Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture (延边朝鲜族自治州)

1. Introduction

Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture (Chinese Korean: 연변조선족자치주／延邊朝鮮族自治州 Yŏnbyŏn Chosŏnjok Chach'iju), abbreviated as Yanbian Prefecture or Yanbian, is the only Korean autonomous prefecture under Jilin Province of the People's Republic of China and the sole autonomous prefecture in Northeast China. It is located in the eastern part of Jilin Province along the China–North Korea border, with its prefectural seat in Yanji City. The prefecture borders Baishan City and Jilin City to the west, Harbin City and Mudanjiang City of Heilongjiang Province to the north, Primorsky Krai of Russia to the east, and faces the Democratic People's Republic of Korea across the Tumen River to the south. Situated in the northern section of the Changbai Mountains, the region is characterized by continuous mountain ranges. The western part includes the Weihu Ridge and Mudan Ridge, the southern part features the Zengfeng Ridge and Nangang Mountain, the central area comprises the Ying'e Ridge and Pan Ridge, and the northern part consists of the Har Bar Ridge and Laosong Ridge. Heaven Lake of Changbai Mountain lies in the southwestern part of the prefecture. The Tumen River forms the southern border with North Korea, while the Songhua River and Mudan River originate in the west, and the Suifen River originates in the east. The total area of the prefecture is 43,329 square kilometers, with a permanent population of 1.9417 million in 2020, of which Koreans account for 36.4% of the total population. Yanbian is known as the "Land of Etiquette," "Land of Song and Dance," "Land of Education," and "Land of Football."

Yanbian is one of China's major timber production areas, with a forest coverage rate of 80.04%. The Yanbian forest region is the source of the "Four Rivers": the Songhua River, Yalu River, Tumen River, and Mudan River:204. Yanbian is rich in wild medicinal herb resources, and the Changbai Mountain area where it is located is one of China's three major gene banks for medicinal herbs. Yanbian's ginseng production accounts for 80% of China's total ginseng output and has a sizable ginseng processing industry:193-195. Longjing City is the original production area of apple pears and has been named the "Hometown of Apple Pears," making it one of China's first hundred specialty townships. In 2002, Yanbian apple pears were approved by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine as a product of protected geographical indication:193. Yanbian yellow cattle are one of China's five major local fine cattle breeds:211. Yanbian is a renowned "Land of Rice" in northern China. Yanbian rice has received geographical indication product protection from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

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2. History

2.1 Ancient Times

As early as the Paleolithic Age over 26,000 years ago, primitive humans known as the "Antu Man" appeared in the Yanbian region. The earliest recorded inhabitants living in the Yanbian area were the Yemaek people:91. During the Han Dynasty, the region south to the Tumen River, east to the Sea of Japan, and north to Lake Khanka was the territory of the Northern Okjeo. In 27 BC, Goguryeo conquered Okjeo and established a "Fence City" in Hunchun. The Chang'an Chengzishan Fortress site in Yanji City and the ancient tomb complex north of the Changren River in Helong City are both Goguryeo ruins:92. In 668, Goguryeo was destroyed by Tang and Silla. In 698, Dae Jo-yeong established the Zhen Kingdom in the former Goguryeo territory, with its capital at present-day Dongdong Fortress in Dunhua. In 713, after being enfeoffed by Tang as the "Prince of Bohai Commandery," he changed the state's name to Balhae. Precious Balhae artifacts have been unearthed in many areas of Yanbian, including the Dongdong Fortress in Dunhua, the West Ancient City in Helong City, and the Balian City in Hunchun City.

In 926, the Khitan destroyed Balhae and established the Dongdan Kingdom in its territory. In 928, the Dongdan Kingdom moved its capital to Dongjing (present-day Liaoyang), and the Balhae people in the Yanbian region were forcibly relocated to the Liaoyang area. In 982, the Liao Dynasty abolished the Dongdan Kingdom and established five circuits across its entire territory, with Yanbian belonging to the Dongjing Circuit. After the Balhae people were moved out, the Yanbian region became a settlement area for the Jurchens. The Liao Dynasty established administrative offices such as the Buluomaoduo Tribal Chief's Residence and the Changbai Mountain Jurchen Chief's Residence to govern here. In 1121, after the Jin Dynasty destroyed Liao, it established six capitals and nineteen circuits. The southeastern part of Yanbian belonged to the Hailan Circuit, while the northwestern and southwestern parts were under the jurisdiction of Huining Prefecture and the Shangjing Circuit. During the Yuan Dynasty, Yanbian belonged to the Kaiyuan Circuit of the Liaoyang Province.

The Ming Dynasty pacified the entire Northeast China region in 1388 and established the Nurgan Regional Military Commission in 1409. The Yanbian region was subordinate to the Nurgan Regional Military Commission. After the rise of the Later Jin, the Yanbian region came under its control. In 1636, the Later Jin changed its state name to "Qing." At that time, the Yanbian region was inhabited by tribes of the Eastern Sea Jurchens, such as the Warka and Kurka. In 1644, the Qing Dynasty, citing the protection of its ancestral homeland, designated the area east of Xingjing (Xinbin), south of Yitong Prefecture, and north of the Tumen River as a forbidden zone. In 1875 and 1881, the Qing court successively lifted the ban on the Yalu River and Tumen River basins. In 1881, the Qing government established the General Bureau for Land Reclamation in Hunchun and designated the Longyu region, 700 kilometers long and 45 kilometers wide north of the Tumen River, as a special reclamation area for ethnic Koreans.

2.2 Republican Period

In February 1913, the Republic of China changed the original Southeast Route Military Defense Circuit Office of Jilin Province to the Southeast Route Observation Office of Jilin Province, administering eight counties including Yanji, Helong, Hunchun, Wangqing, and Dunhua. In June 1914, the Southeast Route Observation Office was renamed the Yanji Circuit Intendant Office. In February 1929, the Yanji Circuit Intendant Office was abolished, and the Yanji Negotiation Office was established to supervise the administrative and diplomatic affairs of Yanji, Hunchun, Helong, and Wangqing counties. In September of the same year, the Yanji Negotiation Office was abolished, and the Yanji Municipal Preparatory Office and the Administrative Supervision Offices for Yan, Hun, He, and Wang counties were established.

After Japan's armed occupation of the three northeastern provinces in 1931, it established the puppet state of "Manchukuo" on March 1, 1932. In December 1934, Manchukuo established Jiandao Province in the Yanbian region, with its seat in Yanji, administering five counties: Yanji, Hunchun, Helong, Wangqing, and Antu. In October 1934, a general province system was briefly established. Jiandao Province was under the jurisdiction of the Dongman General Province (seat in Mudanjiang). In 1944, the general province system was abolished, and Jiandao Province was restored.

On August 19, 1945, the Soviet Red Army and the Yanbian Detachment of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army entered Yanji. On the 20th, the Jiandao Provisional Government was established. On October 20, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) established the Yanbian Committee. In mid-November, the CCP Jilin Provincial Working Committee abolished the CCP Yanbian Committee and established the CCP Yanbian Local Committee. On November 20, the Yanbian People's Congress of All Circles was convened, electing the Jilin Province Yanbian Administrative Committee and establishing the Yanbian Administrative Supervision Commissioner's Office to take over the Jiandao Provisional Government, changing Jiandao City to Yanji City. In January 1946, the CCP Northeast Bureau merged Jilin and Liaoning provinces to establish the Jiliao Provincial Committee, which moved its seat to Yanji City. In March 1948, it moved back to Jilin City. The Provincial Committee established the Yanbian Prefectural Committee in Yanbian to administer Yanji, Helong, Hunchun, and Wangqing counties, and separately established the Jidun Prefectural Committee to administer Dunhua, Antu, Emu, and Jiahe counties. On February 22, 1947, the Yanbian Special District and Jidun Special District merged into the Jidong Special District, and the Jidun Prefectural Committee and Yanbian Prefectural Committee merged into the Jidong Prefectural Committee. On March 27, 1948, the Jidong Special District was renamed the Yanbian Special District, and the CCP Jidong Prefectural Committee was also changed to the Yanbian Prefectural Committee.

2.3 People's Republic Period

After the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949, the Yanbian region began implementing ethnic minority autonomy in accordance with the provisions of the "Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference" adopted by the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. On August 8, 1952, the 18th Session of the Central People's Government Committee approved and promulgated the "Outline for the Implementation of Ethnic Regional Autonomy of the People's Republic of China." From August 29 to September 3, 1952, the First People's Congress of All Ethnic Groups and All Circles of Yanbian was held in Yanji City. Approved by the Government Administration Council, the meeting established the Yanbian Korean Ethnic Autonomous Region People's Government, administering five counties: Yanji, Helong, Hunchun, Wangqing, and Antu. The meeting unanimously passed the "Organizational Regulations of the People's Congress of All Ethnic Groups and All Circles of the Yanbian Korean Ethnic Autonomous Region of Jilin Province" and the "Organizational Regulations of the People's Government of the Yanbian Korean Ethnic Autonomous Region of Jilin Province." On September 3, the founding meeting of the Yanbian Korean Ethnic Autonomous Region was held in Yanji City. In April 1955, based on the relevant provisions of the "Constitution of the People's Republic of China" and approved by the State Council, the CCP Jilin Provincial Committee and the Provincial Government changed the Yanbian Korean Ethnic Autonomous Region to the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture. Zhu Dehai was elected as the Governor. In October 1956, with State Council approval, the former Dunhua County of Jilin Special District was incorporated into Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture. In May 1965, Tumen Town was separated from Yanji Town to establish Tumen City. In 1985, Dunhua County was upgraded to Dunhua City. In 1988, Hunchun and Longjing abolished their county status and established Hunchun City and Longjing City. In 1993, Helong County was upgraded to Helong City.

In 1958, like the rest of the country, Yanbian was affected by the "Great Leap Forward" ideology and the ensuing famine, suffering a major setback in economic construction. In the early 1960s, Yanbian's economy recovered. From 1957 to March 1962, during the nationwide "Anti-Rightist Campaign," Yanbian carried out an "Ethnic Rectification Movement." Opinions put forward by Korean cadres and statements defending the legitimate rights and interests of their own ethnic group were criticized as "rightist remarks" and "local nationalism." During the ten-year turmoil of the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, Yanbian became one of the severely affected areas, and ethnic regional autonomy existed in name only. Numerous unjust, false, and wrong cases occurred in Yanbian, such as the "Revisionist Spy Case," "Treason and Riot Case," and "Zhu Dehai Case." The Korean language was negated as "useless" and part of the "Four Olds." Using the Korean language was criticized as "revisionism" and "capitulationism." The Korean ethnic education system was also falsely accused of being "revisionist" and "local nationalist." After the Cultural Revolution ended, all aspects of Yanbian gradually recovered. The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CCP held in December 1978 criticized the "Two Whatevers" ideology and established the economic development line of reform and opening up. Relying on its location as a border area, close to the Korean Peninsula and Japan, Yanbian comprehensively implemented opening up to the outside world.

In 1985, Yanbian took the lead among the 30 autonomous prefectures in China to formulate and implement the "Autonomous Regulations of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture," legally stipulating the rights and various policy measures for the Korean ethnic group and all ethnic people of Yanbian in political, economic, cultural, educational, and social development autonomy. This was the first autonomous regulation promulgated and implemented in China, holding significant importance in the history of China's ethnic regional development. After 1985, Yanbian successively formulated 19 separate regulations, including the "Korean Language Work Regulations," "Korean Ethnic Education Regulations" (abolished in March 2024), "Regulations on Supporting and Developing Korean Ethnic Products," "Minors Protection Regulations," and "Foreign Labor Cooperation Management Regulations," initially forming a relatively complete and unique legal and regulatory system for ethnic regional autonomy based on the Constitution and centered on the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy. In September 1994, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture was named a "National Model Autonomous Prefecture for Ethnic Unity and Progress" by the State Council, the first autonomous prefecture in the country to receive this honor. In 1999 and 2005, Yanbian again became a "National Model Autonomous Prefecture for Ethnic Unity and Progress." As of 2015, Yanbian was the only region among the 30 ethnic minority autonomous prefectures in China to receive this title for five consecutive terms.

In September 2022, Yanbian celebrated the 70th anniversary of its establishment as a prefecture, with local governments holding a series of celebratory activities under epidemic prevention and control policies.

3. Geography

Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture is located in the southeastern part of Jilin Province, between 41°59′47″N to 44°30′42″N and 127°27′43″E to 131°18′33″E. It borders Russia's Primorsky Krai to the east, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) along the Tumen River to the south, counties such as Jiaohe, Huadian, and Fusong in Jilin Province to the west, and counties including Dongning, Ning'an, Hailin, and Wuchang in Heilongjiang Province to the north. The prefecture covers a total area of 42,700 square kilometers, accounting for approximately one-quarter of Jilin Province's total area. Its border line is 768.5 kilometers long, comprising 522.5 kilometers with the DPRK and 246 kilometers with Russia.

3.1 Topography

Yanbian is situated in the Changbai Mountain region, characterized by a significant proportion of mountainous terrain. The main peak, Changbai Mountain, has an elevation of 2,747 meters. The Changbai Mountain system within the prefecture includes the Zhangguangcai Range area in Dunhua City, the Laoye Range area covering most of Wangqing County and Hunchun City, and the Mudan Range-Nangang Mountain area located at the border of Antu and Dunhua cities, southwest of Longjing City, and south of Yanji City. Along the edges of the mountains, hills with elevations between 300-500 meters and slopes around 15 degrees are scattered. The area of river valleys and basins is not extensive; they mainly include the Mudan River, Burhatong River, Hailan River, Hunchun River, Gaya River, and Suifen River valley basins, sporadically distributed in the western and southeastern parts of the prefecture.

The prefecture has a dense river network, featuring four major water systems: the Tumen River, Erdaosonghua River, Mudan River, and Suifen River. There are 137 rivers with drainage areas exceeding 100 square kilometers. River water levels fluctuate significantly with the seasons, and the freezing period is relatively long, generally around four months. The Tumen River system, originating from the eastern foothills of Changbai Mountain, is the largest in Yanbian, stretching 520 kilometers with 64 tributaries of various sizes, including the Hongqi River and Hailan River.

3.2 Climate

Yanbian has a temperate monsoon climate: dry and windy in spring, warm and rainy in summer, cool and rainy in autumn, and cold and long in winter. The prefecture's annual average temperature is 4.5°C. Temperatures generally decrease with increasing altitude and latitude, with the east being warmer than the west and basins warmer than mountainous areas. January is the coldest month, with average temperatures typically between -17°C and -12°C. July is the hottest month, with average temperatures generally between 20°C and 21°C. The historical extreme minimum temperature in Yanbian was -42.6°C (recorded in Songjiang on January 4, 1970), and the extreme maximum was 37.7°C (recorded in Yanji on July 25, 1997).

The average annual precipitation in Yanbian is 542 mm, with rainfall concentrated from June to August, accounting for about 60% of the annual total. Significant precipitation variability often leads to droughts and floods. The central and eastern parts experience droughts more frequently than floods; the western part experiences floods more frequently than droughts; and the Hunchun Basin experiences roughly equal occurrences of both. Monsoons are pronounced within the prefecture, with prevailing westerly winds during the winter half-year and easterly winds during the summer half-year. Due to the complex topography, wind directions vary considerably across different areas. The average annual wind speed in Yanbian is 2-3 m/s, with the highest speeds in spring averaging around force 4, occasionally reaching force 7 or 8. Evaporation is also high in spring, often exacerbating drought conditions. Influenced by the topography and proximity to the sea, low-temperature cold damage affecting agricultural harvests can sometimes occur in spring, autumn, or summer.

Yanji City Meteorological Data (1981–2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|----------|----------|----------|----------| | Record high °C (°F) | 7.8 (46.0) | 14.3 (57.7) | 26.6 (79.9) | 32.8 (91.0) | 33.3 (91.9) | 36.7 (98.1) | 37.7 (99.9) | 37.3 (99.1) | 33.1 (91.6) | 28.9 (84.0) | 19.6 (67.3) | 10.0 (50.0) | 37.7 (99.9) | | Average high °C (°F) | -6.5 (20.3) | -1.5 (29.3) | 5.6 (42.1) | 15.3 (59.5) | 21.1 (70.0) | 24.4 (75.9) | 26.7 (80.1) | 27.2 (81.0) | 22.2 (72.0) | 14.8 (58.6) | 3.9 (39.0) | -4.4 (24.1) | 12.4 (54.3) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | -13.2 (8.2) | -8.7 (16.3) | -1.4 (29.5) | 7.6 (45.7) | 13.9 (57.0) | 18.2 (64.8) | 21.4 (70.5) | 21.7 (71.1) | 15.1 (59.2) | 7.1 (44.8) | -2.7 (27.1) | -10.7 (12.7) | 5.7 (42.2) | | Average low °C (°F) | -18.7 (2.7) | -14.9 (5.2) | -7.7 (18.1) | 0.4 (32.7) | 7.3 (45.1) | 13.1 (55.6) | 17.3 (63.1) | 17.4 (63.3) | 9.5 (49.1) | 0.8 (33.4) | -7.8 (18.0) | -15.8 (3.6) | 0.1 (32.1) | | Record low °C (°F) | -31.4 (-24.5) | -27.9 (-18.2) | -23.3 (-9.9) | -10.3 (13.5) | -1.5 (29.3) | 5.3 (41.5) | 9.5 (49.1) | 6.9 (44.4) | -1.7 (28.9) | -11.6 (11.1) | -23.6 (-10.5) | -29.9 (-21.8) | -31.4 (-24.5) | | Average precipitation mm (inches) | 5.4 (0.21) | 5.5 (0.22) | 9.9 (0.39) | 29.4 (1.16) | 58.7 (2.31) | 82.3 (3.24) | 128.5 (5.06) | 108.8 (4.28) | 60.6 (2.39) | 23.6 (0.93) | 12.0 (0.47) | 6.7 (0.26) | 531.4 (20.92) | | Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 3.1 | 3.4 | 5.1 | 7.8 | 12.2 | 15.1 | 14.3 | 13.6 | 10.4 | 7.1 | 5.3 | 3.8 | 101.2 | | Average relative humidity (%) | 58 | 55 | 53 | 54 | 61 | 73 | 79 | 79 | 76 | 65 | 61 | 61 | 65 | | Mean monthly sunshine hours | 170.4 | 183.2 | 225.3 | 213.2 | 233.6 | 190.0 | 181.0 | 187.5 | 197.6 | 199.5 | 157.7 | 140.8 | 2,279.8 | | Percent possible sunshine | 59 | 62 | 61 | 53 | 52 | 42 | 39 | 44 | 53 | 58 | 54 | 50 | 51 |

3.3 Mineral Resources93 types of minerals have been discovered in the Yanbian region, including 10 energy minerals, 33 metal minerals, 48 non-metal minerals, and 2 hydrogeological minerals. Verified reserves of ferrous metals mainly include iron, manganese, vanadium, and titanium; non-ferrous metals mainly include copper, lead, zinc, cobalt, tungsten, molybdenum, and mercury; precious metals mainly include gold and silver; non-metals mainly include Changbai Mountain pumice, diatomite, peat, limestone soil, andalusite, olivine, and mineral water. Verified resource reserves of energy minerals include coal, oil shale, uranium, and geothermal energy. Currently, coal remains the primary energy source in Yanbian, accounting for over 70% of both production and consumption in the total primary energy supply.

4. Administrative Divisions

Yanbian Prefecture currently administers 6 county-level cities and 2 counties.

• County-level cities: Yanji City, Tumen City, Dunhua City, Hunchun City, Longjing City, Helong City
• Counties: Wangqing County, Antu County

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Korean Name | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | Ethnic Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|-----------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------|----------------------| | 222400 | Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture | Yanbian Chaoxianzu Zizhizhou | Yanbian Chosŏnjok Chach’igu | 43,329.34 | 1,941,700 | Yanji City | 133000 | 30 | 51 | 15 | 2 | | 222401 | Yanji City | Yanji Shi | Yŏn’gil-si | 1,722.24 | 686,136 | Xinxing Subdistrict | 133000 | 6 | 4 | | | | 222402 | Tumen City | Tumen Shi | Tomun-si | 1,140.50 | 85,248 | Xiangshang Subdistrict | 133100 | 3 | 4 | | | | 222403 | Dunhua City | Dunhua Shi | Tonhwa-si | 11,787.76 | 392,486 | Minzhu Subdistrict | 133700 | 4 | 11 | 5 | | | 222404 | Hunchun City | Hunchun Shi | Hunch’un-si | 5,141.29 | 239,359 | Henan Subdistrict | 133300 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | | 222405 | Longjing City | Longjing Shi | Ryongjŏng-si | 2,208.80 | 129,286 | Anmin Subdistrict | 133400 | 3 | 5 | 2 | | | 222406 | Helong City | Helong Shi | Hwaryong-si | 5,068.71 | 117,087 | Wenhua Subdistrict | 133500 | 3 | 8 | | | | 222424 | Wangqing County | Wangqing Xian | Wangch’ŏng-hyŏn | 8,825.81 | 167,911 | Dachuan Subdistrict | 133200 | 3 | 8 | 1 | | | 222426 | Antu County | Antu Xian | Ando-hyŏn | 7,434.23 | 124,187 | Jiulong Subdistrict | 133500 | 3 | 7 | 2 | |

5. Economy

In 2016, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture reached 91.51 billion yuan. The proportions of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in the GDP were 7.6%, 48.7%, and 43.7%, respectively. The prefecture's overall economic growth rate was 7.6%, with the primary industry growing by 2.3%, the secondary industry by 6.4%, and the tertiary industry by 10.1%. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Yanbian rose by 2.4% in 2016, an increase of 0.8 percentage points compared to 2015. Specifically, prices for healthcare, housing, clothing, food, tobacco, and alcohol, recreation, education, and culture, and transportation and communication rose by 4.9%, 0.8%, 1.2%, 4.8%, 1.2%, and 0.9%, respectively; while prices for household goods and services fell by 0.5%. In 2016, Yanbian's total fiscal revenue was 16.05 billion yuan, a decrease of 0.4% from 2015. Fiscal expenditures by the prefectural government amounted to 33.9 billion yuan, an increase of 11.6% from 2015. Expenditures on people's livelihoods, such as education, culture, sports, and media, social security and employment, healthcare, and urban and rural community affairs, saw relatively high growth rates. The per capita disposable income of permanent urban residents and permanent rural residents in Yanbian in 2016 was 23,276 yuan and 9,675 yuan, respectively, representing increases of 7.1% and 7.9%.

The total output value of Yanbian's primary industry in 2016 was 7.06 billion yuan, an increase of 2.4% from 2015. Within this, agricultural output value was 5.32 billion yuan, up 6%; forestry output value was 360 million yuan, down 47.6%; animal husbandry output value was 1.12 billion yuan, up 26.3%; and fishery output value was 120 million yuan, up 8.8%. The total sown area for agriculture in the prefecture was 393,000 hectares, an increase of 0.3% from 2015. Grain output decreased by 3.4% to 1.379 million tons. Meat output increased by 0.6% year-on-year to 60,000 tons. Poultry egg output increased by 8.0% to 25,000 tons; milk output increased by 2.3% to 9,000 tons.

In 2016, the total output value of Yanbian's secondary industry was 47.49 billion yuan, an increase of 7.1% from 2015. Within this, the value-added of light industry reached 25.39 billion yuan, up 8.8%; the value-added of heavy industry reached 22.09 billion yuan, up 5.2%. The four pillar industries—food, pharmaceuticals, forestry products, and energy & mining—achieved a value-added of 34.23 billion yuan, an increase of 6.3% from the previous year. Specifically, food, pharmaceuticals, forestry products, and energy & mining grew by 8.2%, 10.1%, 6.1%, and 1.3%, respectively. These four pillar industries accounted for 72.1% of the value-added of industries above a designated size.

The total completed fixed asset investment in Yanbian in 2016 was 90.31 billion yuan, an increase of 10.1% from 2015. Within this, investment in the primary industry was 2.73 billion yuan, an increase of 63.5% from 2015; investment in the secondary industry was 40.3 billion yuan, up 7%, of which industrial investment was 38.6 billion yuan; investment in the tertiary industry was 47.28 billion yuan, up 10.8%. The investment proportions for the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries were 3.0%, 44.6%, and 52.4%, respectively. Foreign direct investment in Yanbian in 2016 was USD 184.72 million, an increase of 8.5% from 2015. By the end of 2016, there were 584 registered foreign-invested enterprises in the prefecture. Total retail sales of consumer goods in Yanbian in 2016 reached 53.12 billion yuan, an increase of 10.4% from 2015. Urban retail sales were 49.32 billion yuan, up 10.3%; rural retail sales were 3.8 billion yuan, up 11.1%. By sector, the retail industry achieved sales of 39.28 billion yuan, up 8.7%, accounting for 73.9% of total retail sales; the catering industry achieved sales of 10.78 billion yuan, up 15.8%, accounting for 20.3% of total retail sales. The total import and export volume of Yanbian in 2016 was 13.47 billion yuan, an increase of 8.6% from 2015. Imports grew by 33% to 6.72 billion yuan; exports fell by 8.2% to 6.75 billion yuan. Yanbian's import and export volumes with South Korea, Russia, and the United States were USD 260 million, USD 270 million, and USD 110 million, respectively, representing decreases of 4.4%, 30.6%, and 22.8%.

In 2016, Yanbian's road freight turnover increased by 3.3% from 2015 to 5.73 billion ton-kilometers. Road passenger turnover decreased by 3% to 2.13 billion passenger-kilometers. The number of departing passengers via civil aviation increased by 0.8% to 748,000. Yanji Airport handled 12,876 flight takeoffs and landings in 2016, an increase of 2.5% from 2015. The total capacity of telephone exchanges in Yanbian in 2016 decreased by 6.4% from 2015 to 4.07 million lines; the number of local telephone subscribers was 565,000, an increase of 2%. Among these, residential telephone subscribers numbered 462,000, up 2%; mobile phone subscribers reached 2.122 million, up 5.4%; and internet broadband access subscribers numbered 452,000, up 5.1%.

6. Transportation

• Yanji Chaoyangchuan International Airport

7. Education

• Yanbian University (National Key University, Project 211 institution)
• Yanbian No.1 Middle School
• Yanbian No.2 Middle School
• Yanji No.1 Senior High School

Yanbian Prefecture has established ethnic schools where Korean Chinese students can study in both Korean and Chinese. However, the legal basis for establishing such ethnic schools, the Korean Chinese Education Regulations, was repealed in March 2024 on the grounds that it "no longer aligns with the main requirements of ethnic education reform aimed at fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation and is no longer suited to the new circumstances and demands of the prefecture's educational development." Additionally, at the end of 2023, the Standing Committee of the Yanbian Prefecture People's Congress passed a resolution calling for efforts to "ensure that school types, district divisions, subject teachers, student admissions, and class and dormitory assignments are not differentiated by ethnicity." The resolution also mandated the use of nationally unified textbooks for history, Chinese language, and ideological and political education in junior high and elementary schools by 2024, the full adoption of the national common spoken and written language for teaching in junior high and elementary schools by 2026, and its full implementation in high schools by 2029.

8. Population

At the end of 2022, the total registered population was 2.0155 million, a decrease of 13,900 people compared to the end of the previous year. Among them, the urban population was 1.4035 million, accounting for 69.6% of the total population (urbanization rate of registered population), an increase of 0.1 percentage points from the end of the previous year. Throughout the year, there were 7,273 births, with a birth rate of 3.60‰; there were 13,352 deaths, with a death rate of 6.60‰, resulting in a natural growth rate of -3.00‰. At the end of the year, among the total population, the Han ethnic group numbered 1.2136 million, accounting for 60.2% of the total population; the Korean ethnic group numbered 716,300, accounting for 35.5%; the Manchu ethnic group numbered 73,300, accounting for 3.6%; and other ethnic groups numbered 12,200, accounting for 0.7%.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the permanent resident population of the entire prefecture was 1,941,700 (excluding the Changbai Mountain Administrative Committee, the same below). Compared with the 2,223,263 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was a total decrease of 281,563 people over ten years, a decline of 12.66%, with an average annual growth rate of -1.34%. Among them, the male population was 961,606, accounting for 49.52% of the total population; the female population was 980,094, accounting for 50.48% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 98.11. The population aged 0–14 was 212,842, accounting for 10.96% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 1,244,705, accounting for 64.1% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 484,153, accounting for 24.93% of the total population, among which the population aged 65 and above was 321,798, accounting for 16.57% of the total population. The population living in urban areas was 1,485,103, accounting for 76.48% of the total population; the population living in rural areas was 456,597, accounting for 23.52% of the total population.

8.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the permanent resident population of the entire prefecture, the Han ethnic population was 1,277,372, accounting for 65.79%; the Korean ethnic population was 597,426, accounting for 30.77%; and other ethnic minority populations were 66,902, accounting for 3.45%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han ethnic population decreased by 188,386, a decline of 12.85%, but its proportion of the total population increased by 1.24 percentage points; the populations of various ethnic minorities decreased by 140,730, a decline of 17.48%, and their proportion of the total population decreased by 1.24 percentage points. Among them, the Korean ethnic population decreased by 139,565, a decline of 18.94%, and its proportion of the total population decreased by 1.69 percentage points; the Manchu ethnic population decreased by 2,920, a decline of 5.1%, but its proportion of the total population increased by 0.28 percentage points.

To address the ongoing decline in the Korean ethnic population, the Prefecture People's Congress passed the "Regulations on the Development of the Korean Ethnic Population in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture" in 2012, encouraging Korean ethnic families to have a second child.

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Yanji City

Yanji City

The Han population accounts for 65.79%; the Korean ethnic group accounts for 30.77%; and other ethnic minorities account for 3.45%.

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