Fushun

A prefecture-level city in the eastern part of Liaoning Province, China. Located on the midstream of the Hun River, it governs four city districts and Fushun County, Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County, and Qingyuan Manchu Autonomous County (as of 2016). Population: 2.193 million (2012).

This mining and industrial city developed around the Fushun coalfields, and was once known as the "coal capital." It is said that villages existed and coal was extracted in the time of Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty, but it was only during the Ming dynasty that it became a market town with thriving commercial activities, and a prefecture was established at the end of the Qing dynasty. In 1901, capitalists Wang Chengyao and Weng Shou began full-scale coal mining. In 1905 (Meiji 38) after the Russo-Japanese War, Japan monopolized the mining rights, and the South Manchuria Railway Company took over management of the mine. It fell into ruin after the Second World War, but was rapidly restored after the establishment of the People's Republic of China, and at one time it was the largest coal mine in the northeastern region. In addition to large-scale open-cut mining, tunnel excavation was also carried out. Furthermore, the upper part of the coal seam was covered with a thick layer of oil shale, which was an important raw material for artificial petroleum before the Daqing oil field was mined. The population grew rapidly due to coal mining, and the city was incorporated in 1937. Today, coal mining has declined, and as of 2015, it was only the 56th largest coal mine in the country. The city government is focusing on electronic component manufacturing and the tourism industry, and is trying to move away from its dependence on coal mining and heavy industry.

The surrounding area produces rice, corn, sorghum, soybeans, foxtail millet, and peanuts. In the upper reaches of the Hun River in the east of the city is the Dahefang Dam, which has a storage capacity of 2.1 billion tons. Near the dam there are many historical sites related to Nurhaci, the founder of the Qing Dynasty, including Yongling, one of the three tombs outside the borders of the early Qing Dynasty. In addition, on Pingdingshan in the southern part of the city, there is the Memorial to the Martyrs of China, which commemorates the victims of the massacre (Pingdingshan Incident) carried out by the Japanese army in 1932 (Showa 7). It is also known as the site of the war criminals management center that housed Puyi and Japanese prisoners of war.

[Michihiro Kono, Editorial Department, April 18, 2017]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、遼寧(りょうねい)省東部の地級市。渾河(こんが)中流沿岸に位置し、4市轄区と撫順県、新賓(しんひん)満洲(まんしゅう)族自治県、清原(せいげん)満洲族自治県を管轄する（2016年時点）。人口219万3000（2012）。

　撫順炭田を中心に発展した鉱工業都市で、かつては「石炭の都」とよばれた。漢の武帝の時代にすでに村落があり、石炭を採取していたといわれるが、商業活動が盛んな市場町となったのは明(みん)代以後のことで、清(しん)代末期に県が置かれた。1901年資本家の王承尭(おうしょうぎょう)と翁寿(おうじゅ)が本格的な石炭の採掘を始めた。日露戦争後の1905年（明治38）には日本が採掘権を独占し、南満州鉄道株式会社が炭鉱の経営にあたった。第二次世界大戦後は荒廃したが、中華人民共和国の成立以後急速に復興し、一時は東北地区最大の炭鉱であった。大規模な露天掘りのほか坑道掘進も行われた。さらに炭層上部を厚い油母頁岩(けつがん)が覆い、大慶(たいけい)油田が採掘される以前は人造石油の重要な原料であった。石炭採掘のため人口が急増し、1937年市制が施行された。今日では石炭採掘は衰退し、2015年時点で国内56位の炭鉱にすぎない。市政府は電子部品製造や観光産業に力を入れ、石炭鉱業、重工業依存からの脱却を図っている。

　周辺地域では、米、トウモロコシ、コウリャン、大豆、アワ、ラッカセイを産する。市の東部の渾河上流部には21億トンの貯水量をもつ大伙房(だいかぼう)ダムがある。ダム付近には清初の関外三陵の一つ永陵(えいりょう)など、清の太祖ヌルハチに関係する史跡が多い。また、市南部の平頂山には、1932年（昭和7）に日本軍が行った大量虐殺（平頂山事件）の犠牲者をまつる殉難同胞記念碑がある。溥儀(ふぎ)や日本人捕虜を収容していた戦犯管理所があったことでも知られる。

［河野通博・編集部　2017年4月18日］

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