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Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture

Coordinates: 43°07′48″N 129°11′24″E / 43.13000°N 129.19000°E / 43.13000; 129.19000
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Yanbian
延边朝鲜族自治州
Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture
Prefecture-level city
Chinese transcription(s)
 • Simplified延边朝鲜族自治州
 • Traditional延邊朝鮮族自治州
 • PinyinYánbiān Cháoxiǎnzú Zìzhìzhōu
Yanbian Prefecture in Jilin Province
Yanbian Prefecture in Jilin Province
CountryChina
ProvinceJilin
City seatYanji
Government
 • <-- Mayor -->Jin Zhenji (金振吉)
Area
 • Total42,700 km2 (16,500 sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Area code433

Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture (Chinese: 延边朝鲜族自治州/延邊朝鮮族自治州; pinyin: Yánbiān Cháoxiǎnzú Zìzhìzhōu; Korean: 연변 조선족 자치주 Yeonbyeon Joseonjok Jachiju) is an autonomous prefecture in Jilin province, in the northeastern part of China. Yanbian is south of Heilongjiang, east of Jilin's Baishan City, north of North Korea's North Hamgyong Province, and west of Russia. Yanbian is designated as an autonomous prefecture due to the large number of ethnic Koreans living in the region. The prefectural capital is Yanji, and the area is 42,700 km².

The Prefecture has an important Balhae archaeological site: the Ancient Tombs at Longtou Mountain, which includes the Mausoleum of Princess Zhenxiao.

Administration

The prefecture is subdivided into eight county-level divisions: six county-level cities and two counties:

  • Yanji City (延吉市 Yánjí Shì, 연길시): formerly county until 1950s
  • Tumen City (图们市/圖們市 Túmén Shì, 도문시): established in 1965
  • Longjing City (龙井市/龍井市 Lóngjǐng Shì, 룡정시): formerly county until 1987
  • Hunchun City (珲春市/琿春市 Húnchūn Shì, 훈춘시): formerly county until 1983
  • Dunhua City (敦化市 Dūnhuà Shì, 돈화시): formerly county until 1985
  • Helong City (和龙市/和龍市 Hélóng Shì, 화룡시): formerly county until 1993
  • Antu County (安图县/安圖縣 Āntú Xiàn, 안도현)
  • Wangqing County (汪清县/汪清縣 Wāngqīng Xiàn, 왕청현)


The above counties and cities are divided into 642 villages (边境村/邊境村).

History

In the Ming Dynasty, Yanbian was governed by the Jianzhou Guard-district (建州衛), and in the late Qing Dynasty the area was divided into the Yanji (延吉廳) and Hunchun (琿春廳) subprefectures.

In the 19th century, Korean immigrants migrated en masse from the Korean peninsula to China. After the foundation of the Republic of China, a second wave arrived. The population increase was caused by the Japanese invasion of that region. The Japanese were trying to use Korean immigration to diffuse the staying power of Chinese in that region. After the end of World War II, many Koreans did not go back to Korea, even though their country had been liberated (as there were economic and political problems back in their country). Instead, they joined the Chinese Civil War and were mobilized by both Chinese communists and the Chinese Nationalists. When the civil war was over, the new Chinese government gave Koreans their own autonomous region (区) in 1952. Yanbian was upgraded to an ethnic autonomous prefecture in 1955.

In 1952, the Korean migrants composed some 60% of the local population, but by 2000 their share shrank to 32%. The Chinese authorities subsidize Korean language schools and publications, but also take measures to prevent an emergence of the Korean irredentism in the area. From the late 1990s the Koreans began to be assimilated into Chinese culture with increasing speed, often switching to daily use of Chinese and choosing to attend the Chinese language schools.[1]

The name "Yanbian" was created in the 1920s, because it stretches (yan) on the boundary (bian) of three nations. It was also in the Yanji Border-affairs Public Bureau, where Yanji means Luck of the Stretch. During the Manchukuo period, it was called Kan-do (間島) Province by the Japanese. The same characters when used as hanja in Korean are pronounced and romanized as Gando (hangul: 간도), however, the name Kil Im Song is more frequently used by Koreans to refer to the entire larger region of North East China.

Geography

  • Geographic coordinates: 41°59'47" - 44°30'42", 127°27'43" - 131°18'33" E
  • Boundary length: 755.2 km
    • China-Korea: 522.5 km
    • China-Russia: 232.7 km

Mountains that are in the prefecture are:

  • The central range of Changbai Mountains (長白山主脈)
  • Zhangguangcai Peak (張廣才嶺)
  • Harba Peak (哈爾巴嶺)
  • Peony Peak (牡丹嶺)
  • Old Master Peak (老爺嶺)
  • Nan'gang Mountain Range (南崗山脈)

There have been over 40 types of minerals and 50 kinds of metals, including gold, lead, zinc copper, silver, manganese and mercury, discovered near or in the mountains.

Average land height is 500 metres above sea level.

Main rivers include:

The rivers sustain 28 running water processing facilities.

The rivers created basins, which are suitable for agricultural uses, like rice paddies and bean farms.

Transportation

Railways include:

  • Chang-Tu Line (长图线/長圖線): most important
  • Mu-Tu Line (牡图线/牡圖線)
  • Chao-Kai Line (朝开线/朝開線): Yangchuan-Shantun Line (阳川山屯线/陽川山屯線)
  • Tumen-Hunchun Railway: under construction

Public roads are 1,480-kilometre altogether. There are four airports.

Demographics

Ethnicity compositions:

Population density: 51 people per km².

Like the peninsular Koreans, Yanbian Koreans' most common surname is Gim. Many immigrated from Korea during the 19th century, and again during the Japanese Occupation.

The Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture has an index of urbanization standard (城市化水准/城市化水準) at 55.6%, 20 percentage points greater than the provincial average (31.3%) and 25 more than the national average (26.5%).[2]

Culture

Both Chinese and Korean are used as official languages in Yanbian Ethnic Korean Autonomous Prefecture. Most ethnic Koreans in this area are bilingual. Like Koreans living in the Korean peninsula, ethnic Koreans in Yanbian use Western punctuation in writing.

The Museum of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture was planned in 1960, and constructed in 1982. It contains over 10,000 exhibits, including 11 first-level artifacts. The exhibits' labels and explanations are bilingual in Korean and Chinese, and tour guides are also available in both languages.

Tourism

There are seven public parks in Yanbian's green space (18% of whole prefecture), including:

  • Yanji People's Park (延吉人民公园/延吉人民公園)
  • Youth Lake Park (青年湖公园/青年湖公園)

Also popular among locals during holidays and festivities.

Nature and Environment

Over 70% are originally forest in the prefecture, so there is a rich diversity of life.

Sports

Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture is an important football region to Chinese football. For 50 years more than 40 footballers have ever been selected into Chinese national football team. The first professional football team in this prefecture is Jilin Three Stars Football Club. From 1994 to 2000, this club had been playing for 7 years in Chinese top football league. In 2000, they were relegated from the top league. Because of the poor economic condition the club was sold to Lucheng Group, a rich group in Zhejiang Province.

In 2001, Yanbian Football Club was founded. They now playing in the second-class football league.

See also

References

  1. ^ Andrei Lankov (2007-08-16). "The gentle decline of the 'Third Korea'". Asia Times. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  2. ^ 李亚彪 (2002-09-02). "吉林延边朝鲜族自治州城市化水平走在全国前列" (in Chinese). Xinhua. Retrieved 2007-07-15. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

43°07′48″N 129°11′24″E / 43.13000°N 129.19000°E / 43.13000; 129.19000

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