Jingyu County 靖宇县

Getting oriented

The county is long and narrow, about 90 kilometres from north to south and 35 kilometres across. Fusong (抚松) lies to the east, Jiangyuan (江源) to the south, Huinan (辉南) and Liuhe (柳河) to the west, and Huadian (桦甸) to the north.

History

Under the Qing the area was known as Mengjiang (濛江). A land-reclamation office opened here in 1900, a Mengjiang department (州) was created in 1908, and it became Mengjiang County in 1913. Japanese troops occupied it on 17 October 1932. In February 1946 the county was renamed Jingyu, and it has been part of Baishan, first called Hunjiang city, since 1985.

The Yang Jingyu Memorial Hall (杨靖宇将军纪念馆) was first built in the county town in 1962 and moved on 15 August 1995 to the site where the general died. The county government's page on the hall pictures his wooden grave marker, a sword and a saddle he used, a map of his last marches and a tree stump that anti-Japanese fighters used for writing slogans. The site and hall became a Jilin provincial patriotic education base in 1994.

What to see

The Renyi scenic area (仁义风景区), which locals call Renyi Lazi (仁义砬子) on Baishan Lake (白山湖), is a 2A scenic area 20 kilometres from the county town in the southeast of the county. Sheer peaks up to 600 metres line the banks, and boat trips pass named rocks such as Renyi Peak (仁义峰) and Camel Peak (骆驼峰). A walking route of about 2 kilometres follows Qinghai gully (青海沟) up the Renyi gorge past the Yangguan Sandie waterfall (阳关三叠瀑布). In spring apricot blossom covers the hills, in autumn the maples turn red, and in winter the scenic area offers skating and dog sledding. Baishan Lake itself is the reservoir of the Baishan hydropower station (白山水电站) on the upper Songhua.

Highlights

• Yang Jingyu Memorial Hall 杨靖宇将军纪念馆: Moved in 1995 to the place where General Yang Jingyu died; a provincial patriotic education base since 1994.
• Renyi scenic area 仁义风景区: 2A scenic area of sheer peaks on Baishan Lake, with boat trips and a gorge walk.