Anshan (鞍山)

1. Introduction

Anshan City, abbreviated as An, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Liaoning Province, People's Republic of China. It is a major city approved by the State Council with local legislative power, located in the central-southern part of Liaoning Province. The city borders Liaoyang City and Dandong City to the east, Dalian City to the south, Yingkou City and Panjin City to the west, and Jinzhou City and Shenyang City to the north. Situated between the main ridge of the Qianshan Mountains on the Liaodong Peninsula and the Liaohe Plain, the terrain is higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest, with most of the area consisting of low mountains and hills. Major rivers include the Liao River, Hun River, Haicheng River, and Dayang River. The municipal government is located at No. 36 Shengli South Road, Tiedong District. Anshan is an important steel production base in China and is known as the "Steel Capital."

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2. History

The Anshan area has shown signs of human activity since prehistoric times. Historically, from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods onward, the territory of present-day Anshan City was long under the jurisdiction of Liaoyang. Liaoyang served as the political, economic, and cultural center of Northeast China for an extended period, while Anshan guarded the southern transportation routes, making its geographical location highly significant. The Anshan region is rich in iron ore and was also an important site for iron smelting and weapon casting.

The name "Anshan" first appeared as a place name during the Liao Dynasty. According to Volume 170 of the Fengtian General Gazetteer, "During the Shence era of Emperor Taizu of Liao (916–921 AD), an iron monopoly was established in the Anshan area, using indigenous methods for iron smelting and casting." After the Liao Dynasty, the name "Anshan" frequently appeared in historical records and literary works. For example, in the 29th year of the Dading era of the Jin Dynasty (1189 AD), the phrase "Anshan Renzhi Yuan" appeared in the stele inscription of the Qing'an Temple Pagoda in Liaoyang. Additionally, the Jin Dynasty poet Zhao Bingwen wrote in his poem Songgao: "A diligent small square cake, cut with an Anshan knife." In his poem Staying at Wangzuo Temple, he wrote: "The affairs of Anshan and Zheshui are vast and distant, yet I remember traveling together and staying at Shangfang." In the first year of the Zhishun era of the Yuan Dynasty (1330 AD), Anshan appeared as a place name on Yuan Dynasty maps.

In 1387 (the 20th year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty), the Ming court established a postal route and built the Anshan Post Fort here. In 1578 (the 6th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty), it was rebuilt and converted into a brick-walled city. The Liaodong Gazetteer records: "Anshan Post, located 60 li south of Liaoyang City, was established as a post station in the 20th year of Hongwu and rebuilt in the 6th year of Wanli. It was staffed by one centurion, managed by the Dingliao Central Guard. Within the Anshan Station of the postal transport office, managed by the Dingliao Forward Guard, there were 20 horses and 10 donkeys dedicated to delivering official dispatches."

During the late Ming and early Qing periods, Anshan became one of the focal points of contention between the Ming Dynasty and the Later Jin. The most intense battle occurred in the fifth month of the 11th year of the Tianming era of the Later Jin (the 6th year of the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty, 1626 AD). Mao Wenlong, the leader of the Dongjiang Army, launched a surprise attack on the Anshan Post Fort but was decisively defeated by the Anshan garrison commander, Babutai (the ninth son of Nurhaci). More than 4,000 soldiers were killed or wounded, and guerrilla commander Li Liangmei was captured alive.

In the early years of the Qing Dynasty, the Anshan Post Fort remained a military stronghold. In the first year of the Shunzhi era (1664 AD), Anshan City was staffed with one Manchu zhangjing and one Han Army zhangjing, each leading troops stationed for defense. Later, it was renamed Anshan Post Station, dedicated to postal and dispatch services. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the post station bustled with carriages and horses, and commercial activities flourished. In the sixth month of the 25th year of the Guangxu era (1899 AD), the Lishan Postal Bureau was established. In the seventh month of the 33rd year of the Guangxu era (1907 AD), according to the Veritable Records of the Qing Dynasty, "A dispatch bureau was established in Fengtian Province, and the originally established post stations were to be abolished to save expenses." Thus, the 520-year existence of the Anshan Post Station came to an end.

In 1898, the Chinese Eastern Railway, built by Tsarist Russia in Northeast China, began construction, and the Anshan Railway Station was established here. In 1905, Japan emerged victorious in the Russo-Japanese War and signed the Treaty of Portsmouth with Tsarist Russia. As the victor, Japan gained control of South Manchuria and formally established the South Manchuria Railway Company (commonly known as Mantetsu) in Tokyo on November 26, 1906.

In 1913, Nakamune Kikou, then president of Mantetsu, proposed to the Japanese government the construction of a steel plant in the Anshan area. On October 4, 1916, Japanese Prime Minister Ōkuma Shigenobu officially issued an ironworks operating license to Mantetsu. To build the ironworks, with the permission of Fengtian warlord Zhang Zuolin, Mantetsu incorporated the relevant land into the Mantetsu附属地 (affiliated territory), thereby acquiring certain administrative powers. In March 1917, Mantetsu established the "Anshan Plant Preparation Department" in Lishan to begin setting up the Anshan Ironworks and simultaneously manage the urban construction of the Anshan附属地. In May 1918, the Anshan Ironworks was formally established. Iron ore was supplied by the joint venture "Zhenxing Iron Ore Unlimited Company." After the establishment of the ironworks, a "Local Department" was set up to manage local administrative affairs in the Anshan附属地. Mantetsu's "Local Department" drafted the first urban plan in Anshan's planning history, the "Mantetsu Affiliated City Street Plan," which aimed to develop Anshan into an industrial city with a population of 150,000 and an annual iron production of 1 million tons.

After the September 18 Incident, Japan gained full control of Northeast China, and the steel plant became a Japanese state-owned company. In 1933, the expanded steel plant was capable of producing steel and was renamed the Shōwa Steel Works (Japanese: 昭和製鋼所 / しょうわ せいこうしょ Shōwa Seikōsho). Anshan also became part of Manchukuo, and other industries developed around the steel plant. The city's scale expanded significantly around the new industrial area. Anshan became the largest steel production site in all of Asia. Consequently, Anshan held significant strategic importance during the Pacific War and was frequently bombed by B-29 Superfortress strategic bombers of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). The Imperial Japanese Army stationed the 1st Squadron of the 104th Sentai (Japanese: 戦隊 / せんたい sentai) in Anshan, which, like other air units, was used for industrial and defense purposes.

On August 9, 1945, the Soviet Union launched an offensive into Northeast China, Inner Mongolia, and northern Korea. On August 26, the Soviet Red Army reached Anshan and began looting equipment from the Shōwa Steel Works on September 1, loading it onto trains for removal. From mid-September to early November 1945, in just over 40 days, more than four-fifths of Anshan Steel's main equipment was looted by the Soviet forces. Particularly after key equipment was removed, industrial production capacity dropped to zero, causing extremely severe damage.

On April 2, 1946, Nationalist forces occupied Anshan. After the Nationalist government took over Anshan Steel, its primary financial and material resources were directed toward launching the Chinese Civil War, leaving the restoration of Anshan Steel an empty promise. On May 25, it was occupied by the Northeast Democratic Allied Army but was abandoned again on May 31. On February 19, 1948, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) recaptured Anshan. The battle ended at midnight, completely annihilating over 13,000 Nationalist troops, including the 25th Division of the 52nd Army, mine police, and local security regiments. Nationalist division commander Hu Jinsheng was captured alive, while Nationalist mayor of Anshan Luo Yongnian committed suicide. A large quantity of weapons and equipment was seized. However, on October 6, Nationalist forces reoccupied Anshan in an attempt to secure an escape route, and it was not until October 31 that the PLA retook Anshan.

3. Geography

Anshan City is located in the central part of Liaoning Province, with geographical coordinates between 122°55′E to 123°13′E and 40°27′N to 41°34′N. It borders Liaoyang County to the northeast, Dawa County to the west, and Dashiqiao City, Zhuanghe City, and Fengcheng City to the south. The city center is 89 kilometers from Shenyang, the seat of the Liaoning Provincial People's Government, 96 kilometers from Benxi, the "Capital of Coal and Iron," to the east, 308 kilometers from the coastal city of Dalian to the south, 120 kilometers from the Bayuquan Port in Yingkou to the southwest, and 103 kilometers from Panjin City to the west. Anshan is an important steel production base in China, often referred to as the "Steel Capital." It has a population of approximately 3.646 million. The city derives its name from a pair of mountains in its southern suburbs that resemble a horse saddle.

The maximum north-south distance of Anshan is 175 kilometers, and the maximum east-west distance is 133 kilometers. It currently administers four urban districts—Tiedong, Tiexi, Lishan, and Qianshan—as well as Tai'an County and Xiuyan Manchu Autonomous County, and oversees the county-level city of Haicheng. The urban area covers 624 square kilometers with a population of 1.456 million. The terrain of Anshan is higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest. The Qianshan Mountains run through the eastern part, while the western area lies within the Liaohe Plain. The city is traversed by four major rivers: the Taizi River, Sha River, Hun River, and Raoyang River. Anshan experiences a warm temperate continental monsoon climate. The average annual precipitation is 708 mm, with the highest recorded at 1,042 mm (1986) and the lowest at 384 mm (1989). The average annual temperature is 9.6°C, with the highest recorded at 11.3°C (1998) and the lowest at 8.4°C (1976). Temperature fluctuations in Anshan are significant, with historical extremes of -30.4°C and 36.9°C. The average annual relative humidity is 58%, with a maximum of 67% and a minimum of 52%. Monthly humidity variations are also notable, with the lowest averages of 47–49% in March and April and the highest reaching around 75% in July and August. Anshan enjoys ample sunshine, with an average annual sunshine duration of 2,543 hours, peaking at 2,716 hours (1975) and dropping to 2,303 hours (1990). The growing season (April to September) receives 1,200–1,400 hours of sunshine, which generally meets agricultural needs.

Anshan is rich in resources. The surrounding urban area holds over 10 billion tons of iron ore reserves, with major iron mines such as Dagushan, Qidashan, East Anshan, West Anshan, and Gongchangling, accounting for a quarter of the national total. The southern and southeastern regions are rich in magnesite deposits, representing about a quarter of the world's reserves. The talc mines are among China's three major production areas, with reserves leading the world. The Xiuyan area is renowned as the "Hometown of Jade," boasting abundant jade resources. Additionally, the city is rich in agricultural products, geothermal resources, and tourism resources.

Meteorological Data of Anshan City (1971–2000)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|---------|---------|---------|---------| | Record high °C (°F) | 8.9 (48.0) | 17.5 (63.5) | 21.0 (69.8) | 30.2 (86.4) | 33.2 (91.8) | 36.5 (97.7) | 36.5 (97.7) | 35.7 (96.3) | 32.6 (90.7) | 29.2 (84.6) | 22.7 (72.9) | 15.5 (59.9) | 36.5 (97.7) | | Average high °C (°F) | -3.8 (25.2) | -0.2 (31.6) | 7.0 (44.6) | 16.7 (62.1) | 23.1 (73.6) | 27.3 (81.1) | 29.2 (84.6) | 28.4 (83.1) | 23.8 (74.8) | 16.4 (61.5) | 6.7 (44.1) | -0.7 (30.7) | 14.5 (58.1) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | -8.6 (16.5) | -5.1 (22.8) | 2.2 (36.0) | 11.2 (52.2) | 17.7 (63.9) | 22.4 (72.3) | 25.0 (77.0) | 24.0 (75.2) | 18.6 (65.5) | 11.1 (52.0) | 2.0 (35.6) | -5.3 (22.5) | 9.6 (49.3) | | Average low °C (°F) | -12.9 (8.8) | -9.5 (14.9) | -2.4 (27.7) | 6.1 (43.0) | 12.6 (54.7) | 17.9 (64.2) | 21.2 (70.2) | 20.0 (68.0) | 13.8 (56.8) | 6.4 (43.5) | -2.1 (28.2) | -9.5 (14.9) | 5.1 (41.2) | | Record low °C (°F) | -26.9 (-16.4) | -23.9 (-11.0) | -24.0 (-11.2) | -6.3 (20.7) | 1.2 (34.2) | 8.0 (46.4) | 13.6 (56.5) | 9.5 (49.1) | 1.7 (35.1) | -6.2 (20.8) | -16.0 (3.2) | -24.5 (-12.1) | -26.9 (-16.4) | | Average precipitation mm (inches) | 7.4 (0.29) | 7.2 (0.28) | 14.9 (0.59) | 34.3 (1.35) | 62.3 (2.45) | 78.4 (3.09) | 180.8 (7.12) | 166.7 (6.56) | 83.2 (3.28) | 42.9 (1.69) | 22.0 (0.87) | 9.9 (0.39) | 710.0 (27.95) | | Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.6 | 7.0 | 8.5 | 11.1 | 13.2 | 11.0 | 7.5 | 6.6 | 5.2 | 3.7 | 85.5 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Anshan City currently administers 4 municipal districts, 1 county, 1 autonomous county, and manages 1 county-level city on behalf of the province.

• Municipal Districts: Tiedong District, Tiexi District, Lishan District, Qianshan District
• County: Tai'an County
• Autonomous County: Xiuyan Manchu Autonomous County
• County-level City: Haicheng City

In addition to the formal administrative divisions, Anshan City has also established the following economic functional zones: National-level Anshan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, Dadaowan Economic Development Zone, Tanggangzi New Town, Anshan Cultural Tourism Development Zone, Qianshan Scenic Area, and Yufo Mountain Scenic Area.

| Division Code | Division Name | Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | | :---------------- | :---------------- | :--------- | :------------- | :------------------------------------ | :------------------ | :-------------- | :--------------- | :-------- | :------------ | | 210300 | Anshan City | Anshan Shi | 9,255.36 | 3,325,372 | Tiedong District | 114000 | 40 | 52 | 3 | | 210302 | Tiedong District | Tiedong Qu | 228 | 511,574 | Jiefang Subdistrict | 114000 | 10 | | | | 210303 | Tiexi District | Tiexi Qu | 147 | 408,118 | Bajiazi Subdistrict | 114000 | 9 | | | | 210304 | Lishan District | Lishan Qu | 145 | 529,275 | Lishan Subdistrict | 114000 | 9 | | | | 210311 | Qianshan District | Qianshan Qu | 271 | 94,729 | Dong'anshan Subdistrict | 114000 | 2 | 3 | | | 210321 | Tai'an County | Tai'an Xian | 1,394.74 | 300,764 | Bajiaotai Subdistrict | 114100 | 2 | 10 | | | 210323 | Xiuyan Manchu Autonomous County | Xiuyan Manzu Zizhixian | 4,502.20 | 413,007 | Fuchang Subdistrict | 114300 | 3 | 18 | 3 | | 210381 | Haicheng City | Haicheng Shi | 2,566.16 | 1,067,905 | Dongxi Subdistrict | 114200 | 5 | 21 | |

5. Economy

Anshan has a long history in the iron smelting industry. As early as the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, mining and iron smelting industries were established, and they became even more developed after the Tang Dynasty. Anshan Iron and Steel Company is the earliest large-scale integrated iron and steel enterprise in the People's Republic of China. The industry is primarily focused on iron and steel, but also includes metallurgy, petroleum, chemical engineering, machinery, building materials, electronics, textiles, food, clothing, and leather. Agricultural crops include corn, sorghum, rice, soybeans, and tussah silkworms.

6. Transportation

6.1 Highways

• National Highway 202, and major trunk roads such as Jingha, Shenda, Shenying, Tiechang, etc.
• G15 Shenhai Expressway, G16 Danxi Expressway, etc.

6.2 Railway

• Shenda Railway (Anshan Station), Harbin-Dalian High-Speed Railway (Anshan West Station), etc.

6.3 Aviation

• Anshan Teng'ao Airport is located 12 kilometers southwest of Anshan city center. It is a joint military-civilian airport with a flight area classification of 4C, capable of landing medium-sized and smaller passenger aircraft such as the Boeing 737. Currently, the routes in operation include: Anshan - Beijing (Daxing), Anshan - Shanghai, Anshan - Guangzhou, Anshan - Chengdu, Anshan - Nanjing.

7. Education

7.1 Universities

• University of Science and Technology Liaoning
• Anshan Normal University
• Anshan Vocational and Technical College

7.2 Senior High Schools

• Anshan No.1 High School, Anshan Angang High School, Anshan No.8 High School, Anshan No.3 High School, Anshan No.6 High School, Anshan No.13 High School, Anshan Xinyuan High School, Anshan No.9 High School, Anshan No.24 High School, Anshan Huayu High School, Anshan No.5 High School.

7.3 Junior High Schools

• Anshan No.26 Middle School, Anshan No.2 Middle School, Anshan Huayu High-tech Zone School (Junior High Section), Anshan No.48 Middle School, Anshan No.51 Middle School, Anshan No.12 Middle School, Anshan No.46 Middle School, Anshan Yucai Middle School, Huayu Foreign Language Experimental School, Anshan No.25 Middle School, Anshan No.45 Middle School, Anshan No.18 Middle School, Anshan No.14 Middle School, Anshan Normal University Affiliated Middle School (formerly No.67 Middle School), Anshan No.11 Middle School (Hongtuo Middle School), Anshan Dongfang Middle School.

7.4 Primary Schools

• 219 Primary School, Huayu High-tech Zone School (Primary Section), Experimental Primary School, Gangdu Primary School, Changqing Primary School, Hunan Primary School, Tongshan Primary School, Shengli Primary School, Lieshishan Primary School, Shannan Primary School, Zhonghua Primary School, Jinghua Primary School, Juyi Primary School, Gongyi Primary School, Gongtong Primary School, Gonghe Primary School, Yifu Primary School, Xinhua Street Primary School, Nan Changdian Primary School, Dong Changdian Primary School, Heping Primary School, Jiankang Primary School, Fengguang Primary School, Changda Primary School, Minsheng Primary School, Yuejin Primary School, Zhonghua Primary School, Yucai Primary School, Liming Primary School, Hongxing Primary School, Mengtai Primary School, Hongtuo Primary School (formerly Hongqi Tractor Factory Children's Primary School, merged with the former Beilingshan Primary School)

8. Population

The total registered population of the city in 2022 was 3.306 million, a decrease of 28,000 from the end of the previous year. Among them, the population of the municipal districts was 1.422 million. Of the total population, the urban population was 1.769 million, and the rural population was 1.537 million; the male population was 1.650 million, and the female population was 1.656 million, accounting for 49.91% and 50.09% of the total population, respectively.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's resident population was 3,325,372. Compared with the 3,645,884 people from the Sixth National Population Census, the population decreased by 320,512 over the past ten years, a decline of 8.79%, with an average annual growth rate of -0.92%. Among them, the male population was 1,665,873, accounting for 50.1% of the total population; the female population was 1,659,499, accounting for 49.9% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 100.38. The population aged 0–14 was 347,577, accounting for 10.45% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 2,071,271, accounting for 62.29% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 906,524, accounting for 27.26% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 612,861, accounting for 18.43% of the total population. The urban population was 2,479,691, accounting for 74.57% of the total population; the rural population was 845,681, accounting for 25.43% of the total population.

8.1 Ethnic Groups

The city is home to 32 ethnic groups: Han, Manchu, Hui, Korean, Mongol, Xibe, Tibetan, Uyghur, Miao, Yi, Zhuang, Bouyei, Dong, Yao, Bai, Tujia, Hani, Dai, Li, Lisu, Va, She, Shui, Naxi, Kirgiz, Tu, Daur, Gelao, Russian, Evenki, Oroqen, and Lahu.

Among the city's resident population, the Han population was 2,836,339, accounting for 85.29%; the combined population of ethnic minorities was 489,033, accounting for 14.71%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han population decreased by 265,134, a decline of 8.55%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.23 percentage points; the combined population of ethnic minorities decreased by 55,378, a decline of 10.17%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.23 percentage points. Among them, the Manchu population decreased by 53,596, a decline of 10.63%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.28 percentage points.

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9. Sister Cities

9.1 International

• Sheffield, United Kingdom 1983
• Amagasaki, Japan 1983
• Bursa, Turkey 1991
• Lipetsk, Russia 1992
• Birmingham, Alabama, United States 1996
• Ansan, South Korea 1997
• Holon, Israel 2000

9.2 Domestic

• Dongcheng District, Beijing
• Xicheng District, Beijing
• Xiamen City, Fujian Province
• Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province
• Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province
• Baoji City, Shaanxi Province
• Haikou City, Hainan Province
• Zigong City, Sichuan Province
• Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province
• Changzhi City, Shanxi Province
• Changji City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

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Tiedong District

Haicheng City

The city is home to 32 ethnic groups. The Han population accounts for 85.29%, while ethnic minorities make up 14.71% of the total population.

Nanguo pear tree

Honeysuckle