Qiqihar

Qiqihar 齐齐哈尔
—  Prefecture-level city  —
Chinese transcription(s)
- Simplified	齐齐哈尔
- Traditional	齊齊哈爾
- Pinyin	Qíqíhā'ěr
Location of Qiqihar Prefecture within Heilongjiang
Country	China
Province	Heilongjiang
Area
- Prefecture-level city	42,469 km2 (16,397.4 sq mi)
Population
- Prefecture-level city	6,011,000
- Density	141.5/km2 (366.6/sq mi)
- Metro	1,438,550
Time zone	China Standard (UTC+8)
Area code(s)	0452
Website	http://www.qqhr.gov.cn/

Qiqihar (simplified Chinese: 齐齐哈尔; traditional Chinese: 齊齊哈爾; pinyin: Qíqíhā'ěr; Manchu: Cicigar hoton) is a major city in the Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China. It has 895,000 inhabitants. These are mainly Han Chinese and the resident minorities are, among others, Manchu, Daur, and Mongolians. Close to Qiqihar are numerous wetlands and the Zhalong Nature Reserve, famous in China for being home to numerous red-crowned cranes.

History

Qiqihar is one of the oldest cities in the northeast of China and was founded in 1691. From 1931 until 1945 it was an important military base for the Japanese control of northeastern China, going by the name Tsitsihar. During the occupation, the Imperial Japanese Army established in Qiqihar chemical research unit 516 for chemical warfare.

A major mustard gas tank leftover from the Second Sino-Japanese War buried underground was accidentally damaged in 2003. It caused major injuries and one death.

Geography

The population is about 6.011 million, where 1,438,550 (January 1, 2005) people live in the city. The area is 4,310 km²; 42,469 km² including suburbs. It is about 146 m above sea level and the annual rainfall is 415 mm. Average temperature is 3.2°C (January –25.7°C, July 22.8°C). Qiqihar is a principal Chinese city, the second largest in Heilongjiang Province and the 13th largest in China (based on total population).

Subdivisions

Qiqihar is divided into 16 divisions: 7 districts (区/區 qū), 8 counties (县/縣 xiàn) and 1 county-level city (县级市/縣級市 xiànjí shì).

The urban area includes Tiefeng District, Longsha District and Jianhua District.

Districts:

• Longsha District (龙沙区/龍沙區)
• Ang'angxi District (昂昂溪区)
• Tiefeng District (铁锋区/鐵锋區)
• Jianhua District (建华区/建華區)
• Fularji District (富拉尔基区/富拉爾基區)
• Nianzishan District (碾子山区)
• Meilisi District (梅裡斯区)

County-level city:

• Nehe City (讷河市/訥河市)

Counties:

• Fuyu County (富裕县)
• Baiquan County (拜泉县)
• Gannan County (甘南县)
• Yi'an County (依安县)
• Keshan County (克山县)
• Tailai County (泰来县/泰來縣)
• Kedong County (克东县/克東縣)
• Longjiang County (龙江县/龍江縣)

Tourism

• Zhalong Nature Reserve
• Longsha Park
• Zen Monastery
• Labor Lake
• New cultural sites at Ang'angxi
• Wan Shin Buddhist Temple
• St. Michael's Cathedral
• Mingyue Island

Sports

Qiqihar was previously home to an Asia League Ice Hockey team which used the snow leopard as a mascot. The team later became Changchun Fuao, relocating to Changchun, Jilin Province. Qiqihar will play host to the 2007 IIHF World Championships Division I, Group A.

Education

• Qiqihar Medical University
• Qiqihar University

Transport

Qiqihar has a railway station, a bus network and there are many taxis.

The old station building, now used for first class

The new station building

External links

• Official City of Qiqihar Site

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Coordinates: 47°20′N 123°58′E / 47.333°N 123.967°E / 47.333; 123.967