Jinzhou (锦州)

1. Introduction

Jinzhou City, abbreviated as Jin, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Liaoning Province, People's Republic of China, located in the central-western part of Liaoning. The city borders Huludao City to the west, Chaoyang City and Fuxin City to the north, Shenyang City to the northeast, Anshan City and Panjin City to the southeast, and faces the Liaodong Bay to the south. Situated in the transitional zone between the Liaoxi Hilly Area and the Liaohe Plain, the central part of the city is dominated by the Yiwulü Mountain. Rivers such as the Raoyang River, Daling River, Xiaoling River, and Nü'er River flow through the area. The municipal government is located in Taihe District. Jinzhou is a vital transportation hub connecting Northeast China and North China, and it was also one of the main battlefields of the Songjin Campaign and the Liaoshen Campaign. The main urban area of Jinzhou lies at the confluence of the Xiaoling River and the Nü'er River. The Shenshan Railway and the Jincheng Railway pass through the city, while the Beijing-Harbin Railway traverses the southern part. Major highways in the area include the Beijing-Shenyang Expressway, Jinzhou-Fuxin Expressway, Jinzhou-Chaoyang Expressway, and National Highway 102. Jinzhou features architectural relics from the Liao and Ming dynasties. Mineral resources include petroleum, natural gas, coal, limestone, bentonite, fluorite, and granite.

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2. History

2.1 Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties

During the Xia, Shang, and Zhou periods, this area belonged to the territories of Ji and You provinces. In the Spring and Autumn period, it was part of the Yan region. During the Warring States period, the area west of the Daling River belonged to the Liaoxi Commandery of the Yan state, while the area east of it belonged to the Liaodong Commandery of the Yan state. In the Qin Dynasty and Western Han Dynasty, it was divided between the Liaoxi and Liaodong Commanderies. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, most of it belonged to the Liaodong Dependent State. In the Three Kingdoms period, it was part of the Changli Commandery of You Province. In the Jin Dynasty, it belonged to the Changli Commandery of Ping Province. During the Sui Dynasty, the western part was under the Liucheng (present-day Chaoyang) Commandery, and the eastern part was under the Yan Commandery. In the early Tang Dynasty, it was under the jurisdiction of the Yingzhou (present-day Chaoyang) Chief Office, later under the Andong Protectorate. After the abolition of the protectorate, it came under the jurisdiction of the Pinglu Military Commissioner.

2.2 Liao Dynasty

According to the "Geography Records of the Liao History," Jinzhou was established in 926 by Emperor Taizu of Liao, Abaoji, using Han captives. It was under the command of the emperor's Ordo, and the name Jinzhou originated from this time. "Historical Accounts of the Liaoxi Corridor" suggests that Abaoji grouped together Han captives from the Central Plains who were skilled in weaving, spinning, and sericulture, established a prefecture to manage them, and produced silk brocades exclusively for royal use. Hence, it was named Jinzhou, meaning "Brocade Prefecture," after the luxurious fabrics and garments (this is just one theory; others include the "Jinchuan Theory," the "Inheritance of Tang's Jinzhou Theory," and the "Luxurious Life Theory").

2.3 Jin to Ming and Qing Dynasties

The Jin Dynasty changed the Liao's circuit system to a route system, and the area was then under the jurisdiction of the Beijing Route. In the Yuan Dynasty, it was divided between the Daning Route and the Guangning Prefecture Route. The Ming Dynasty established a military guard system with subordinate guards and battalions. At that time, the Guangning Guard was established, along with the Guangning Front, Rear, Left, Right, and Center (present-day Jinzhou) Garrison Guards, as well as the Yizhou Guard and the Ningyuan Guard. These were initially under the Liaodong Regional Military Commission and later under the jurisdiction of the Liaodong Governor. Due to Jinzhou's strategic location as a crucial passage outside the Shanhai Pass and the forefront of the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line, from 1627 to 1642, the Qing army besieged Jinzhou six times. Finally, after the Songjin Battle, Jinzhou was captured by the Qing army. In the first year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1662), the Guangning Center, Left, and Right Garrison Guards were merged into Jin County. In the third year of Kangxi, Guangning Prefecture was established but soon abolished. In the fourth year of Kangxi, Jinchuan Prefecture was established.

2.4 Republic of China to Modern Era

After the establishment of the Republic of China, the prefecture system was abolished, and counties were established. At that time, the counties were under the jurisdiction of the Liaoshen Circuit of Fengtian Province. The circuit system was abolished in 1928. In 1929, the province was renamed Liaoning, and the counties were directly under Liaoning Province. After the September 18 Incident in 1931, the counties fell under the puppet Fengtian Province. In 1934, Jinzhou Province was established to govern the counties. In 1937, the Manchukuo regime implemented a city system, and Jinzhou City was established for the first time, with the county and city administrations separated. The seat of Jin County was moved to Dalinghe (present-day Linghai City). The provincial, municipal, and county offices were all located in Jinzhou. After the end of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Chinese Communist Party once established the Liaoxi Commissioner's Office and the Jinzhou Municipal Government. After the end of the Liaoshen Campaign in October 1948, it came under the jurisdiction of the Redong Commissioner's Office of Rehe Province. In January 1949, Liaoxi Province was established, with the provincial government located in Jinzhou. In August 1954, Liaodong and Liaoxi Provinces were merged into Liaoning Province, and Jinzhou City became a provincial-administered city. The Jinzhou Administrative Region was established twice afterward. After the administrative region was abolished in 1968, it became a prefecture-level city of Liaoning Province.

3. Geography

3.1 Topography

Jinzhou City is located in the southwest of Liaoning Province. It borders Panjin, Anshan, and Shenyang to the east, Huludao to the west, faces the Liaodong Bay of the Bohai Sea to the south, and adjoins Chaoyang and Fuxin to the north, backed by the Songling Mountains.

The landform structure of Jinzhou City is described as "three parts mountains, one part water, three parts farmland, and two parts roads and manors." The terrain is high in the northwest and low in the southeast, gradually descending from mountainous areas at 400 meters above sea level in the north to coastal plains below 20 meters in the south.

Mountain ranges stretch across Jinzhou City, with the Yiwulü Mountain range in the northeast and the Songling Mountain range in the northwest.

3.2 Climate

Jinzhou City is situated in the mid-latitudes and has a temperate monsoon climate. The annual temperature variation is significant, with an average annual temperature of 8°C to 9°C. The average annual precipitation is 540 to 640 mm, and the frost-free period lasts up to 180 days. The main climatic features are: four distinct seasons, each with its own characteristics, a pronounced monsoon climate, and strong continental influences.

Average Meteorological Data for Jinzhou City (1971-2000) | Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|------|------|------| | Average high °C (°F) | -2.4 (27.7) | 1.1 (34.0) | 8.0 (46.4) | 16.6 (61.9) | 22.9 (73.2) | 32.3 (90.2) | 28.6 (83.5) | 28.4 (83.1) | 24.6 (76.3) | 17.2 (63.0) | 7.5 (45.5) | 0.3 (32.5) | 15.0 (58.9) | | Average low °C (°F) | -12.5 (9.5) | -9.3 (15.3) | -2.8 (27.0) | 5.2 (41.4) | 11.8 (53.2) | 17.2 (63.0) | 20.8 (69.4) | 19.7 (67.5) | 13.5 (56.3) | 5.9 (42.6) | -2.7 (27.1) | -9.6 (14.7) | 4.8 (40.6) | | Average precipitation mm (inches) | 2.7 (0.11) | 3.2 (0.13) | 7.3 (0.29) | 24.9 (0.98) | 46.3 (1.82) | 81.3 (3.20) | 165.3 (6.51) | 136.8 (5.39) | 58.6 (2.31) | 27.4 (1.08) | 10.1 (0.40) | 3.9 (0.15) | 567.8 (22.37) | | Average precipitation days | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 4.8 | 7.1 | 10.4 | 11.9 | 9.9 | 6.5 | 4.6 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 65.9 | | Average relative humidity (%) | 52 | 49 | 48 | 49 | 53 | 67 | 79 | 77 | 65 | 57 | 55 | 53 | 59 | | Mean monthly sunshine hours (≥0.1mm) | 198.7 | 202.6 | 239.0 | 247.1 | 260.5 | 234.9 | 205.1 | 228.4 | 249.9 | 233.0 | 196.5 | 186.7 | 2,682.4 | | Percentage of possible sunshine | 68 | 68 | 65 | 62 | 58 | 52 | 45 | 54 | 67 | 68 | 66 | 65 | 61 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Jinzhou City currently administers 3 municipal districts, 2 counties, and has jurisdiction over 2 county-level cities.

• Municipal Districts: Guta District, Linghe District, Taihe District
• County-level Cities: Linghai City, Beizhen City
• Counties: Heishan County, Yi County

In addition to the formal administrative divisions, Jinzhou City has also established the following economic functional zones: Jinzhou Binhai New Area (National-level Jinzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone) and Songshan New Area.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Permanent Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | Of which: Ethnic Townships | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 210700 | Jinzhou City | Jinzhou Shi | 10,039.99 | 2,703,853 | Taihe District | 121000 | 32 | 55 | 12 | 2 | | 210702 | Guta District | Guta Qu | 64.78 | 252,209 | Bao'an Subdistrict | 121000 | 5 | | | | | 210703 | Linghe District | Linghe Qu | 38.56 | 402,038 | Longjiang Subdistrict | 121000 | 6 | | | | | 210711 | Taihe District | Taihe Qu | 727.68 | 457,602 | Yingpan Subdistrict | 121000 | 10 | | | | | 210726 | Heishan County | Heishan Xian | 2,496.84 | 451,206 | Heishan Subdistrict | 121400 | 2 | 16 | 4 | | | 210727 | Yi County | Yi Xian | 2,477.31 | 305,996 | Yizhou Subdistrict | 121100 | 2 | 13 | 3 | 2 | | 210781 | Linghai City | Linghai Shi | 2,541.66 | 412,513 | Dadao | 122200 | 3 | 15 | 2 | | | 210782 | Beizhen City | Beizhen Shi | 1,693.16 | 422,289 | Beizhen Subdistrict | 121300 | 4 | 11 | 3 | |

5. Economy

Jinzhou is an important industrial city in western Liaoning. In the 1960s, it was designated by the State Council as a "Daqing-style emerging industrial region of Jinzhou." In the 1980s, it was approved by the state as an open city. Through nearly nine Five-Year Plans of development, its industrial sector has evolved into a comprehensive industrial system with a relatively complete range of categories, solid technological equipment, and a substantial foundation, now serving as a crucial pillar of Jinzhou's national economy. In 2012, the city achieved a regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 124.85 billion yuan. Calculated at comparable prices, this represented a year-on-year growth of 10.4%. Specifically, the added value of the primary industry was 19.03 billion yuan, up by 5.3%; the secondary industry added 61.45 billion yuan, growing by 11.0%; and the tertiary industry increased by 44.37 billion yuan, a rise of 11.7%. The proportion of added value from the three industries was 15.2:49.2:35.6. The per capita GDP reached 40,001 yuan.

The individual and private economy in Jinzhou has developed rapidly, becoming a new growth point and an important component of the city's economy. There are now 150,000 individual and private businesses in the city, with registered capital totaling 3.08 billion yuan. The industrial and product structures of the individual and private economy have been gradually adjusted and optimized, initially forming an industrial layout with distinctive regional characteristics of Jinzhou.

In 2009, the city's water plants had a daily comprehensive production capacity of 826,000 cubic meters, with a water supply pipeline length of 861 kilometers, achieving a 100% water coverage rate. The gas coverage rate was 95.0%, with total artificial gas supply reaching 73.232 million cubic meters and liquefied petroleum gas supply amounting to 7,500 tons. The centralized heating area in the urban districts covered 27.159 million square meters, of which residential areas accounted for 22.244 million square meters.

In 2009, the city added 41 kilometers of new water pipelines, bringing the total length of the water supply network to 716 kilometers. New gas pipelines extended by 26.9 kilometers, raising the total length of pipeline gas to 805.5 kilometers. Hot water pipelines increased by 61 kilometers, reaching a total length of 1,496 kilometers. New roads added 28.6 kilometers in length, bringing the total road length to 497.6 kilometers, with an additional road area of 686,000 square meters, totaling 9.076 million square meters. Throughout the year, 239,000 tons of domestic waste were treated harmlessly.

In 2009, the city's regional GDP reached 79.01 billion yuan, representing a growth of 16% at comparable prices. The proportion of the three industries was adjusted to 16.8:44.5:38.7. Fixed asset investment for the whole society completed 35.01 billion yuan, an increase of 50.5%. General budget revenue of local finance amounted to 4.8 billion yuan, up by 36.9%. Actual utilized foreign capital reached 368.05 million USD, growing by 18.4%. Export earnings achieved 806.47 million USD, an increase of 8.9%. The per capita disposable income of urban residents was 15,386.1 yuan, up by 10.2%; the per capita net income of farmers was 6,627 yuan, rising by 8.8%. The overall consumer price level increased by 0.3%. The registered urban unemployment rate was controlled within 3.7%.

The level of urban greening continued to improve. By the end of 2009, the city's green space area reached 2,597 hectares, park green space covered 874 hectares, and the green coverage area was 3,956 hectares, with a built-up area green coverage rate of 38.8%. The coal throughput of Jinzhou Port exceeded 50 million tons for the first time. In 2009, Jinzhou Port completed a coal throughput of 52.59 million tons and a container throughput of 738,000 TEUs, representing growth rates of 11.3% and 13.5%, respectively.

6. Transportation

Jinzhou, situated at the strategic throat of the "Liaoxi Corridor," serves as a vital transportation hub connecting North China and Northeast China. It has now developed a comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network encompassing five modes: railway, highway, waterway, aviation, and pipeline.

6.1 Highways

The highway network includes multiple main arteries such as the Beijing-Harbin Expressway (National Highway 102), Jinzhou-Chaoyang, Jinzhou-Fuxin, Shugang, Dajin, and National Highway 228. There are a total of 145 highways, with a combined operational mileage of 2,673 kilometers. Of this, 998 kilometers consist of high-grade and sub-high-grade pavement.

The Jinzhou Highway Passenger Transport Terminal is located at No. 1, Section 3, Yan'an Road, Guta District, Jinzhou City. It is the largest public first-class passenger station in the western Liaoning region. Established in 1950, it now operates 156 passenger routes to 28 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across the country. It handles an average of 645 daily departures, transporting over ten thousand passengers daily. The terminal has two substations. The East Passenger Station, located south of Jinzhou Railway Station, primarily handles passengers traveling eastbound from Jinzhou to destinations like Beijing, Tianjin, and Shenyang, as well as passengers on road-rail diversion routes. The West Passenger Station, completed in 1999, covers an area of approximately 16,500 square meters. It is mainly responsible for transporting passengers from Jinzhou to neighboring cities and districts, as well as to the western, northern, and parts of the southern regions of the city.

6.2 Railway

The Shenyang-Shanhaiguan Railway traverses the entire city. Within its jurisdiction, there are 7 main and branch lines, including the Beijing-Harbin, Shenyang-Shanhaiguan, Dazheng, Gouhai, Jinzhou-Chengde, Gaoxin, and Xinyi railways, with a total operational mileage of 1,495.5 kilometers. Major railway stations in the city include Jinzhou Station, Jinzhou South Station, Goubangzi Station, Dahushan Station, Xinlitun Station, and Yi County Station. Among them, Jinzhou Station operates originating trains to Shenyang, Fuxin, Nanpiao, Yebaishou, and other destinations.

6.3 Aviation

Jinzhou Bay Airport is located at No. 1 Airport Road, Binhai New District, 26 kilometers from the city center. It serves as a hub airport for the western Liaoning region. Construction began in 2013, was completed in 2015, and it officially commenced operations on December 10 of the same year. The airport's IATA code is JNZ, and its ICAO code is ZYJZ. It has a Flight Area Classification of 4C, with a runway length of 2,500 meters and a width of 50 meters. The terminal building covers an area of 10,000 square meters, and the apron has 6 aircraft stands. Supporting facilities include communication, navigation, meteorological services, power supply, water supply, fuel supply, and fire rescue systems. Currently, it operates routes including Jinzhou=Shanghai, Jinzhou=Wuhan=Shenzhen, and Jinzhou=Changzhou=Fuzhou.

6.4 Port

Jinzhou Port is the northernmost deep-water port along China's coastline. Construction began in October 1986, and it officially opened for navigation in October 1990. In December of the same year, it was approved by the State Council as a national first-class open port. The port currently has 18 operational berths, with a total quay line length of 4,883 meters. Jinzhou Port is now equipped to handle domestic and international container transport, as well as the loading, unloading, storage, transportation, and services for oil products, chemical products, bulk general cargo, and breakbulk cargo, including bulk cargo bagging. It has constructed 8 berths categorized as "six general cargo and two oil," with an annual throughput capacity of 1.88 million tons. It possesses the capability for refined oil export, crude oil unloading, and general cargo handling, a feature found in only a few ports nationwide.

7. Education and Scientific Research

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7.1 Higher Education Institutions

• Bohai University
• Liaoning University of Technology
• Jinzhou Medical University
• Jinzhou Teachers College
• Liaoning Petrochemical Vocational and Technical College
• Liaoning Railway Vocational and Technical College
• Liaoning Polytechnic Vocational and Technical College

7.2 Municipal Public Regular Senior High Schools

• Jinzhou High School
• Bohai University Affiliated High School
• Jinzhou No.1 High School
• Jinzhou No.2 High School
• Jinzhou Railway High School
• Jinzhou Taihe High School (primarily enrolls students from Taihe District)
• Jinzhou No.19 Middle School High School Division (primarily enrolls children of employees from enterprises such as the Tiehejin Factory in Tanghezi Industrial Zone, Nü'erhe Textile, and Nü'erhe Papermaking)
• Jinzhou No.4 High School (primarily enrolls students from Jinzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone and Jinzhou Coastal New Area)
• Jinzhou No.3 High School, founded in 1998, is characterized by its focus on preparing reserve officers for military academies and the national defense student corps of key local universities. Located in Heishan Town, Heishan County, it is currently suspended due to various reasons including national defense policies, funding, and student sources.

8. Population

According to the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the city's resident population was 3,126,463 people. Compared with the Fifth National Population Census, the total increase over ten years was 49,728 people, a growth of 1.62%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.16%. Among them, the male population was 1,566,255, accounting for 50.10%; the female population was 1,560,208, accounting for 49.90%. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 100.39. The population aged 0–14 was 360,266, accounting for 11.52%; the population aged 15–59 was 2,257,080, accounting for 72.19%; the population aged 60 and above was 509,117, accounting for 16.29%, of which the population aged 65 and above was 336,868, accounting for 10.77%. The population residing in urban areas was 1,495,839, accounting for 47.84%; the population residing in rural areas was 1,630,624, accounting for 52.16%.

At the end of 2017, the city's registered population was 2.964 million. Among them, the urban population was 1.251 million, accounting for 42.2% of the registered population; the rural population was 1.713 million, accounting for 57.8%. By gender, the male population was 1.481 million, and the female population was 1.483 million. By age, the population aged 0–17 was 377,000, accounting for 12.7% of the registered population; the population aged 18–34 was 576,000, accounting for 19.4%; the population aged 35–59 was 1.254 million, accounting for 42.3%; and the population aged 60 and above was 756,000, accounting for 25.5%. The annual per capita disposable income of urban permanent residents was 30,412 yuan, an increase of 6.8% over the previous year. The annual per capita disposable income of rural permanent residents was 14,493 yuan, an increase of 7.0%.

According to the 2020 Seventh National Population Census, the city's resident population was 2,703,853. Compared with the 3,126,463 people from the Sixth National Population Census, the total decrease over ten years was 422,610 people, a decline of 13.52%, with an average annual growth rate of -1.44%. Among them, the male population was 1,341,806, accounting for 49.63% of the total population; the female population was 1,362,047, accounting for 50.37%. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 98.51. The population aged 0–14 was 262,032, accounting for 9.69% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 1,668,855, accounting for 61.72%; the population aged 60 and above was 772,966, accounting for 28.59%, of which the population aged 65 and above was 537,232, accounting for 19.87%. The population residing in urban areas was 1,613,255, accounting for 59.67% of the total population; the population residing in rural areas was 1,090,598, accounting for 40.33%.

8.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's resident population, the Han ethnic population was 1,975,956, accounting for 73.08%; the combined population of various ethnic minorities was 727,897, accounting for 26.92%. Compared with the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the Han population decreased by 301,680 people, a decline of 13.25%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.23 percentage points; the combined population of ethnic minorities decreased by 120,930 people, a decline of 14.25%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.23 percentage points. Among them, the Manchu population decreased by 116,262 people, a decline of 14.95%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.41 percentage points; the Mongolian population decreased by 1,765 people, a decline of 5.87%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.08 percentage points; the Hui population decreased by 3,461 people, a decline of 16.92%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.03 percentage points; the Xibe population decreased by 2,533 people, a decline of 15.01%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.01 percentage points.

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9. Culture

Jinzhou is one of the cradles of ancient culture in western Liaoning. Through the development and construction by its ancestors, it has formed a unique cultural landscape and left behind a rich cultural heritage. The city boasts a comprehensive range of cultural and artistic disciplines, with seven professional troupes: a puppet troupe established in 1949, a Pingju (Chinese folk opera) troupe founded in 1952, a Peking Opera troupe formed in the early 1950s, as well as an acrobatics troupe, a drama troupe, the Linghai City Art Troupe, and the Heishan County Local Opera Troupe.

The city currently has seven various types of art performance groups, one public art center, one museum, nine public libraries, seven cultural centers, and 50 cultural stations.

The city operates one municipal-level radio station and one television station, broadcasting nine radio programs in total—four at the municipal level and five at the county level—with a comprehensive radio coverage rate of 98.98%. There are ten television programs in total—three at the municipal level and seven at the county level—with a comprehensive television coverage rate of 98.95%. The number of cable television subscribers in urban and rural areas is 203,860.

10. Sister Cities

• Takao, Japan
• Angarsk, Russia
• Paju, South Korea
• Trois-Rivières, Canada
• Pleven, Bulgaria
• Oakland, USA
• Tomsk, Russia
• Nonsan, South Korea

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Taihe District

Taihe District

The Han population accounts for 73.08%; the population of various ethnic minorities accounts for 26.92%.

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