Chaoyang (朝阳)

1. Introduction

Chaoyang City, also known as "Longcheng", is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Liaoning Province, People's Republic of China, located in the western part of Liaoning Province. The city borders Fuxin City and Jinzhou City to the east, Huludao City and Qinhuangdao City of Hebei Province to the south, Chengde City of Hebei Province to the west, and Chifeng City and Tongliao City of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the north. It is situated in the hilly region of western Liaoning. The Daling River flows from west to east through the central part of the city, joining the Mangniu River in the east; the Laoha River, the main source of the Liao River, lies to the north; and the Xiaoling River is located to the south. The municipal government is located in Shuangta District. Chaoyang City lies between the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan and the central-southern Liaoning urban agglomerations, serving as a vital passage from North China to areas beyond the Shanhai Pass. With its coastal orientation and backing from the hinterland, Chaoyang enjoys a superior geographical location.

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2. History

Chaoyang boasts a long history that can be traced back to the Paleolithic Age over 100,000 years ago. The Pigeon Cave in Kazuo County is the earliest known ancient human settlement discovered in Northeast China. Around 40,000 to 50,000 years ago, the "Jianping Man," primitive humans with physical characteristics similar to modern humans, appeared within the territory of Chaoyang. The discovery of large-scale altar, temple, and tomb sites from the Hongshan Culture in Chaoyang proves that the ancestors of Chinese civilization had already entered ancient civilized society over 5,000 years ago, making the Chaoyang region one of the cradles of Chinese civilization.

Liucheng, located in the southeastern suburbs of Chaoyang City, has a long history. During the Warring States period, the Chaoyang area was under the jurisdiction of the Yan state. Yan established five prefectures along its frontier, and Liucheng belonged to the Liaoxi Prefecture. By the Han Dynasty, Liucheng had become the seat of the Western Commandant of Liaoxi Prefecture. It was later occupied by the Wuhuan of the three prefectures as their ruling center. Subsequently, during Cao Cao's northern expedition, he defeated the Wuhuan decisively at Bailang Mountain and captured Liucheng. In the seventh year of the Xiankang era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (341 AD), Murong Huang, the Prince of Former Yan, built a city "north of Liucheng and west of Longshan," renamed Liucheng as Longcheng County, and moved his capital there. During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, spanning the Former Yan, Later Yan, and Northern Yan states over 88 years, Longcheng served as the capital for these three Yan states for a total of 52 years.

In 436 AD, the Northern Wei Dynasty conquered Northern Yan and established Longcheng Town at the site. In the fifth year of the Taiping Zhenjun era of Northern Wei (444 AD), it was reorganized into Yingzhou. In 447 AD, Changli Commandery was established, governing Longcheng. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, Longcheng was renamed Liucheng, and the Yingzhou Governor's Office was established. Yingzhou was known as "the hub for interactions between the central governments of the Sui and Tang dynasties and the various ethnic groups in the northeast," and the Yingzhou Ancient Road was constructed. The Sui and Tang periods were a flourishing era of multi-ethnic settlement and integration in Chaoyang, with ethnic groups such as the Khitan, Turkic, Shiwei, and Xi residing in the area.

During the Liao and Jin dynasties, Chaoyang was first established as the Liao Bazhou Zhangwu Army Jiedushi (military governor) and later as the seat of Xingzhong Prefecture. In the seventh year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1271 AD), the prefecture was downgraded to a Zhou (sub-prefecture) and placed under Daning Circuit. In the Ming Dynasty, three regional military commissions were established in the northeast, with Chaoyang belonging to the Daning Regional Military Commission. Later, the left, center, and right guard stations of Yingzhou were set up in Xingzhong. By the late Ming, it was incorporated into the Duoyan Guard. Concurrently, after the Ming Dynasty, with the opening of the Liaoxi Corridor, Chaoyang's transportation and strategic significance notably declined.

In the early Qing Dynasty, Chaoyang County was part of the Tumed Left and Right Banners, belonging to the Josotu League. In the third year of the Qianlong reign (1738 AD), the Qing court established the Tazigou Subprefecture in Lingyuan. In the thirty-ninth year (1774 AD), the Sanzuota Subprefecture was established, with its seat in present-day Old Chaoyang City. In the forty-third year of the Qianlong reign (1778 AD), the subprefectures were abolished, and Chaoyang County and Jianchang County were established, under the jurisdiction of Chengde Prefecture. In the thirtieth year of the Guangxu reign (1904 AD), Chaoyang Prefecture was established.

In the 18th year of the Republic of China (1929), Chaoyang was placed under the jurisdiction of Rehe Province. After the dissolution of Rehe Province in 1956, it was incorporated into Liaoning Province, where it remains today. In 1959, Chaoyang was established as a province-administered city but was later abolished. In 1984, it was restored as a province-administered city, establishing the Shuangta and Longcheng districts.

3. Geography

3.1 Climate

Chaoyang City has a temperate monsoon climate with four distinct seasons. Winters are moderately cold, summers are hot and humid, while spring and autumn are relatively short. The average temperature in January is -9.7°C, with an extreme minimum of -34.4°C (recorded on January 31, 1990). The average temperature in July is 24.8°C, with an extreme maximum of 43.3°C (recorded on July 14, 2000). The annual average temperature is 9.0°C. The average annual precipitation is 480.6 mm.

3.2 Topography

The terrain is predominantly composed of low mountains and hills. The land slopes from the northwest to the southeast. Major rivers include the Daling River and the Xiaoling River.

Average Meteorological Data for Chaoyang City (1981-2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|----------|----------|----------|----------| | Avg high °C (°F) | -1.8 (28.8) | 2.1 (35.8) | 9.7 (49.5) | 19.2 (66.6) | 25.5 (77.9) | 29.1 (84.4) | 30.4 (86.7) | 29.7 (85.5) | 25.4 (77.7) | 18.0 (64.4) | 7.5 (45.5) | 0.2 (32.4) | 16.3 (61.3) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | -9.2 (15.4) | -4.9 (23.2) | 2.6 (36.7) | 12.2 (54.0) | 18.8 (65.8) | 22.9 (73.2) | 25.0 (77.0) | 23.8 (74.8) | 18.2 (64.8) | 10.5 (50.9) | 0.8 (33.4) | -6.5 (20.3) | 9.5 (49.1) | | Avg low °C (°F) | -15.4 (4.3) | -11.4 (11.5) | -4.2 (24.4) | 5.4 (41.4) | 12.0 (53.6) | 17.0 (62.6) | 20.2 (68.4) | 18.5 (65.3) | 11.7 (53.1) | 4.0 (39.2) | -5.0 (23.0) | -12.2 (10.0) | 3.4 (38.1) | | Avg precipitation mm (inches) | 1.6 (0.06) | 2.0 (0.08) | 7.6 (0.30) | 23.5 (0.93) | 40.9 (1.61) | 91.6 (3.61) | 132.0 (5.20) | 97.8 (3.85) | 41.5 (1.63) | 20.5 (0.81) | 6.9 (0.27) | 2.2 (0.09) | 468.1 (18.44) | | Avg precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 1.4 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 4.9 | 7.1 | 10.7 | 12.1 | 9.7 | 6.8 | 4.1 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 64.6 | | Avg relative humidity (%) | 43 | 38 | 36 | 38 | 45 | 60 | 73 | 73 | 63 | 53 | 48 | 46 | 51 | | Mean monthly sunshine hours | 206.3 | 207.9 | 243.3 | 249.0 | 263.7 | 243.4 | 227.0 | 235.5 | 245.4 | 235.6 | 199.2 | 191.4 | 2,747.7 | | Percent possible sunshine | 71 | 70 | 66 | 63 | 59 | 54 | 50 | 55 | 66 | 69 | 67 | 67 | 62 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Chaoyang City currently administers 2 municipal districts, 2 counties, 1 autonomous county, and oversees 2 county-level cities on behalf of the province.

• Municipal Districts: Shuangta District, Longcheng District
• County-level Cities: Beipiao City, Lingyuan City
• Counties: Chaoyang County, Jianping County
• Autonomous County: Harqin Left Wing Mongolian Autonomous County

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | Of which: Ethnic Townships | | :---------------- | :---------------- | :----------------- | :------------- | :----------------------------------- | :------------------ | :-------------- | :--------------- | :-------- | :------------ | :---------------------------- | | 211300 | Chaoyang City | Chaoyang Shi | 19,697.78 | 2,872,857 | Shuangta District | 122000 | 28 | 82 | 46 | 6 | | 211302 | Shuangta District | Shuangta Qu | 501.76 | 463,543 | Nanta Subdistrict | 122000 | 9 | 3 | 1 | | | 211303 | Longcheng District | Longcheng Qu | 635.54 | 222,065 | Xinhua Subdistrict | 122000 | 3 | 6 | | | | 211321 | Chaoyang County | Chaoyang Xian | 3,757.86 | 404,460 | Liucheng Town | 122600 | 1 | 14 | 12 | 2 | | 211322 | Jianping County | Jianping Xian | 4,869.41 | 455,826 | Hongshan Subdistrict| 122400 | 4 | 17 | 7 | 1 | | 211324 | Harqin Left Wing Mongolian Autonomous County | Kalaqin Zuoyi Mengguzu Zizhixian | 2,232.09 | 346,133 | Dachengzi Town | 122300 | 2 | 14 | 5 | | | 211381 | Beipiao City | Beipiao Shi | 4,418.74 | 439,998 | Nanshan Subdistrict | 122100 | 4 | 12 | 15 | 2 | | 211382 | Lingyuan City | Lingyuan Shi | 3,282.38 | 540,832 | Beijie Subdistrict | 122500 | 5 | 16 | 6 | 1 |

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5. Transportation

5.1 National Highways

National Highway 101: The section passing through the Chaoyang urban area was initially called Shencheng Avenue and later renamed Zhongshan Avenue. It extends southwest via Jianping County towards Beijing and northeast via Beipiao City towards Shenyang. It is a crucial transportation artery connecting the capital, Beijing, with Shenyang, the provincial capital of Liaoning Province.

Ring Road: Completed and opened to traffic at the end of 2012, with a total length of over 60 kilometers, Chaoyang became the second city in Liaoning Province, after the provincial capital Shenyang, to have a ring road.

5.2 National Expressways

• G16 Dandong–Xilinhot Expressway
• G25 Changchun–Shenzhen Expressway

5.3 Railways

• Jinzhou–Chengde Railway: A railway connecting Jinzhou City in Liaoning Province and Chengde City in Hebei Province, with a total length of 447 kilometers. It opened to traffic in 1938.
• Beijing–Shenyang Passenger Dedicated Line: A high-speed railway connecting Beijing and Shenyang in Liaoning Province. It starts at Beijing Chaoyang Station (formerly Xinghuo Station) and ends at Shenyang Station, spanning 709 kilometers. It is part of the Beijing–Harbin Passenger Dedicated Line and a key component of the "Four Vertical and Four Horizontal" high-speed rail network backbone. Designed for a speed of 350 km/h, the entire journey takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes. The estimated total investment is 124.5 billion yuan, with completion and operation expected by the end of 2020.
• Chaoyang–Linghai High-Speed Railway
• Chifeng–Chaoyang High-Speed Railway

5.4 Airport

Chaoyang Airport is a civil aviation airport located in Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province, China. IATA code: CHG; ICAO code: ZYCY. It also serves as the pilot training base for the Chaoyang Flight College of the Civil Aviation University of China.

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6. Population

At the end of 2022, the city's permanent resident population was 2.798 million. Among them, the urban population was 1.43 million, accounting for 51.1% of the permanent resident population; the rural population was 1.368 million, accounting for 48.9%.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 2,872,857. Compared with the 3,044,641 people from the Sixth National Population Census, the total population decreased by 171,784 over the past ten years, a decline of 5.64%, with an average annual growth rate of -0.58%. Among them, the male population was 1,453,153, accounting for 50.58% of the total population; the female population was 1,419,704, accounting for 49.42% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 102.36. The population aged 0–14 was 406,616, accounting for 14.15% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 1,767,278, accounting for 61.52% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 698,963, accounting for 24.33% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 458,442, accounting for 15.96% of the total population. The urban population was 1,435,268, accounting for 49.96% of the total population; the rural population was 1,437,589, accounting for 50.04% of the total population.

6.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic group population was 2,661,590, accounting for 92.65%; the population of various ethnic minorities was 211,267, accounting for 7.35%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han ethnic group population decreased by 166,980, a decline of 5.9%, and its proportion of the total population decreased by 0.26 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities decreased by 4,804, a decline of 2.22%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 0.26 percentage points. Among them, the Mongolian ethnic group population decreased by 11,738, a decline of 6.64%, and its proportion of the total population decreased by 0.06 percentage points; the Manchu ethnic group population increased by 5,198, a growth of 22.37%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 0.23 percentage points.

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7. Sister Cities

• Obihiro City (Japan) Established in 2000

• Surgut City (Russia) Established in 1992

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Shuangta District

Shuangta District

Han Chinese account for 92.65% of the population; ethnic minorities account for 7.35%.

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