Ningjiang District 宁江区

Setting and landscape

The Songhua runs through the city, and the built-up area of Songyuan spreads across the river: Ningjiang on one side and the town of Qian Gorlos (前郭尔罗斯镇) on the other. The district borders Fuyu (扶余) to the east and Qian Gorlos County (前郭县) to the west and south, and faces Zhaoyuan County (肇源县) in Heilongjiang across the river to the north. It sits where Jilin, Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia meet. About 4,000 hectares of forest along the river are listed as a provincial forest park, and the district is known in and beyond Jilin for more than 40 kinds of freshwater fish. Beneath it lie oil, natural gas and oil shale.

History

The district takes its name from Ningjiang Prefecture (宁江州), set up here under the Liao dynasty. Earlier the area belonged to the kingdom of Buyeo (夫余国) and, under the Tang, to the Fuyu prefecture of Balhae (渤海国). After the Qing posted the Bodune (伯都讷) deputy military governor to the region in 1692, a new walled town, Bodune New City (伯都讷新城), was built the following year on what is now the heart of Ningjiang's urban area north of the river. The district government lists the Changgangzi Bronze Age site (长岗子青铜文化遗址), the Liao-Jin ancient city of Bodune (伯都讷辽金古城遗址) and the Xiongjialiang site (熊家亮遗址) among its historic remains.

Getting oriented

Seven railways pass through the city, among them the Beijing–Harbin (京哈) and Hunchun–Ulanhot (珲乌) lines, and the Beijing–Harbin and Daqing–Guangzhou (大广) expressways cross the district. From Songyuan Port (松原港) on the Songhua, boats can run directly to Jilin city, Qiqihar, Harbin and Jiamusi.

Highlights

• Bodune Liao-Jin ancient city site 伯都讷辽金古城遗址: Liao-Jin walled-town site listed by the district government among its historic remains.
• Changgangzi Bronze Age site 长岗子青铜文化遗址: Bronze Age site listed by the district government.