Prefecture-level city in Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China
About Hegang
Hegang is a prefecture-level city in Heilongjiang province of China, situated in the southeastern section of the Lesser Khingan Range, facing Jiamusi across the Songhua River to the south and Russia's Jewish Autonomous Oblast across the Amur River to the north. Hegang is one of the principal coal-producing cities in China. Hegang covers an administrative area of 14,679.88 km2 (5,667.93 sq mi) and according to the 2020 Chinese census, has a population of 891,271 inhabitants, of whom 545,404 lived in the built-up area made of 6 urban districts. By the end of 2024, the total registered population of the city was estimated at 935,000, including 756,000 in urban areas.
History
The region of Hegang was a desolate and uninhabited area until the late 1890s. In 1906, the area of Hegang City was under the administration of Tangyuan County under the Qing Dynasty. Since then, the government has been encouraging people to farm in the region. In 1914, a coalfield was discovered in Haoli, and Heilongjiang Government approved to set up Xinghua Mines (興華煤礦) which is jointly invested by merchants including Shen Songnian (沈松年). The area was also renamed Xingshan (興山) after the Xinghua Coal Mine. The Hegang mines were founded in 1916 by a Chinese entrepreneur with Russian capital. Hegang has witnessed rapid economic growth thanks to its rich coal resources. In 1926 a railway was built between Hegang and Jiamusi, some 30 miles to the south on the Songhua River. A coal carrier fleet was privately financed in 1930 by General Zhang Xueliang. …
Geography
Hegang is located in the northeast part of Heilongjiang province, spanning from latitude 47° 04′−48° 9′ N to longitude 129° 40′−132° 31' E. Bordering prefecture-level cities are: Jiamusi (SE) Yichun (W) The region also faces Russia's Jewish Autonomous Oblast across the Amur River with an international border of 235 kilometres (146 mi). Lesser Khingan Mountains crosses the city. The total administrative area of Hegang is 14,648 square kilometres (5,656 sq mi). Amur river and Songhua river are the main rivers in Hegang. Hegang has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dwb/Dwa), with long, bitterly cold, but dry winters, and humid and warm summers. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from −16.6 °C (2 °F) in January to 21.7 °C (71.1 °F) in July, and the annual mean is 3.8 °C (38.8 °F). Close to 2/3 of the annual precipitation falls in the months of June thru August. …
Economy
In 2010, Hegang's GDP grew 16.1% to RMB 25.1 billion, ranking tenth among 13 prefectures and prefecture-level cities in the province. However, through the late 2010s into the early 2020s, its economy began to decline, in part due to its economic reliance on coal. Its population declined about 17% from 2013 to 2020, and its real estate market began struggling significantly, with rentals in some cases going for solely the cost of heating and property management fees. Local government revenue also began to shrink, leading the city in 2021 to undergo a fiscal restructuring plan, and to implement a hiring freeze. Heavy industry dominates the city's industrial sector, with coal mining in particular being prominent. As of July 2024, Hegang hosts 39 coal mines, with an annual production capacity of 18 million tons. Other sizable mineral deposits in Hegang include graphite, clay, and silica. …
Content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA. Read the full article →