Da'an 大安市

History

Da'an County was formed in 1958 by merging Dalai (大赉县) and Anguang (安广县) counties, and became a city in August 1988. Its river port, known locally as Laokanzi (老坎子), was formally built in 1958; the city government calls Da'an Port the largest inland port in Jilin.

What to see

Da'an Nenjiang Bay (大安嫩江湾) lies on the northeastern edge of the city, where the Nen River turns southeast and forms a natural wetland inlet next to the port. It is a national wetland park, a national forest park and a 4A scenic area; the city government lists 124 wild plant species and 47 kinds of fish in the park.

Moon Lake (月亮湖), in the northeast where the Tao'er River meets the Nen, covers more than 200 square kilometres. The city government cites the History of Liao for a thunderous upheaval at the lake in 1025, which it presents as the earthquake that shaped the lake's two crescent-shaped basins, and notes that Liao and Jin emperors came here for their spring camps (春捺钵).

Southwest of the city, the Niuxintaobao National Wetland Park (牛心套保国家湿地公园) spreads across almost 100,000 mu, over half of it reed beds, and shelters red-crowned cranes and demoiselle cranes. The steam locomotive exhibition hall (蒸汽机车陈列馆) inside the Da'an North storage depot holds 422 stored locomotives, 80 of them steam; the city government calls it the most complete collection of its kind in China.

Food and local products

The city government names wild fish from the Nen River, farm-duck eggs from Moon Lake and fresh wild chive flowers from Jiangjiadian (姜家甸) as its local specialities.

Highlights

• Da'an Nenjiang Bay 大安嫩江湾: Wetland inlet on the Nen River; national wetland park and 4A scenic area.
• Moon Lake 月亮湖: Lake at the Tao'er-Nen confluence, a spring camp of Liao and Jin emperors.
• Niuxintaobao National Wetland Park 牛心套保国家湿地公园: Reed marsh with red-crowned and demoiselle cranes.
• Steam locomotive exhibition hall 蒸汽机车陈列馆: 422 stored locomotives at the Da'an North depot, 80 of them steam.