Changling County 长岭县

Setting and landscape

The land rises to the southeast and falls to the northwest. In the northeast and southeast it is an eroded terrace of low hills cut by gullies, reaching 274.8 metres at Simajia (四马架) in Sanqingshan town (三青山镇). The centre is a low alluvial plain, and seven townships in the west and northwest lie on rolling sandy ground broken into sand ridges, down to 140 metres at Yaojingzi Pond (腰井子泡). A low divide runs across the county: the south drains to the East Liao River (东辽河), while much of the north is a closed basin whose surface water ends in lakes such as Shisanpao (十三泡). The county government describes the climate as late in spring, early in autumn, dry, windy and sandy.

In 1986 the Yaojingzi grassland (腰井子草原) was made a national reserve for Chinese sheep grass (羊草, Leymus chinensis). The county government calls it the largest natural sheep-grass pasture preserved in the Eurasian steppe belt. Red-crowned cranes, hooded cranes and great bustards are among the county's birds.

History

Before it had a county seat the area was grazing land, later under the Gorlos Front Banner (郭尔罗斯前旗). In January 1908 the viceroy of the three northeastern provinces, Xu Shichang (徐世昌), asked for a new county at Changlingzi (长岭子), a place midway on the road between Changchun and Taonan (洮南), and the first administrator took up office in May 1908. Changling has belonged to Songyuan since July 1992.

What to see

The sights the county government lists include the Longfeng Lake (龙凤湖) scenic area, the Shisanpao and Wujingpao (五井泡) wetlands, the sheep-grass steppe of the Yaojingzi ranch, the Mongolian pine (樟子松) forest at Dongling (东岭), wind farms at Bashiba township (八十八乡), and the ancient site of Nanchengzi (南城子古遗址). Sanqingshan has sightseeing farms built around its starch noodles (粉条).

Getting oriented

The Daqing–Guangzhou expressway (大广高速) crosses the county from north to south, national roads G203 and G334 meet at the county town, and the Siping–Qiqihar (平齐) and Tongliao–Ranghulu (通让) railways meet at Taipingchuan (太平川).

Highlights

• Yaojingzi sheep-grass steppe 腰井子草原: National reserve for Chinese sheep grass since 1986.
• Longfeng Lake 龙凤湖: Scenic area listed by the county government.
• Dongling pine forest 东岭万亩樟子松松树林: Mongolian pine plantation listed among the county's sights.
• Sanqingshan starch noodles 三青山粉条: Local noodle product with farm tours.