Manzhouli

Manzhouli 满洲里
—  Sub-prefecture-level city  —
满洲里市
Manzhouli Center
Manzhouli Location in China
Coordinates: 49°36′N 117°26′E / 49.6°N 117.433°E / 49.6; 117.433Coordinates: 49°36′N 117°26′E / 49.6°N 117.433°E / 49.6; 117.433
Country	China
Region	Inner Mongolia
Prefecture	Hulunbuir
Area
– Total	696.3 km2 (268.8 sq mi)
Population
– Total	300,000
– Density	430.8/km2 (1,115.9/sq mi)
Time zone	China Standard (UTC+8)
Postal code	021400
Area code(s)	0470
Website	http://www.manzhouli.gov.cn/

Manzhouli (simplified Chinese: 满洲里; traditional Chinese: 滿洲里; pinyin: Mǎnzhōulǐ; Mongolian: Манжуур / Manǰuur, Russian: Маньчжу́рия / Маньчжоули́) is a sub-prefecture-level city located in Hulunbuir prefecture-level city, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). It is the PRC's busiest land port of entry. It has an area of 696.3 square kilometres (268.8 sq mi) and a population of more than 300,000 (in 2010).

Geography

Manzhouli is located in the western part of the Hulunbuir prefecture-level city. To the east, south and west it borders New Barghu Left Banner and New Barghu Right Banner, also in Hulunbuir, and Russia to the north, with which it shares a border 54 kilometres (34 mi) long. The Russian townlet of Zabaykalsk is situated immediately north of Abagaitu Islet and Manzhouli.

Manzhouli is located on the Hulunbuir grasslands. Lake Hulun to its immediate south is the PRC's fifth largest freshwater lake with an area of 2,600 square kilometres (1,000 sq mi) and an average depth of just 5 metres (16 ft).

Climate

Climate data for Manzhouli
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	−19 (−2)	−14 (7)	−4 (25)	9 (48)	18 (64)	24 (75)	26 (79)	23 (73)	17 (63)	7 (45)	−6 (21)	−16 (3)	5.4 (41.8)
Average low °C (°F)	−31 (−24)	−29 (−20)	−19 (−2)	−6 (21)	2 (36)	10 (50)	14 (57)	11 (52)	3 (37)	−6 (21)	−19 (−2)	−28 (−18)	−8.2 (17.3)
Rainfall mm (inches)	1 (0.04)	2 (0.08)	3 (0.12)	11 (0.43)	20 (0.79)	54 (2.13)	108 (4.25)	75 (2.95)	36 (1.42)	6 (0.24)	2 (0.08)	2 (0.08)	320 (12.6)
Avg. rainy days	4	4	4	5	7	11	15	13	9	5	5	6	88
Sunshine hours	186	196	248	270	279	300	279	279	240	217	180	155	2,829
Source: World Climate Guide

Administration

Manzhouli is divided into ten subdistricts and one town. Six of the subdistricts of Manzhouli are grouped into a district. Technically however, only a prefecture-level city (half a level higher than Manzhouli) can have districts, so Manzhouli's lone district is not officially listed.

History

In ancient times the area was inhabited by many tribes that lived in Manchuria, including the Donghu, the Xiongnu, the Xianbei, the Khitan, the Jurchen, and the Mongols. From the early Qing Dynasty onwards the Argun River, which originates in this area, became the border between the China and Russia.

In 1901, the China Far East Railway was completed in accordance with the Sino-Russian Secret Treaty of 1896, linking Siberia, Manchuria, and the Russian Far East. A settlement then formed around Manchzhuriya Station, the first stop within Manchuria for Russians. It was the beginning of the modern city of Manzhouli and the name of Manzhouli came from Russian Manchzhuriya (Маньчжурия i.e. Manchuria).

In 1905, Manzhouli was designated a trading center in the Sino-Japanese Treaty of 1905, greatly boosting Manzhouli's growth. In 1908 the Manzhouli customs was set up. Under the Republic of China, Manzhouli came under the jurisdiction of the province of Hsingan. In 1927, Manzhouli was designated as a city. Although with Hsingan and surrounding areas, Manzhouli came under Japanese control in 1931, and was part of the Empire of Manchukuo from 1932-1945. It became part of Inner Mongolia under the People's Republic of China from 1946.

In 1992, Manzhouli became one of the first land border cities opened up by the People's Republic of China. It has since experienced somewhat of a boom as a center of border trade between China and Russia.^[1]

Matryoshka Square

Culture

Manzhouli Ice & Snow Festival takes place every winter from some time in February to early March. This is a smaller version of Harbin's Ice and Snow Festivals.

Economy

Manzhouli is China's busiest land port of entry, and is responsible for 60% of all imports from and exports to Eastern Europe.

Demographics

95% of Manzhouli's population is Han Chinese. The remainder are Mongol, Manchu, or of other ethnicities.

Transportation

Railway

Trains being loaded and unloaded just south of the Russian border. The Chinese 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) gauge changes here to the Russian 1,524 mm (5 ft) .

Trains from Beijing to Moscow on the Trans-Manchurian branch of the Trans-Siberian Railway pass through here. There are also tourist lines to Chita, Krasnokamensk, Irkutsk, and Ulan Ude.

A break of gauge multi-modal transshipment facility is being completed in 2008 across the Russian border in Zabaikalsk.

Air

Manzhouli Airport is located in the western part of the city. Passengers can fly to Beijing and the Inner Mongolia's capital city Hohhot from the airport.

Highway

• By China National Highway 301 linked to Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang cities.

Sister cities

Manzhouli is twinned with the following sister cities.^[2]

City	State	Country
Chita	Zabaykalsky Krai	Russia
Krasnokamensk	Zabaykalsky Krai	Russia
Ulan-Ude	Buryatia	Russia

References

1. ^ Siberia's black market logging (BBC News, 2008-04-09)
2. ^ Sister cities

External links

• Manzhouli : Where the Clock Always Strikes Nine Manzhouli: Photos and observations
• Manzhouli : City of the Plain Pictures and Stories of a trip to Manzhouli at www.pocopico.com
• Official Site (Simplified Chinese)
• Information Portal (Simplified Chinese)
• St. Jonah of Manchuria (Russian Orthodox Saint who lived and died in Manzhouli)
• Post codes of Inner Mongolia (English)