Shuangyashan

Shuangyashan (Chinese: 双鸭山; pinyin: Shuāngyāshān) is a coal mining prefecture-level city located in the eastern part Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, bordering Russia's Khabarovsk and Primorsky krais to the east. The city's name means a pair-of-ducks mountains and refers to two peaks northeast of the city. In 2007 it had a GDP of RMB 20.6 billion with a 14.2% growth rate.

Administrative divisions

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#	Name	Hanzi	Hanyu Pinyin	Population (2003 est.)	Area (km²)	Density (/km²)
1	Jianshan District	尖山区	Jiānshān Qū	210,000	118	1,780
2	Lingdong District	岭东区	Lǐngdōng Qū	90,000	908	99
3	Sifangtai District	四方台区	Sìfāngtái Qū	70,000	169	414
4	Baoshan District	宝山区	Bǎoshān Qū	130,000	572	227
5	Jixian County	集贤县	Jíxián Xiàn	310,000	2,860	108
6	Youyi County	友谊县	Yǒuyì Xiàn	120,000	1,800	67
7	Baoqing County	宝清县	Bǎoqīng Xiàn	420,000	13,443	31
8	Raohe County	饶河县	Ráohé Xiàn	140,000	6,613	21

History

Shuangyashan was given its name in AD 1384 during the Ming Dynasty. However, few people lived in the area before coal was discovered there in 1914. In 1928 a major coal mining operation was established on the site and in 1946 the area was first designated a county. Shuangyashan was established as a special mining district in 1954 and officially designated a city by the CPC Central Committee and State Council in 1956.

Geography and climate

Resources

Shuangyashan is rich in coal, magnetite and marble. The proven coal reserves in the city total 11 billion tons, ranking first out of 13 prefecture and prefecture-level cities in the province. The magnetite reserves in Shuangyashan exceed 120 million tons, ranking first in Heilongjiang Province.

Climate

The city has a cold temperate monsoon climate, with long, cold, windy winters. The average temperature in the city is about 3℃.

Economy

Shuangyashan is a major center for coal mining, Shuangyashan also produces steel, lumber, chemicals, building materials, textiles, electric machinery, and food products. In 2010, Shuangyashan's GDP reached RMB 37.67 billion, featuring a growth of 25% from a year ago. The production output of steel and coal ranked the first and the second in Heilongjiang province. The city has attracted investments from large domestic companies such as Shandong Luneng Group and Jianlong Group. Tourism and retailing and wholesaling are also the pillars of the city's service sector.

Transportation

Shuangyashan is the end of the Harbin to Shuangyashan railway spur link. 15 hours from Harbin by train, and 90 minutes from the closest prefecture-level city, Jiamusi. A modern freeway connects the town to Jiamusi over a distance of 57 km (35 mi). There is a modern coach service as well which does this trip in approximately 45 minutes. The city is 80 km (50 mi) from Jiamusi Airport, which operates regular flights to Beijing, Dalian, Shanghai, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Sanya and Khabarovsk.

Sight-seeing

File:Shuangyashan maj lampa.jpg

A small house in the countryside a few kilometres outside of Shuangyashan

Shuangyashan is surrounded by small mountains, and a large park based around one of these mountains forms a major feature of the outdoor life of the town. During the winter, this pine- and elm-covered mountain forms a lovely area for hiking and general snow play. In summer, the cool Heilongjiang summer, and the very long northern days make this a wonderful area to spend the days.

External links

• Shuangyashan official homepage