Tonghua (通化)

1. Introduction

Tonghua City is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Jilin Province, People's Republic of China, located in the southeastern part of Jilin Province. The city borders Baishan City to the east, Jilin City to the north, Liaoyuan City to the northwest, Fushun City, Benxi City, and Dandong City of Liaoning Province to the southwest, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the southeast. Situated in the hinterland of the Changbai Mountains, it lies in the upper reaches of the Hun River, with the Longgang Mountains in the central region and the Laoling Mountains in the south. The Hun River flows from east to west through the central area, while the Yalu River in the south serves as the border river between China and North Korea. In the north, there are the Huifa River and its tributaries, including the Dasha River, Yitong River, and Santong River. The municipal government is located in Dongchang District. Tonghua was the capital of Andong Province during the Nationalist Government period, and Ji'an within its territory is the former capital of Goguryeo, now designated as a National Historical and Cultural City.

Tonghua lies in the hinterland of the Northeast Asian economic circle and is one of China's three major ports to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, with a border line of 203.5 kilometers. It is a border open city approved by China and ranks as the fifth-largest city in Jilin Province and the largest regional central city in eastern Northeast China. It is also the city in Jilin Province closest to the seaport. Tonghua is renowned as the "Land of Five Hometowns": the "Hometown of Ginseng," "Hometown of Traditional Chinese Medicine," "Hometown of High-Quality Rice," "Hometown of Wine," and "Hometown of Skiing." Within Tonghua City, there are attractions such as the Yuhuang Mountain Forest Park and large-scale ski resorts.

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2. History

Administration was established in the third year of the Guangxu reign (1877), and it was initially named "Tonghua". The name "Tonghua" is a transliteration of the old name of the Hun River, the Tongjia River (Manchu: ᡨᡠᠩᡤᡳᠶᠠ ᡠᠯᠠ, Romanization: Tunggiya ula), and also carries connotations of auspicious blessings, civil governance, and military achievements. The character "通" (tōng) in "Tonghua" implies thoroughfare or connection, while the character "化" (huà) means to civilize or educate, referring to the idea of educating the people with so-called "benevolence and virtuous governance", containing the meaning of "bringing under the king's civilizing influence". The county seat was located at Toudaojiang on the west bank of the Hun River (now Dongchang District, Tonghua City).

On February 3, 1946, tens of thousands of former Kwantung Army personnel of the defunct Manchukuo, instigated by Kuomintang agents, launched an armed rebellion in Tonghua City, known as the Tonghua Incident. Ultimately, under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, the CCP's military forces and the Korean Volunteer Army suppressed the former Japanese troops. The incident resulted in over 4,000 casualties.

2.1 Administrative Evolution

• 1931: Became the provincial capital of Tonghua Province.
• 1942: Tonghua City (county-level) was established, separated from Tonghua County.
• 1945: Served as the capital of Manchukuo.
• 1945 to 1949: Served as the provincial capital of Andong Province.
• 1954: Tonghua Prefecture was established, with its administrative office located in Tonghua City. Nine counties originally under Liaodong Province—Tonghua (seat in Tonghua City), Liuhe, Hailong, Huinan (seat in Chaoyang Town), Jingyu, Fusong, Changbai, Linjiang, and Ji'an—were placed under Tonghua Prefecture.
• 1956: Dongfeng County, previously directly administered by the province, was placed under Tonghua Prefecture. The prefecture governed 10 counties.
• 1958: Tonghua City, previously directly administered by the province, was placed under the leadership of Tonghua Prefecture. Dongfeng County was transferred to Siping Prefecture. Changbai County was abolished, and the Changbai Korean Autonomous County was established. Hailong County relocated its seat to Meihekou Town. Tonghua Prefecture governed 1 city, 8 counties, and 1 autonomous county.
• 1960: Tonghua County was abolished and merged into Tonghua City; Linjiang County was abolished and re-established as Hunjiang City (seat in Badaojiang Town). Tonghua Prefecture governed 2 cities, 6 counties, and 1 autonomous county.
• 1962: Tonghua County was restored (seat in Tonghua City). Tonghua Prefecture governed 2 cities, 7 counties, and 1 autonomous county.
• 1965: Ji'an County was renamed to Ji'an County (seat in Ji'an Town).
• 1970: Tonghua Prefecture was renamed Tonghua Region, with its administrative office in Tonghua City. It governed the cities of Tonghua and Hunjiang (seat in Badaojiang Town), the 7 counties of Tonghua (seat in Tonghua City), Fusong, Liuhe, Hailong (seat in Meihekou Town), Huinan (seat in Chaoyang Town), Ji'an, and Jingyu, and the Changbai Korean Autonomous County.
• 1971: Tonghua County relocated its seat to Kuandamao Town. Tonghua Region governed 2 cities, 7 counties, and 1 autonomous county.
• 1985: Tonghua Region was abolished, implementing a city-administering-county system. Tonghua City was upgraded to a prefecture-level city, and the counties of Tonghua and Ji'an from the former Tonghua Region were placed under its jurisdiction. Hunjiang City was upgraded to a prefecture-level city, and the counties of Fusong and Jingyu and the Changbai Korean Autonomous County from the former Tonghua Region were placed under its jurisdiction. Hailong County was abolished, and Meihekou City (prefecture-level) was established, with the administrative region of the former Hailong County becoming Meihekou City's administrative region. The counties of Huinan and Liuhe from the former Tonghua Region were placed under Meihekou City's jurisdiction.
• 1985: Meihekou City was downgraded to a county-level city, and the counties of Huinan and Liuhe were placed under the jurisdiction of Tonghua City.
• September 8, 1986: The State Council approved the establishment of Dongchang District and Erdaojiang District in Tonghua City.
• March 16, 1988: The State Council agreed to abolish Ji'an County and establish Ji'an City (county-level), with the administrative region of the former Ji'an County becoming Ji'an City's administrative region. On April 4, 1988, Ji'an City was placed under the administration of Tonghua City.
• 2005: Optimization and adjustment were carried out on the administrative divisions of some towns and townships in Meihekou City, Tonghua County, Liuhe County, and Huinan County. Among them, Meihekou City adjusted 3, changing from 24 to 21 towns/townships, with an average area of 100.4 square kilometers and an average population of 21,465 per township; Tonghua County adjusted 5, changing from 21 to 16 towns/townships, with an average area of 233.03 square kilometers and an average population of 15,270 per township; Liuhe County adjusted 3, changing from 22 to 19 towns/townships, with an average area of 176 square kilometers and an average population of 18,000 per township; Huinan County adjusted 6, changing from 17 to 11 towns/townships, with an average area of 207 square kilometers and an average population of 32,666 per township. After the city-wide adjustment, the number of towns/townships changed from 102 to 85.

3. Geography

Located between 125°71' to 126°44' east longitude and 40°52' to 42°49' north latitude. It borders Baishan City to the east; Fushun City, Benxi City, and Dandong City of Liaoning Province to the west; faces the Chagang Province of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea across the Yalu River to the south (with a border length of approximately 204 km); and is adjacent to Dongfeng County of Liaoyuan City, and Panshi City and Huadian City of Jilin City to the north. It stretches 238 km from north to south and 108 km from east to west. The total area is 15,195 square kilometers, accounting for 8.1% of Jilin Province's total area. The urban area is situated on the terraces along both banks of the Hun River, covering 761 square kilometers.

Over two-thirds of Tonghua City's area is mountainous, belonging to the Changbai Mountain system. The southern part is the Laoling mountainous area between the Yalu River and the Hun River; the central part is the Longgang Mountain between the Hun River and the Huifa River; the northern part is a low hilly region, serving as a transitional zone between mountains and plains. The terrain descends from south to north, forming a high-south and low-north topography. The highest elevation is the Donglaotudingzi peak of the Laoling Mountains at 1,589 meters, while the lowest elevation is 108 meters at Yangmu Village, Liangshui Korean Ethnic Township, Ji'an City.

3.1 Climate

Tonghua City lies within a temperate continental monsoon climate zone, with distinct seasonal climate changes. According to statistical characteristic values from observation data (1956-2000) of the Tonghua Meteorological Station, winters are long (lasting five months), severely cold, and dry, while summers are hot and short. The historical highest temperature is 36.1°C, and the lowest is -38.7°C. The longest recorded freezing period is 183 days, with a maximum frozen soil depth of 1.5 meters and a maximum snow depth of 52 cm. The maximum precipitation recorded is 1,130.6 mm. The prevailing wind direction is southwest, with a multi-year average wind speed of 2.3 m/s and an average frost-free period of 136 days. The basic climatic features are clear cycles of high, moderate, and low temperatures. The main hazardous weather events are low-temperature cold damage, early frost, drought, and wind/hail.

Tonghua City Meteorological Data (1971–2000)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|----------|----------|----------|----------| | Record high °C (°F) | 3.4 (38.1) | 12.6 (54.7) | 18.2 (64.8) | 28.7 (83.7) | 32.3 (90.1) | 34.3 (93.7) | 35.6 (96.1) | 35.3 (95.5) | 30.6 (87.1) | 26.4 (79.5) | 17.7 (63.9) | 8.9 (48.0) | 35.6 (96.1) | | Average high °C (°F) | -7.1 (19.2) | -3.0 (26.6) | 4.4 (39.9) | 14.3 (57.7) | 20.7 (69.3) | 24.8 (76.6) | 27.1 (80.8) | 26.6 (79.9) | 21.2 (70.2) | 14.0 (57.2) | 3.8 (38.8) | -4.3 (24.3) | 11.9 (53.4) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | -14.2 (6.4) | -10.0 (14.0) | -1.3 (29.7) | 7.8 (46.0) | 14.2 (57.6) | 19.0 (66.2) | 22.3 (72.1) | 21.1 (70.0) | 14.3 (57.7) | 6.9 (44.4) | -2.2 (28.0) | -10.7 (12.7) | 5.6 (42.1) | | Average low °C (°F) | -20.1 (-4.2) | -15.9 (3.4) | -6.7 (19.9) | 1.8 (35.2) | 8.1 (46.6) | 14.0 (57.2) | 18.4 (65.1) | 17.2 (63.0) | 9.5 (49.1) | 1.3 (34.3) | -7.0 (19.4) | -15.9 (3.4) | 0.4 (32.7) | | Record low °C (°F) | -33.1 (-27.6) | -31.8 (-25.2) | -27.6 (-17.7) | -12.8 (9.0) | -3.8 (25.2) | 5.2 (41.4) | 10.3 (50.5) | 5.0 (41.0) | -2.8 (27.0) | -11.5 (11.3) | -25.3 (-13.5) | -32.1 (-25.8) | -33.1 (-27.6) | | Average precipitation mm (inches) | 9.7 (0.38) | 9.5 (0.37) | 18.9 (0.74) | 50.3 (1.98) | 78.4 (3.09) | 116.4 (4.58) | 218.0 (8.58) | 203.8 (8.02) | 75.2 (2.96) | 46.9 (1.85) | 30.6 (1.20) | 14.0 (0.55) | 871.7 (34.3) | | Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 7.8 | 6.7 | 8.2 | 9.7 | 13.1 | 14.6 | 16.9 | 14.4 | 11.5 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 8.3 | 130.2 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Tonghua City currently administers 2 municipal districts, 3 counties, and manages 2 county-level cities on behalf of the province.

• Municipal Districts: Dongchang District, Erdaojiang District
• County-level Cities: Meihekou City, Ji'an City
• Counties: Tonghua County, Liuhe County, Huinan County

Additionally, Tonghua City has established the national-level Tonghua Medicine High-tech Industrial Development Zone.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | Of which: Ethnic Townships | | :---------------- | :---------------- | :----------------- | :------------- | :------------------------------------ | :------------------ | :-------------- | :--------------- | :-------- | :------------ | :---------------------------- | | 220500 | Tonghua City | Tonghua Shi | 15,611.54 | 1,812,114 | Dongchang District | 134000 | 28 | 61 | 17 | 6 | | 220502 | Dongchang District | Dongchang Qu | 375.27 | 355,346 | Xinzhan Subdistrict | 134000 | 9 | 1 | 2 | | | 220503 | Erdaojiang District | Erdaojiang Qu | 370.58 | 91,571 | Dongtonghua Subdistrict | 134000 | 2 | 3 | 1 | | | 220521 | Tonghua County | Tonghua Xian | 3,724.25 | 175,114 | Kuai Damazhen Town | 134100 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 2 | | 220523 | Huinan County | Huinan Xian | 2,275.60 | 237,113 | Chaohui Subdistrict | 135100 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 1 | | 220524 | Liuhe County | Liuhe Xian | 3,345.81 | 274,414 | Zhonggang Subdistrict | 135300 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 |

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5. Transportation

• National Highway 201 and National Highway 303 pass through the area.
• The 0-kilometer starting point of National Highway 230.

6. Education

6.1 Higher Education Institutions

• Tonghua Normal University

6.2 Secondary Schools

• Tonghua Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. No.1 Middle School
• Tonghua No.1 Middle School
• Tonghua Jingyu Middle School
• Tonghua No.2 Middle School
• Tonghua No.5 Middle School
• Tonghua No.8 Middle School
• Tonghua No.9 Middle School
• Tonghua No.13 Middle School
• Tonghua Experimental Middle School
• Tonghua No.11 Middle School
• Tonghua No.10 Middle School
• Tonghua Foreign Language School

6.3 Primary Schools

• Tonghua Dongfeng Primary School
• Tonghua Jianshe Primary School
• Tonghua Guilong Primary School
• Tonghua Jingyu Primary School
• Tonghua Xinzhan Primary School
• Tonghua Shengli Primary School
• Tonghua Tongjiang Primary School
• Tonghua Yanjiang Primary School
• Tonghua Dongchang District Experimental Primary School
• Tonghua Dongchang District No.2 Experimental Primary School
• Tonghua Dongchang District No.3 Experimental Primary School
• Tonghua Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. No.1 Primary School
• Tonghua Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. No.2 Primary School
• Tonghua Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. No.3 Primary School

7. Population

According to the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the city's permanent resident population was 2,325,242. Compared with the Fifth National Population Census, the population increased by 17,278 over the ten-year period, a growth of 0.75%. The average annual growth rate was 0.07%. Among them, males numbered 1,184,032, accounting for 50.92% of the total population; females numbered 1,141,210, accounting for 49.08% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 103.75. The population aged 0–14 was 270,497, accounting for 11.63% of the total population; the population aged 15–64 was 1,862,454, accounting for 80.10% of the total population; and the population aged 65 and above was 192,291, accounting for 8.27% of the total population. By the end of 2017, the total population of Tonghua City was 2.1715 million, a decrease of 27,000 from the end of the previous year. The annual number of births was 16,200, with a birth rate of 7.46‰, an increase of 0.93‰ from the previous year; the number of deaths was 33,678, with a death rate of 15.51‰, an increase of 9.1‰ from the previous year; the natural population growth rate decreased by 8.04‰, a decline of 10.24‰ from the previous year (the natural population growth rate in the previous year was 2.19‰).

According to the 2020 Seventh National Population Census, the city's permanent resident population was 1,812,114 (including Meihekou City, the same below). Compared with the 2,324,439 people from the Sixth National Population Census, the population decreased by 512,325 over the ten-year period, a decline of 22.04%, with an average annual growth rate of -2.46%. Among them, the male population was 905,916, accounting for 49.99% of the total population; the female population was 906,198, accounting for 50.01% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 99.97. The population aged 0–14 was 206,814, accounting for 11.41% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 1,145,173, accounting for 63.2% of the total population; and the population aged 60 and above was 460,127, accounting for 25.39% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 309,951, accounting for 17.1% of the total population. The urban population was 1,085,368, accounting for 59.9% of the total population; the rural population was 726,746, accounting for 40.1% of the total population.

By the end of 2022, the total registered population of Tonghua City was 1.5168 million, a decrease of 8,900 from the end of the previous year. The annual number of births was 5,093, with a birth rate of 3.35‰.

7.1 Ethnic Groups

Tonghua City has 24 ethnic groups, including Han, Manchu, Korean, and Hui. Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han population was 1,627,886, accounting for 89.83%; the total population of ethnic minorities was 184,228, accounting for 10.17%. Compared with the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the Han population decreased by 497,836, a decline of 23.42%, and its proportion of the total population decreased by 1.62 percentage points; the total population of ethnic minorities decreased by 14,489, a decline of 7.29%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 1.62 percentage points. Among them, the Manchu population decreased by 6,815, a decline of 6.34%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 0.93 percentage points; the Korean population decreased by 8,926, a decline of 11.03%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 0.49 percentage points.

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8. Culture

Tonghua City is rich in tourism resources. Among its cultural heritage sites, the "Donggou Ancient Tombs" and "Wandu Mountain City" in Ji'an City are designated as National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units. Provincial-level Key Cultural Relics Protection Units include the "Guonei City," "Bawangchao Mountain City," and "Changchuan Mural Tomb" within Ji'an City. The "Donggou Ancient Tombs" comprise over 10,000 Goguryeo ancient tombs, with the oldest dating back more than 2,000 years. The largest among them, the "Tomb of King Jangsu," is known as the "Oriental Pyramid." The Goguryeo sites have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Major tourist attractions in Tonghua include: Jingyu Cemetery, Luotong Mountain City, Wunv Peak National Forest Park, Chiba Lake Ski Resort, Ji'an Goguryeo Ancient City, Ji'an Donggou Ancient Tombs, Huifa Ancient City, Ancient Tomb Murals, Chiba Lake, Wanfa Bozi Site, Yuhuang Mountain Park, Yunfeng Lake, Sanjiaolong Bay, Yalu River Border Tourism Area, Jinchang Ski Resort, Longwan Nature Reserve, Longwan National Forest Park, and Huinan Longwan National Forest Park.

The city is also abundant in red tourism resources, characterized by a large number of sites, wide distribution, and high historical value. Notable red tourism sites, which serve as educational bases, include the National Patriotic Education Demonstration Base "Yang Jingyu Martyrs' Cemetery," as well as municipal-level patriotic education bases such as "Yuhuang Mountain Martyrs' Cemetery," "Huinan County Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery," "Meihekou Martyrs' Cemetery," "Ji'an City Martyrs' Cemetery," "Baijiabaozi Massacre Site in Xinglin Town," "Ji'an Yalu River Border Railway Bridge," and "Heli Anti-Japanese Base and Heli Conference Site." These sites have been well-preserved and developed in the city. The Municipal Tourism Bureau has recommended four red tourism routes:

1. Jingyu Cemetery — Yuhuang Mountain Wang Fengge Monument — Gao Zhihang Memorial Hall
2. Jingyu Cemetery — Ji'an Yalu River Bridge — Yalu River Scenery
3. Jingyu Cemetery — Meihekou Site of the Eastern Bureau Meeting of the CPC Central Committee — Huinan Sanjiaolong Bay Jin Boyang and Cao Yafan Martyrs' Tombs
4. Jingyu Cemetery — Jingyu County Yang Jingyu's Martyrdom Site — Linjiang Chen Yun's Former Residence.

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Taking the meaning of "returning to the rule of the king."

Dongchang District

Meihekou City

The Han population accounts for 89.83%; the various ethnic minority populations account for 10.17%.

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