Xingcheng
Encyclopedia
Xingcheng former name Ningyuan (宁远), is a county-level city
of Northeast China with a population of approximately 140,000 urban inhabitants, and is located in southwest Liaoning
on the northern coast of the Bohai Sea
. Currently under the administration of Huludao
City, the area is steeped in history, and contains one of the best preserved Ming Dynasty
towns in China, as well as functioning as a laidback summer resort.
in CE 990. After being dissolved by the Yuan, it was resurrected during the Ming Dynasty under the name Ningyuan, and gained strategic importance as the first defensive outpost outside the Great Wall. Xingcheng's city walls have stood since they were first constructed in 1428 and were instrumental in helping the Ming defeat the great Manchu
commander Nurhaci
at the pivotal Battle of Ningyuan
in 1626.
gulf, the beautiful and secluded Chrysanthemum Island (菊花岛), once a sanctuary for the Prince of Yan on the run from the ruthless Qin Shihuang. A boat provides access to the island from the passenger terminal at the wharf, where local fisherman dock.
The Xingcheng seaside draws quite a crowd for swimming and other water sports and recreational activities during the summer. Its entrance is marked by a large statue of a local goddess. A pier connecting reef-top pavilions and a temple are located at the south end of the beach.
Liaoning Finance and Trade College
in Xingcheng hosted events for the city's first International Swimsuit Festival on August 16, 2011. This event follows the city's receipt of the honorary title “Chinese Swimwear Town” by the China National Textile & Apparel Council and China Garment Association in 2010 for the city's noteworthy swimsuit manufacture.
The old town of Xingcheng is the best preserved of four Ming Dynasty
cities in China that retain their original and complete city walls, and is a treasure trove of traditional Ming architecture, containing historical remnants such as the Confucius Temple, the oldest temple in Northeast China and the largest ancient building in Liaoning.
Shoushan (首山), a mountain located in the east end of Xingcheng, is open to the public for recreation. Visitors can hike to its summit. The area around it features a temple on an adjacent hill.
, a short taxi ride away, also features high speed
and other rail lines and additional bus routes that make the area quite accessible. The closest airport
is in Jinzhou
.
Taxis are metered and are typically easy to hail with fares starting at 5 RMB. The city also provides bus service about twelve hours a day for a fare of 1 RMB per passenger. Routes 1 and 2 connect the east end near the coast to the heart of the city's commercial activity at the South Gate (南关) of the old town and the rail and bus stations on the west end. There are also three-wheeled motorbikes that operate as taxis for a fare negotiated beforehand.
, 4 towns
, and 2 townships, and 15 ethnic townships under the city's administration
Subdistricts:
Towns:
Townships:
County-level city
A county-level city is a county-level administrative division of mainland China. County-level cities are usually governed by prefecture-level divisions, but a few are governed directly by province-level divisions....
of Northeast China with a population of approximately 140,000 urban inhabitants, and is located in southwest 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"...
on the northern coast of the Bohai Sea
Bohai Sea
Bohai Sea , also known as Bohai Gulf, Bohai, or Bo Hai, is the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea on the coast of Northeastern and North China. It is approximately 78,000 km2 Bohai Sea , also known as Bohai Gulf, Bohai, or Bo Hai, is the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea on the coast of...
. Currently under the administration of Huludao
Huludao
Huludao is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Liaoning Province, China. It is one of the two principal cities in the Liaoxi Corridor . Known as Jinxi until 1994, Huludao has a total area of 10,415 square kilometers and a population of 2.87 million, of which some 531,000 live in the city proper...
City, the area is steeped in history, and contains one of the best preserved Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
towns in China, as well as functioning as a laidback summer resort.
Historical Importance
Xingcheng has a long and distinguished history, and was established as a county as far back as the Liao DynastyLiao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
in CE 990. After being dissolved by the Yuan, it was resurrected during the Ming Dynasty under the name Ningyuan, and gained strategic importance as the first defensive outpost outside the Great Wall. Xingcheng's city walls have stood since they were first constructed in 1428 and were instrumental in helping the Ming defeat the great 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...
commander Nurhaci
Nurhaci
Nurhaci was an important Jurchen chieftain who rose to prominence in the late sixteenth century in what is today Northeastern China...
at the pivotal Battle of Ningyuan
Battle of Ningyuan
The Battle of Ningyuan was a battle between the Ming Dynasty and the Manchurian Later Jin in 1626. The Ming won this battle. This battle marked the temporary resurgence of the Imperial Ming army after a long series of defeats....
in 1626.
Tourist Destination
In modern times Xingcheng has become a mecca for those seeking relief from the bustling heat of summer in the overcrowded cities of Northern China. The town has attractive swimming beaches and is also blessed with natural hot springs, discovered during the Tang Dynasty. For this reason, a number of spa resorts and sanatoriums have sprung up and the town has been marketed as a health destination, and is frequented by groups of Party cadres on government sponsored training courses during the summer. Xingcheng is home to the largest island in the BohaiBohai
Bohai may refer to the following:*Balhae, an ancient Korean kingdom known in Chinese as Bohai, in Northeast Asia-Locations or areas in China:*Bohai Sea, or Bo Hai, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea...
gulf, the beautiful and secluded Chrysanthemum Island (菊花岛), once a sanctuary for the Prince of Yan on the run from the ruthless Qin Shihuang. A boat provides access to the island from the passenger terminal at the wharf, where local fisherman dock.
The Xingcheng seaside draws quite a crowd for swimming and other water sports and recreational activities during the summer. Its entrance is marked by a large statue of a local goddess. A pier connecting reef-top pavilions and a temple are located at the south end of the beach.
Liaoning Finance and Trade College
Liaoning Finance and Trade College
Liaoning Finance and Trade College , formerly known as Shenyang Shifan University Bohai College, is a small, partially walled private undergraduate college located near the Bohai coast in Xingcheng, southwest of Huludao in Liaoning province on the east coast of China.-Academic year:The college's...
in Xingcheng hosted events for the city's first International Swimsuit Festival on August 16, 2011. This event follows the city's receipt of the honorary title “Chinese Swimwear Town” by the China National Textile & Apparel Council and China Garment Association in 2010 for the city's noteworthy swimsuit manufacture.
The old town of Xingcheng is the best preserved of four Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
cities in China that retain their original and complete city walls, and is a treasure trove of traditional Ming architecture, containing historical remnants such as the Confucius Temple, the oldest temple in Northeast China and the largest ancient building in Liaoning.
Shoushan (首山), a mountain located in the east end of Xingcheng, is open to the public for recreation. Visitors can hike to its summit. The area around it features a temple on an adjacent hill.
Transportation
Xingcheng is served by rail lines and bus routes that make it accessible from other larger cities. HuludaoHuludao
Huludao is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Liaoning Province, China. It is one of the two principal cities in the Liaoxi Corridor . Known as Jinxi until 1994, Huludao has a total area of 10,415 square kilometers and a population of 2.87 million, of which some 531,000 live in the city proper...
, a short taxi ride away, also features high speed
High-speed rail in China
High-speed rail in China refers to any commercial train service in the China with an average speed of or higher. By that measure, China has the world's longest high-speed rail network with about of routes in service as of June 2011 including of rail lines with top speeds of...
and other rail lines and additional bus routes that make the area quite accessible. The closest airport
Jinzhou Airport
Jinzhou Xiaolingzi Airport is an airport serving Jinzhou, a city in Liaoning Province, China.- Airlines and destinations :...
is in Jinzhou
Jinzhou
Jinzhou , is a prefecture-level city of Liaoning province, China. It is a geographically strategic city located in the "Liaoxi Corridor" , which connects land transportation between North China and Northeast China. Jinzhou is China's northernmost seaport and the coastal economic center of West...
.
Taxis are metered and are typically easy to hail with fares starting at 5 RMB. The city also provides bus service about twelve hours a day for a fare of 1 RMB per passenger. Routes 1 and 2 connect the east end near the coast to the heart of the city's commercial activity at the South Gate (南关) of the old town and the rail and bus stations on the west end. There are also three-wheeled motorbikes that operate as taxis for a fare negotiated beforehand.
Administrative Divisions
There are 7 subdistrictsSubdistrict (China)
The subdistrict , is one of the smallest political divisions of China. It is a form of township-level division which is typically part of a larger urban area, as opposed to a discrete town surrounded by rural areas, or a rural townships known as a xiang .In general, urban areas are divided into...
, 4 towns
Town (China)
When referring to political divisions of China, town is the standard English translation of the Chinese 鎮 . It is a fourth-level administrative unit, i.e...
, and 2 townships, and 15 ethnic townships under the city's administration
Subdistricts:
- Gucheng Subdistrict (古城街道), Ningyuan Subdistrict (宁远街道), Diaoyutai Subdistrict (钓鱼台街道), Chengdong Subdistrict (城东街道), Wenquan Subdistrict (温泉街道), Sijiatun Subdistrict (四家屯街道), Huashan Subdistrict (华山街道)
Towns:
- DongxinzhuangDongxinzhuangJaguar/Sandbox/3 is a township-level division situated in Luanping County, Hebei, China....
(东辛庄镇), Shahousuo (沙后所镇), Guojia (郭家镇), Caozhuang (曹庄镇)
Townships:
- Shuangshu Township (双树乡), Juhua Island Township (菊花岛乡), Dazhai Manchu Ethnic Township (大寨满族乡), Sandaogou Manchu Ethnic Township (三道沟满族乡), Yuantaizi Manchu Ethnic Township (元台子满族乡), Baita Manchu Ethnic Township (白塔满族乡), Jiumen Manchu Ethnic Township (旧门满族乡), Yang'an Manchu Ethnic Township (羊安满族乡), Liutaizi Manchu Ethnic Township (刘台子满族乡), Hongyazi Manchu Ethnic Township (红崖子满族乡), Nandashan Manchu Ethnic Township (南大山满族乡), Yaowang Manchu Ethnic Township (药王满族乡), Gaojialing Manchu Ethnic Township (高家岭满族乡), Haibin Manchu Ethnic Township (海滨满族乡), Wanghai Manchu Ethnic Township (望海满族乡)< Jianchang Manchu Ethnic Township (碱厂满族乡), Weizhan Manchu Ethnic Township (围屏满族乡)
External links
- Official website of Xingcheng Government
- http://www.liaoning-gateway.com/gateway/tourism/392/1985892.shtml/Ancient City Xingcheng