Songyuan
Encyclopedia
Songyuan is a prefecture-level city
in Jilin
province
, People's Republic of China
.
2000 years ago, as well as the state of Bohai
1000 years ago.
During much of the Qing
era, an important military and administrative center, known as Boduna (伯都纳) was located in the Songyuan area, on the right bank of the Sungari (Songhua) River, in what is today the Ninjiang District of the city. The name was transcribed by the Europeans as Bodune, Po-tu-no, or Petuna. The Boduna fortress was originally constructed in 1693, some 25 li (15 km) east of today's Songyuan central city area.
In the late Qing, the administrative center moved to Xincheng (新城, "New city") - the name still preserved by the Xincheng Township of the Ninjiang District, in the part of the Songyan's central urbank area on the right bank of the Sungari. As of the early 20th century Xincheng was the capital of a prefecture within the then Jilin Province, and had the population of around 30,000.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Sun Yat-sen
proposed building a transportation hub where the Songhua River
and the Nen River
meet, which materialized as the current city of Songyuan. Authorized by the national government, Songyuan was founded as a prefecture-level city in 1992. Since then it has undergone rapid modernization, thanks in part to the area's profitable oil companies.
In 2007, it was chosen to be one of the cities for the 2008 Olympic torch relay, and was the first relay stop of the province, on which occasion more than 300 media companies, domestic and international, reported on the city. In the same year, the National Astronomical Observatories of Chinese Academy named a meteor after Songyuan, an honor bestowed only on eight cities in the nation.
In 2009, several exam cheating scandals gained the city nationwide media attention. In July, police arrested thirty-four suspects on charges of selling electronic devices to high school students which would have enabled them to cheat on the national college entrance exam. Police confiscated several hundred devices from the suspects, two of whom were local high school teachers.
and Inner Mongolia
. Located in the middle west of Jilin Province, at the center of the Northeast China
, the city covers 22000 square kilometres (8,494.2 sq mi) with a population of 2.8 million.
There are 7600 square kilometres (2,934.4 sq mi) of arable land, with an annual food production of about 6 million tons, a quarter of the total production of Jilin Province. The urban area is 71.76 square kilometres (27.7 sq mi). The second Songhua River crosses the city, which makes it one of the few not completely developed riverside cities in the nation.
-influenced, humid continental climate
(Köppen
Dwa), with long (lasting from November to March), very cold, windy, but dry winters due to the influence of the Siberian high
, and hot, humid summers, due to the East Asian monsoon
. The coldest month, January, averages −15.5 °C, while the warmest month, July, averages 23.5 °C (74.3 °F); the annual mean is 5.55 °C (42 °F). Over two-thirds of the annual precipitation falls from June to August alone.
and four counties:
There are three provincial level development areas: Songyuan economy and technology development area, Songyuan agricultural new technology development area and the Chagan Lake tourism development area.
Songyuan is located on the Songnan Plain, with the sixth largest land-based oil field of China, Jilin Oil Field
, located in the city. Currently ascertained are 1.134 billion tons of oil and 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Last year Jilin Oil Field production exceeded 6 million tons of oil and gas.
Songyuan also sits on China's Golden Corn Belt, and is a national commercial food base. Jilin is a big food-production province, and Songyuan is a big food-production city. In 2006 the city was ranked second in the province in food production, with a total output of 6.412 million tons of food, of which 4.808 million tons are corn.
There are also several rivers and lakes in and around the city, which yield more than forty billion cubic meters of water. There are 1.557 billion cubic meters of water reserve, which can meet the need of water-demanding industry.
The city is in the east end of the Kerqin grassland, with 53,000 square kilometres of grassland yielding 0.3 million tons of grass annually. It is a natural land for pastoral industry.
There are twenty important tourist destinations near the city. These include Chagan Lake, which is one of the ten largest fresh water lakes of the nation, Qianan Forest, as well as temples and monuments in the surrounding areas.
Taking advantage of abundant materials, special locations and easy transportation, the city has reserved and developed many important projects. It is gradually building an industry of oil production, oil refinement, oil chemistry, biological chemistry, agricultural products, pharmaceutical products, textiles, machinery, and electricity.
or Harbin
airport by taxi. Several trains depart daily for Changchun and Harbin, cities which can also be reached through waterway.
A circle drawn with Songyuan as center, and with a radius of 200 kilometers, will cover a population of 31 million, with Songyuan being the important transportation hub and commerce center of the northeastern China and Inner Mongolia.
Songyuan Port, which is the largest inland river port in Jilin Province, have an annual throughput capacity of 800,000 tons.
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 Jilin
Jilin
Jilin , is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west...
province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
, 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...
.
History
Even though the present city of Songyuan is predominantly modern in appearance, the area has a long history dating back to the Neolithic age. The city was part of the ancient state of FuyuBuyeo kingdom
Buyeo or Puyŏ , Fuyu in Chinese, was an ancient Korean kingdom located from today's Manchuria to northern North Korea, from around the 2nd century BC to 494. Its remnants were absorbed by the neighboring and brotherhood kingdom of Goguryeo in 494...
2000 years ago, as well as the state of Bohai
Balhae
Balhae was a Manchurian kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. After Goguryeo's capital and southern territories fell to Unified Silla, Dae Jo-yeong, a Mohe general, whose father was Dae Jung-sang, established Jin , later called Balhae.Balhae occupied southern parts of Manchuria and...
1000 years ago.
During much of the Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
era, an important military and administrative center, known as Boduna (伯都纳) was located in the Songyuan area, on the right bank of the Sungari (Songhua) River, in what is today the Ninjiang District of the city. The name was transcribed by the Europeans as Bodune, Po-tu-no, or Petuna. The Boduna fortress was originally constructed in 1693, some 25 li (15 km) east of today's Songyuan central city area.
In the late Qing, the administrative center moved to Xincheng (新城, "New city") - the name still preserved by the Xincheng Township of the Ninjiang District, in the part of the Songyan's central urbank area on the right bank of the Sungari. As of the early 20th century Xincheng was the capital of a prefecture within the then Jilin Province, and had the population of around 30,000.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
proposed building a transportation hub where the Songhua River
Songhua River
The Songhua or Sunggari River is a river in Northeast China, and is the largest tributary of the Heilong River , flowing about from Changbai Mountains through Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces. The river drains of land, and has an annual discharge of .As the Second Songhua River, it joins the...
and the Nen River
Nen River
Nen River or Nenjiang , or Nonni is a river in Northeast China. The Nen River flows through the northern part of Heilongjiang Province and the northeastern section of Inner Mongolia, some parts of the river forming the border between the two regions...
meet, which materialized as the current city of Songyuan. Authorized by the national government, Songyuan was founded as a prefecture-level city in 1992. Since then it has undergone rapid modernization, thanks in part to the area's profitable oil companies.
In 2007, it was chosen to be one of the cities for the 2008 Olympic torch relay, and was the first relay stop of the province, on which occasion more than 300 media companies, domestic and international, reported on the city. In the same year, the National Astronomical Observatories of Chinese Academy named a meteor after Songyuan, an honor bestowed only on eight cities in the nation.
In 2009, several exam cheating scandals gained the city nationwide media attention. In July, police arrested thirty-four suspects on charges of selling electronic devices to high school students which would have enabled them to cheat on the national college entrance exam. Police confiscated several hundred devices from the suspects, two of whom were local high school teachers.
Geography
Songyuan is in the intersection of the Province of Jilin, HeilongjiangHeilongjiang
For the river known in Mandarin as Heilong Jiang, see Amur River' 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...
and Inner Mongolia
Inner 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...
. Located in the middle west of Jilin Province, at the center of the Northeast 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...
, the city covers 22000 square kilometres (8,494.2 sq mi) with a population of 2.8 million.
There are 7600 square kilometres (2,934.4 sq mi) of arable land, with an annual food production of about 6 million tons, a quarter of the total production of Jilin Province. The urban area is 71.76 square kilometres (27.7 sq mi). The second Songhua River crosses the city, which makes it one of the few not completely developed riverside cities in the nation.
Climate
Songyuan has a 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 long (lasting from November to March), very cold, windy, but dry winters due to the influence of the Siberian high
Siberian High
The Siberian High is a massive collection of cold or very cold dry air that accumulates on the Eurasian terrain for much of the year. It reaches its greatest size and strength in the winter, when the air temperature near the center of the high-pressure cell or anticyclone is often lower than...
, and hot, humid summers, due to the East Asian monsoon
East Asian monsoon
The East Asian monsoon is a monsoonal flow that carries moist air from the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean to East Asia. It affects approximately one-third of the global population, influencing the climate of Japan , the Koreas, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and much of mainland China...
. The coldest month, January, averages −15.5 °C, while the warmest month, July, averages 23.5 °C (74.3 °F); the annual mean is 5.55 °C (42 °F). Over two-thirds of the annual precipitation falls from June to August alone.
Administrative divisions
Songyuan has one districtDistrict (China)
The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China....
and four counties:
There are three provincial level development areas: Songyuan economy and technology development area, Songyuan agricultural new technology development area and the Chagan Lake tourism development area.
| Map | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2003 est.) | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
| 1 | Ningjiang District Ningjiang District -Administrative Divisions:Subdistricts:*Wenhua Subdistrict , Linjiang Subdistrict , Gongnong Subdistrict , Tuanjie Subdistrict , Minzhu Subdistrict , Qianjin Subdistrict , Heping Road Subdistrict , Shihua Subdistrict , Yanjiang Subdistrict , Fanrong Subdistrict Towns:*Dawa , Maoduzhan... |
宁江区 | Níngjiāng Qū | 520,000 | 1,269 | 410 |
| 2 | Fuyu County Fuyu County, Jilin Fuyu County is a county on the northern Jilin Province, Northeast China, under the administration of Songyuan City. It has a land area of , and a population of 750,000. It lies east-southeast of Songyuan and northeast of Changchun, the provincial capital... |
扶余县 | Fúyú Xiàn | 770,000 | 4,464 | 172 |
| 3 | Changling County Changling County Changling County is a county of northwestern Jilin, Northeast China. It is under the administration of Songyuan City.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:... |
长岭县 | Chánglǐng Xiàn | 640,000 | 5,787 | 111 |
| 4 | Qian'an County Qian'an County Qian'an County is a county of northwestern Jilin province, Northeast China. It is under the administration of Songyuan City.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:*Qian'an Town , Dabusu , Shuizi , Suozi , Anzi , Rangzi... |
乾安县 | Qián'ān Xiàn | 300,000 | 3,522 | 85 |
| 5 | Qian Gorlos Mongol Autonomous County Qian Gorlos Mongol Autonomous County Qian Gorlos Mongol Autonomous County , or simply Qian Gorlos County or Qianguo County, is a county of northwestern Jilin, Northeast China... |
前郭尔罗斯蒙古族自治县 | Qiánguō'ěrluósīMěnggǔzú Zìzhìxiàn | 580,000 | 5,117 | 113 |
Economy
In 2006, Songyuan had a revenue of 47.4 billion yuan, with a profit of 4.5 billion yuan, the third of the province in terms of overall economic achievement. In 2007, the total revenue was expected to be 60 billion Yuan, with a profit of 6.5 billion Yuan.Songyuan is located on the Songnan Plain, with the sixth largest land-based oil field of China, Jilin Oil Field
Jilin Oil Field
Jilin oil field is an oil field located in Songyuan district, in the western plain of Jilin province, China. Its exploration and development cover the southern Songliao Plain and Yitong River basin within Jilin province. Its oil production exceeds 7 million tons per year and is ranked as No.9 among...
, located in the city. Currently ascertained are 1.134 billion tons of oil and 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Last year Jilin Oil Field production exceeded 6 million tons of oil and gas.
Songyuan also sits on China's Golden Corn Belt, and is a national commercial food base. Jilin is a big food-production province, and Songyuan is a big food-production city. In 2006 the city was ranked second in the province in food production, with a total output of 6.412 million tons of food, of which 4.808 million tons are corn.
There are also several rivers and lakes in and around the city, which yield more than forty billion cubic meters of water. There are 1.557 billion cubic meters of water reserve, which can meet the need of water-demanding industry.
The city is in the east end of the Kerqin grassland, with 53,000 square kilometres of grassland yielding 0.3 million tons of grass annually. It is a natural land for pastoral industry.
There are twenty important tourist destinations near the city. These include Chagan Lake, which is one of the ten largest fresh water lakes of the nation, Qianan Forest, as well as temples and monuments in the surrounding areas.
Taking advantage of abundant materials, special locations and easy transportation, the city has reserved and developed many important projects. It is gradually building an industry of oil production, oil refinement, oil chemistry, biological chemistry, agricultural products, pharmaceutical products, textiles, machinery, and electricity.
Transport
There are five railways and six provincial or national highways passing through the city. It takes ninety minutes to reach the ChangchunChangchun
Changchun is the capital and largest city of Jilin province, located in the northeast of the People's Republic of China, in the center of the Songliao Plain. It is administered as a sub-provincial city with a population of 7,677,089 at the 2010 census under its jurisdiction, including counties and...
or Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
airport by taxi. Several trains depart daily for Changchun and Harbin, cities which can also be reached through waterway.
A circle drawn with Songyuan as center, and with a radius of 200 kilometers, will cover a population of 31 million, with Songyuan being the important transportation hub and commerce center of the northeastern China and Inner Mongolia.
Songyuan Port, which is the largest inland river port in Jilin Province, have an annual throughput capacity of 800,000 tons.