Liaoyuan
Liaoyuan
辽源市 | |
|---|---|
| File:Liaoyuan.jpg | |
| Nickname: 大疙瘩 ("Great lump") | |
 Liaoyuan (red) in Jilin (orange) | |
| Country | People's Republic of China |
| County-level divisions | 4 |
| Incorporated (county) | August 4, 1902 |
| Incorporated (County-level city) | October 15, 1948 |
| Incorporated (Prefecture-level city) | October 3, 1983 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Prefecture-level city |
| • CPC Liaoyuan Secretary | Wu Lan |
| • Mayor | Jin Yuhui |
| Area | |
| • Prefecture-level city | 5,125 km2 (1,979 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 429 km2 (166 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 260 m (850 ft) |
| Population (2010)[1] | |
| • Prefecture-level city | 1,176,645 |
| • Density | 230/km2 (590/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 462,233 |
| • Urban density | 1,100/km2 (2,800/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (China Standard) |
| Postal code | 136200 |
| Area code | 0437 |
| License Plate Prefix | 吉D |
| ISO 3166-2 | cn-22-04 |
Liaoyuan (simplified Chinese: 辽源; traditional Chinese: 遼源; pinyin: Liáoyuán) is a prefecture-level city in the west of Jilin province, People's Republic of China, bounded on the west by Liaoning. Liaoyuan lies some 100 km (62 mi) southeast of Changchun, the provincial capital. Covering an area of 5,125 km2 (1,979 sq mi), Liaoyuan is the smallest among the prefecture-level divisions of Jilin. Liaoyuan has a toal population of 1,176,645, while the built up area has a population of 462,233.[1]
History
Liaoyuan was an imperial hunting ground during the Qing Dynasty, going by the name Shengjing Paddock (盛京圍場). In 1902, Qing government established Xi'an County (西安縣) in this region, which became today's Xi'an District (Sian on one 1945 map). Between 1931 and 1945, Xi'an was an important coal-mining city in Manchukuo and also the place where American Army General Jonathan M. Wainwright was held as a prisoner. The city was renamed Liaoyuan (literally the source of the East Liao River) in 1952 because the former name conflicted with that of the much larger city of Xi'an in Shaanxi province. From 1949 to 1954 it was part of Liaodong Province. After 1954, Liaoyuan was put under Siping Prefecture's jurisdiction. Liaoyuan became a prefecture-level city in 1983, administering two districts and two counties.
Geography
Liaoyuan has a temperate semi-humid monsoon climate. The average annual sunshine totals 2,580 hours., while the average annual precipitation reaches 750 mm. The average temperature is 4.5 °C. Liaoyuan is replete with water resources. There are 56 rivers and streams running through the city, including tributes of Liao River and Songhua River. In addition, Liaoyuan is also rich in timber and mineral resources. Mineral resources such as limestone, marble, coal, silica, and wollastonite are abundant. Forests cover 42% of the city's lands.
Administrative divisions
| Map | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2010 est.) | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
| 1 | Longshan District | 龙山区 | Lóngshān Qū | 283,045 | 257 | 1,101 |
| 2 | Xi'an District | 西安区 | Xī'ān Qū | 179,188 | 172 | 1,042 |
| 3 | Dongfeng County | 东丰县 | Dōngfēng Xiàn | 408,679 | 2,522 | 162 |
| 4 | Dongliao County | 东辽县 | Dōngliáo Xiàn | 396,121 | 2,174 | 182 |
Economy
Coal mining in Liaoyuan started in late Qing dynasty and continued to be the most important industry for more than 100 years. During the Japanese occupation from 1931 to 1945, Liaoyuan was the second largest coal-mining center of Manchukuo, preceded only by Fushun. This city continued to produce approximately 3 million tons of coal every year till the mid 1990s, when the exhaustion of coal resource brought the economy of this city to a standstill. Fortunately, the city succeeded in transforming its economic structure from a mining oriented one to a light manufacturing oriented one. At present, the city is the largest cotton-sock manufacturing center in China. Furthermore, the aluminum shell of Apple Macbook Pro is also manufactured in this city. Liaoyuan has a GDP of RMB 50 billion in 2011, rising 15.6% year on year.[2]
Transportation
The Changchun-Liaoyuan Expressway and the Siping-Meihekou Railway run through the city. Changchun Airport is within one and a half-hour's drive from Liaoyuan.
Tourism
Guandong deer meat is one of the popular dishes among local people since Liaoyuan has a long history of raising deer.
Notable people
- Xie Jun, Chinese chess grandmaster, former Women's World Chess Champion
- Yan Xuejing, Chinese Er ren zhuan and TV-series actress
- Xue Cun, Chinese singer, movie director
Accident
On December 16, 2005, a fire in Liaoyuan Central Hospital killed at least 39 people, 33 of whom were patients. The cause of the fire was wire-aging, as reported by local media.(BBC)
Twin towns
Cherepovets, Russia
Kokkola, Finland
