Mudanjiang

For other uses, see Mudanjiang (disambiguation).

Mudanjiang 牡丹江 —  Prefecture-level city  — 牡丹江市 Mudanjiang City (red) in Heilongjiang province (orange) and China Mudanjiang Location of the city centre in Heilongjiang Coordinates: 44°33′N 129°38′E Country People's Republic of China Province Heilongjiang Area  • Prefecture-level city 40,435 km2 (15,612 sq mi)  • Urban 1,608 km2 (620.9 sq mi)  • Metro 1,608 km2 (620.9 sq mi) Elevation 233 m (764 ft) Population (2010 census)  • Prefecture-level city 2,798,723  • Density 69.2/km2 (179.3/sq mi)  • Urban 805,584  • Urban density 501/km2 (1,297.5/sq mi)  • Metro 805,584 Time zone China Standard Time (UTC+8) Licence plates 黑C Website http://www.mudanjiang.gov.cn/

Mudanjiang (Chinese: 牡丹江; pinyin: Mǔdānjiāng; Manchu: Mudan bira ᠮᡠᡩ᠋ᠠᠨ ᠪᡳᡵᠠ) is a prefecture-level city in Heilongjiang province of the People's Republic of China. The administrative seat of the prefecture resides in Mudanjiang City. It was called Botankou when it was under Japanese occuption. It serves as a regional communications hub with a railway junction and an international airport connecting with several major Chinese cities as well as Seoul, Korea. Mudanjiang is also an important border city, located only 248 km from Vladivostok, Russia. In 2007 Mudanjiang had a GDP of RMB 42.1 billion with a 13.3% growth rate.

Its population is 2,798,723 at the 2010 census whom 805,584 live in the built up area made of 4 urban districts.

History

Mudanjiang Railway Station during the 1900s

Mudanjiang was originally the nomadic area of the Manchu herdsmen from 2,300 years ago. During Tang Dynasty, Balhae established their permanent capital Sanggyeong near Lake Jingpo in the south of today's Mudanjiang city around 755 AD. On January 14, 926, Sanggyeong was fallen while Balhae was defeated by the Khitans.

The city of Mudanjiang is named after for the Mudanjiang River (literally, "Peony River") flowing through it. Czarist Russia built a train station for the Chinese Eastern Railway in Mudanjiang in 1903, after which local development started boosting. Both Chinese and Russian settlers established themselves here. Mudanjiang was little more than a large village until the 1920s. By that time, Mudanjiang was strongly overshadowed by the nearby county town of Ningan (Former Ninguta). However, merchants from several countries including France, Russia, Britain and Denmark set up subagencies in Mudanjiang during this period, which led the trade area of the city to a rapid expansion.

Ginza street of Mudanjiang, 1942

Since The Japanese invasion of Manchuria began on September 19, 1931, the whole Manchuria was seized by Japan following the Mukden Incident. Mudanjiang experienced a substantial growth in the 1930s under the Japanese occupation. Mudanjiang also became a military and administrative center going by the name Botankou, particularly after the railway from Tumen to Jiamusi was constructed in 1933. By that time several light industries including light engineering, lumbering, and food processing was established in the town. On December 1, 1937, Botankou City was established by Manchukuo government, administerring five counties. On October 15, 1938, Japanese Government set up a consulate in Botankou and promoted Botankou as a municipality directly under the Manchukuo Government. As Manchukuo collapsed, Mudanjiang was captured by Soviet Army on August 14, 1945.

Mudanjiang was controlled by the Communist force and became the capital of Songjiang Province in 1948. However, after Songjiang Province was merged into Heilongjiang Province on June 19, 1954, Mudanjiang was reduced to a prefecture-level city.

Geography

Mudanjiang
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     4.7   −11 −23     5.5   −5 −18     11   3 −9     26   14 0     54   21 7     91   25 14     121   28 18     109   27 17     60   21 9     35   13 0     13   1 −10     7.9   −8 −19 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: CMA
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.2   13 −9     0.2   22 −1     0.4   38 16     1   57 33     2.1   70 45     3.6   77 56     4.8   82 64     4.3   80 62     2.4   70 48     1.4   55 32     0.5   34 15     0.3   18 −2 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Mudanjiang is located in southeastern Heilongjiang province, and is also the province's southernmost prefecture. Neighbouring prefectures are:

• Jixi (E)
• Yanbian, Jilin (S)
• Harbin (W)
• Qitaihe (N)

It also borders Russia's Primorsky Krai to the east. The average elevation in the prefecture is 230 metres (755 ft), with the terrain primarily consisting of mountains and hills. The east of the prefecture begins to ascend to the Changbai Mountains, while the central parts belong to the Hegu Basin. The lowest part of the prefecture is Suifenhe City, bordering Russia, at a minimum elevation of 86.5 metres (283.8 ft), while the highest point is Zhangguangcai, at 1,686.9 metres (5,534 ft).

Under the Köppen climate classification, Mudanjiang features a monsoon-influenced, humid continental climate (Dwa) with hot, humid summers and very cold winters. Its winters are dry and bitterly cold, with a 24-hour average in January of only −17.3 °C (0.9 °F), yet the city see little precipitation during this season and is often sunny. Moreover, winter temperatures are far warmer than much of the rest of the province, and the city's basin location helps protect it from biting winds. Summers can be hot, with a July mean temperature of 22.3 °C (72.1 °F). Summer is also when most of the year's rainfall occurs. Spring and autumn constitute brief transition periods with variable wind directions.

Climate data for Mudanjiang City (1971−2000)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	−10.5 (13.1)	−5.4 (22.3)	3.2 (37.8)	13.7 (56.7)	20.9 (69.6)	25.2 (77.4)	27.9 (82.2)	26.6 (79.9)	21.0 (69.8)	12.6 (54.7)	1.1 (34.0)	−8 (18)	10.7 (51.3)
Average low °C (°F)	−22.6 (−8.7)	−18.4 (−1.1)	−9 (16)	0.4 (32.7)	7.3 (45.1)	13.6 (56.5)	17.6 (63.7)	16.5 (61.7)	8.7 (47.7)	0.0 (32.0)	−9.7 (14.5)	−18.8 (−1.8)	−1.2 (29.8)
Precipitation mm (inches)	4.7 (0.185)	5.5 (0.217)	10.5 (0.413)	25.6 (1.008)	53.8 (2.118)	90.6 (3.567)	121.4 (4.78)	108.9 (4.287)	59.7 (2.35)	35.2 (1.386)	13.2 (0.52)	7.9 (0.311)	537.0 (21.142)
% humidity	69	64	55	53	56	69	75	77	73	65	65	70	65.9
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)	5.0	5.5	6.5	8.5	12.9	15.9	14.8	13.9	11.0	8.5	6.8	5.8	115.1
Sunshine hours	162.4	180.2	228.4	218.2	237.3	221.1	215.8	208.3	206.6	195.6	156.8	136.8	2,367.5
Source: China Meteorological Administration

Administrative divisions

#	Name	Hanzi	Hanyu Pinyin	Population (2003 est.)	Area (km²)	Density (/km²)
1	Aimin District	爱民区	Àimín Qū	230,000	359	641
2	Dong'an District	东安区	Dōng'ān Qū	180,000	566	318
3	Yangming District	阳明区	Yángmíng Qū	160,000	358	447
4	Xi'an District	西安区	Xī'ān Qū	210,000	325	646
5	Muling City	穆棱市	Mùlíng Shì	330,000	6,094	54
6	Suifenhe City	绥芬河市	Suífēnhé Shi	60,000	427	141
7	Hailin City	海林市	Hǎilín Shì	440,000	9,877	45
8	Ning'an City	宁安市	Níng'ān Shì	440,000	7,870	56
9	Dongning County	东宁县	Dōngníng Xiàn	210,000	7,368	29
10	Linkou County	林口县	Línkǒu Xiàn	450,000	7,191	63

Economy

In 2010, the city's GDP rose 18.5% to RMB 78.1 billion, ranked fourth in Heilongjiang Province after Harbin, Daqing and Qiqihar. Tourist industry and light manufacturing are the mainstays of Mudanjiang's economy. Mudanjiang's pillar industries include accessory industry for automobiles, paper making, forest industry, petrochemicals, new materials, pharmacy and energy industry. The foreign trade value increased 71.8% to US$9 billion in 2010, making up three-fourth of Heilongjiang Province's gross.

Development Zones

• Mudanjiang to Russia Economic and Technological Development Zone
• Sino-Russian Information Industrial Garden
• Mudanjiang Jiangnan Economic and Technological Development Area
• Mudanjiang Bioindustry Development Zone
• Heilongjiang Northern Pharmaceutical Technological Development Zone

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  Walking along the Mudanjiang river

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  Monument to the women fallen in war

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  The main street of the city

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  Panoramic view on the river

External links

• http://ch-info.erina.or.jp/English/He/Mudan/mudanjiang.htm
• http://www.china.org.cn/english/travel/50995.htm
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Mudanjiang