City in Manchuria, China
About Qiqihar
Qiqihar is the second-largest city in the Heilongjiang province of China, in the west central part of the province. The built-up area made up of Longsha, Tiefeng and Jianhua districts had 959,787 inhabitants, while the total population of the prefecture-level city was shrinking to 4,067,489 as of the 2020 census. In 2024, the total registered population of the city will be 5.06 million. Among them, the rural population is 3.165 million. These are mainly Han Chinese, though the city is also home to thirty-four minorities including Manchus, Daur, and Mongols. Numerous wetlands are close to Qiqihar, including the Zhalong Nature Reserve, famous in China for being home to numerous red-crowned cranes.
Etymology
"Qiqihar" is a Dagur word meaning "border" or "natural pasture". The name Qiqihar comes from Manchu: ᠴᡳᠴᡳᡥᠠᡵ, Möllendorff: Cicihar, Abkai: Qiqihar, IPA: /t͡ɕʰi.t͡ɕʰi.χar/.
History
The region was originally settled by nomadic Daur and Tungus herdsmen. The city's original name was Bukui (卜奎), the Chinese transcription of a Dagur word meaning "auspicious". The city's oldest mosque, the Bukui Mosque, predates the foundation of the city by seven years. During the Imperial Russian eastward advance to the Pacific, Qiqihar became a major garrison center in 1674. In 1691, a stronghold was constructed in Qiqihar because the Qing government campaigned against the Mongols. Around 1700 it was a centre for Russo-Chinese trade. A military depot with barracks and an arsenal was set up there, and many convicted criminals were exiled to the area. Heilongjiang Martial was domiciled in Qiqihar City in 1699. …
Geography
Qiqihar City occupies a land area of 42,289 square kilometers at an altitude of 100–500 meters, with an average elevation of 146 meters. Qiqihar is located along the middle and lower reaches of the Nen River and the hinterland of Songnen Plain, which is adjacent to the Greater Khingan Range and Hulunbuir Prairie. Bordering prefecture cities are: Baicheng, Jilin (S) Daqing (E) Heihe (N) Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia (W) Suihua (NE) Hinggan League, Inner Mongolia (W) The city's metro area is located 359 km (223 mi) from the provincial capital of Harbin, 282 km (175 mi) from Baicheng, 139 km (86 mi) from Daqing, and 328 km (204 mi) from Suihua. The total area under the city's jurisdiction is 42,289 km2 (16,328 sq mi). The region's elevation above sea level is generally between 200 and 500 m (660 and 1,600 ft). …
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