Harbin

Japanese: ハルビン - はるびん

A sub-provincial city (a prefecture-level city with autonomy equivalent to that of a province) located in the southwest of Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China, it is the capital of the province. Its abbreviation is Ha. In Japan, it is also called Harbin. It is located on the vast alluvial plain and diluvial plateau in the middle reaches of the Songhua River. It governs nine city districts, including Acheng, Shuangcheng, and Hulan, and seven counties, including Fangzheng, Tonghe, and Yilan, and acts as the custodian of two county-level cities, including Shangzhi (as of 2017). It has a population of 9,935,115, and a city district population of 5,536,116 (2012). The origin of the city's name is said to be from the Jurchen word arotin (honor) or the Manchu word for "net drying place." The average monthly temperature in January is -19.7°C, and in July it is 22.5°C. The average annual precipitation is 526.6 mm, concentrated in the summer. The city has sister city ties with Niigata City and Asahikawa City.

[Tatsuro Asai, Editorial Department, January 19, 2018]

history

Until the end of the 19th century, it was little more than a small fishing village, but in 1896, Russia obtained the rights to build the Chinese Eastern Railway (today's Binzhou Line and Binhai-Sui Line) from the Qing Dynasty as a reward for the Triple Intervention, and in 1903 completed this and a southern branch line (today's Jingha Line and Shendai Line), and began managing the northeastern region. Initially, 50 square kilometers of land adjacent to the railway was purchased in Harbin, and then 140 square kilometers was purchased to make it into a city. After the Russian Revolution, the rights to the Chinese Eastern Railway and other interests were inherited by the Soviet Union, but when the state of "Manchukuo" was founded in 1932 (Showa 7), it came under its jurisdiction, and was liberated in 1945.

[Tatsuro Asai, Editorial Department, January 19, 2018]

Industry and Transportation

The surrounding rural areas are rich in soybeans, wheat, corn, millet, sugar beets, flax, etc., and the city is actively transporting and processing these crops. In addition to the railways mentioned above, there are high-speed railways such as the Haqi Passenger Line (Harbin-Qiqihar) and the Habo Passenger Line (Harbin-Mudanjiang), and a subway was opened in 2013. Harbin Taiping International Airport is located near the city, and many expressways are concentrated there, making it a transportation hub. A wide variety of minerals and forestry products are also gathered from all over the country, and heavy and light industry has developed remarkably, with factories producing steel, generators, boilers, turbines, locomotives, machine tools, chemicals, aircraft, automobiles, and beer. There are three economic and technological development zones in the city, which attract domestic and foreign companies. In addition, there are universities and vocational schools in industry, agriculture, forestry, and medicine, as well as the provincial academy of social sciences, libraries, and museums that support the above-mentioned industries.

Specialties include the Chinese herbal medicines gokasan and ginseng, and the area is also known for its horn and jade carvings, and tea canisters with white clove incense.

[Tatsuro Asai, Editorial Department, January 19, 2018]

Culture and Tourism

Since it was under Russian rule from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, many Eastern Orthodox churches remain in the city, including St. Sophia Cathedral and the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Theotokos, and it is also known as the "Moscow of the East." Stalin Park is located on the south bank of the Songhua River.

Swimming in the cold is a seasonal tradition on the Songhua River, and other sports such as skating are also popular. The Harbin Ice Festival, which displays ice sculptures, is held every year from early January to the end of February at Taiyang Island Park and Zhaolin Park.

[Jun Zhou January 19, 2018]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

中国東北地区、黒竜江(こくりゅうこう)省南西部にある副省級市（省と同程度の自主権を与えられた地級市）で、同省の省都。略称は哈(は)。日本ではハルピンともよぶ。松花江(しょうかこう)中流の広大な沖積平野と洪積台地上に位置する。阿城(あじょう)、双城(そうじょう)、呼蘭(こらん)など9市轄区、方正(ほうせい)、通河(つうか)、依蘭(いらん)など7県を管轄し、尚志(しょうし)など2県級市の管轄代行を行う（2017年時点）。人口993万5115、市轄区人口553万6116（2012）。市名の語源は女真(じょしん)語のアロチン（名誉）または満州語の「網干し場」の意といわれる。気候は1月の月平均気温が零下19.7℃、7月は22.5℃、年降水量は526.6ミリメートルで夏に集中する。新潟市、旭川市と姉妹都市提携を結んでいる。

［浅井辰郎・編集部　2018年1月19日］

歴史

19世紀末までは小漁村にすぎなかったが、1896年ロシアは三国干渉の報酬として東清(とうしん)鉄道（いまの浜洲(ひんしゅう)線、浜綏(ひんすい)線）の敷設権を清から獲得し、1903年にはこれと南部支線（いまの京哈(けいは)線、瀋大(しんたい)線）を完成させて東北地区の経営に乗り出した。ハルビンには当初50平方キロメートル、ついで140平方キロメートルの鉄道付属地を買収して市街地とした。ロシア革命後、東清鉄道をはじめとする利権はソ連が受け継いだが、1932年（昭和7）に「満州国」が建国されるとその管轄下に入り、1945年の解放を迎えている。

［浅井辰郎・編集部　2018年1月19日］

産業・交通

周辺の農村では大豆、小麦、トウモロコシ、アワ、テンサイ、アマなどを豊かに産し、市内ではこれらの輸送や加工が盛んに行われる。鉄道も前記のほか、哈斉(はせい)旅客専用線（ハルビン―チチハル）、哈牡(はぼ)旅客専用線（ハルビン―牡丹江(ぼたんこう)）などの高速鉄道が通じ、2013年には地下鉄も開業した。市街近郊にはハルビン太平国際空港があるほか、自動車道も集中し、交通の要衝となっている。鉱産物、林産物も各地から多種集まって、重・軽工業の発達は目覚ましく、鉄鋼、発電機、ボイラー、タービン、機関車、工作機械、化学薬品、航空機、自動車、ビールなどの工場が林立する。市内には三つの経済技術開発区があり、国内外の企業を誘致している。また、前述の産業を支える工業、農業、林業、医学の大学や専門学校、省の社会科学院や図書館、博物館も整っている。

　特産品には漢方薬の五加参(ごかさん)、チョウセンニンジンがあり、角(つの)や玉(ぎょく)の彫刻、白丁香(はくちょうこう)の茶筒も知られている。

［浅井辰郎・編集部　2018年1月19日］