Happy TravellerWelcome to Hailin, a county-level city located in the southeast of Heilongjiang province, China. With an area of 8,816 km2 and a population of 422,000, Hailin is a city that is rich in history, culture, and natural beauty. The name Hailin in English means sea forest, and it is a city that is known for its boundless forests, snow plains, and as the hometown of Manchurian tigers and Chinese north medicine.
Hailin has a rich history that dates back to the ancient times of the Shāng Dynasty or Yīn Dynasty. The city has many historic sites, including ancient Qunli rock paintings, Jiangdong ancient cemeteries of Jin Dynasty, the early site of the Qing Dynasty Ninguta city, a wooden Russian Orthodox cathedral, a depot of the Chinese Eastern Railway constructed in 1903, and the Yang Zirong martyrs cemetery. During Chinas War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Japanese established a military airport at Hailin. Even recently, aircraft bombs continue to be discovered during construction and other projects.
Nowadays, there are 8 towns and 123 administrative villages in Hailin City. The towns include Hailin Town, Zhangting Town, Chaihe Town, Sandao Town, Erdao Town, Hengdao Town, Xinan Korean Ethnic Town, and Shanshi Town. 90% of the Hailin City administrative area is mountainous. Principal geographic features of Hailin include Shen Mountain, Qian Mountain, Qiulingman Mound, Haigu Plain, Zhangguancai Ridge, and 140 streams or rivers of the Mudanjiang water system. 71% of the county is covered by forest. Important products include timber, medicinal herbs such as ginseng and eleutherococcus senticosus, and forest foods such as edible mushrooms, which are farmed in large quantities.
Hailin is a city that is known for its natural beauty and tourist attractions. Tourist activities include skiing. Other attractions include two national forest parks, Roaring Tiger Mountain and China Snowland, the largest artificial lake in northeast China, the Lotus Lake, and the largest animal raising center in China, if not the world, the Hengdaohezi Northeast Tiger Center. Hengdaohezi Northeast Tiger Park is the largest breeding center for Siberian tigers in the country. It was established in 1986 with 8 tigers and has a population of some 256 tigers as of 2006.
In conclusion, Hailin is a city that is rich in history, culture, and natural beauty. It is a city that is known for its boundless forests, snow plains, and as the hometown of Manchurian tigers and Chinese north medicine. With its many tourist attractions and natural beauty, Hailin is a city that should be on every traveler’s bucket list.
