Jixi 鸡西市

Setting and landscape

The Wanda Mountains (完达山) rise in the north, and the Muling River (穆棱河) crosses the prefecture from west to east to join the Ussuri (乌苏里江), which marks the eastern border with Russia. On the southern border lies Lake Khanka (兴凯湖), a tectonic lake: China holds the northern 1,240 square kilometres of Greater Xingkai Lake, and a sandy ridge 98 kilometres long divides it from Lesser Xingkai Lake. The Jixi government calls Khanka Asia's largest freshwater boundary lake and records 285 bird species there.

History

Jixi is named for lying west of Jiguan Mountain (鸡冠山). Digs in 1972 at the Xinkailiu site (新开流遗址), on the ridge between the Xingkai lakes, recovered more than 2,000 objects, including pottery marked with fish-scale and wave patterns; the city links the site to the Sushen (肃慎), forebears of the Manchus, some 6,000 years ago. From 1934 the Japanese army spent six years building the Hutou Fortress (虎头要塞) across seven hills. Its garrison held out for 11 days after Japan announced its surrender on 15 August 1945, until Soviet troops took it on 26 August, so Jixi calls Hutou the place where the Second World War ended. Zhenbao Island (珍宝岛) in the Ussuri saw Sino-Soviet fighting in March 1969.

What to see

The Hutou Scenic Area (虎头旅游景区) in Hulin (虎林), a national 5A area facing Russia across the Ussuri, holds the fortress museum and a Guandi Temple (关帝庙) first built in the Yongzheng reign of the Qing, which the city says was the only building left undamaged in the 1945 fighting. The Xinkailiu scenic area on Lake Khanka has a birdwatching platform and a natural history museum. Ten kilometres from Mishan (密山), the Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor (北大荒书法长廊), begun in 1992, displays more than 2,400 carved inscriptions.

Food and local products

Xingkai Lake whitefish (兴凯湖大白鱼), a national geographical-indication product, is steamed, stewed or pan-fried and nicknamed 'better than crab meat'. Jixi cold noodles (鸡西冷面) adapt Korean cold noodles to a salty, numbing-hot and sour local taste, and Jixi big cold noodles (鸡西大冷面) are a provincial-level intangible heritage item. Mishan roasted cold noodles (密山烤冷面) began around 1996, first grilled over charcoal between two iron grilles before griddles took over.

Getting oriented

The city government sits in Jiguan District (鸡冠区). Mishan and Hulin have national first-class land ports, and the Mudanjiang–Jiamusi high-speed railway (牡佳高铁) reached Jixi West station (鸡西西站) in December 2021.

Highlights

• Hutou Scenic Area 虎头旅游景区: National 5A area in Hulin facing Russia across the Ussuri, with the fortress museum and a Guandi Temple first built in the Qing Yongzheng reign.
• Lake Khanka 兴凯湖: Boundary lake with Russia; the Xinkailiu scenic area on its central sandy ridge has a birdwatching platform and a natural history museum.
• Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor 北大荒书法长廊: National 4A site 10 km from Mishan, begun in 1992, with more than 2,400 carved inscriptions.
• Xingkai Lake whitefish 兴凯湖大白鱼: Geographical-indication fish from Lake Khanka, steamed, stewed or pan-fried.
• Jixi cold noodles 鸡西冷面: Korean cold noodles adapted to a salty, numbing-hot and sour local taste.