, China is a Qing Dynasty era Buddhist temple complex built in 1755, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor to show the Qing's respect to the ethnic minorities...
, built in 1755, houses the world's tallest wooden statue of the Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
Avalokiteśvara
Avalokitesvara
Avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He is one of the more widely revered bodhisattvas in mainstream Mahayana Buddhism....
.
Chengde's older name of Rehe (or Jehol) came from the name for the local river (热河; Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Rèhé) which translates as "hot river." The river was so named because it did not freeze in the winter. Most sections of the river are currently dry because of a new dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
ming project.
Another popular attraction of the Chengde area is Sledgehammer Peak (磬锤峰), a large rock formation in the shape of an inverted sledgehammer
Sledgehammer
A sledgehammer is a tool consisting of a large, flat head attached to a lever . The head is typically made of metal. The sledgehammer can apply more impulse than other hammers, due to its large size. Along with the mallet, it shares the ability to distribute force over a wide area...
. A variety of other mountains, valleys, and grasslands lie within the borders of the city.
Sister cities
Chengde has city partnershipsTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with the following cities: Santo André, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
Takasaki, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Dakota County, Minnesota
Dakota County, Minnesota
Dakota County is the third most populous county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The county is bordered by the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers on the north, and the state of Wisconsin on the east. Dakota County comprises the southeast portion of seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul, the thirteenth...
, USA
Sources
- Hedin, Sven (1933). Jehol: City of Emperors. Reprint (2000): Pilgrim's Book House, Varanasi. ISBN 81-7769-009-4.