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Lying in the northernmost part of northeast China, Heilongjiang is the province with the longest winters, and with its vast expanses of flatland and wide areas of fertile black soil, one of China's major grain growers. To the north and east, across the Heilongjiang and Wusuli rivers, it borders Russia. In the west, it adjoins the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region; and to the south is Jilin Province. Named after its largest river, Heilongjiang’s land area is 60 percent mountainous, 10 percent rivers and 30 percent farmland. The country's largest oil reserve is located in the province.
Heilongjiang has five large rivers: the Heilong, Songhua, Wusuii, Nenjiang and Suifen. Large lakes include the Greater and Lesser Xingkai, Jingbo and Wudalianchi.
Heilongjiang has a continental monsoon climate, the kind between the temperate and frigid zones, with annual temperatures of –4°C to 4°C (28-36F). Its warm summers, with plentiful rainfall and long hours of sunlight, are good for crops. Most of the province is windy in spring, and the southwestern area, in particular, is rich in wind energy resources.
At the end of the year 2005,Heilongjiang's total population stood at 38.20 million. There are 1.4 million people from minority nationalities including the Manchus, Koreans, Huis, Mongolians, Daurs, Hezhens, Oroqens and Ewenkis. The bulk of Heilongjiang's population lives in the Songnen Plain and the mining and industrial cities.
Heilongjiang has an abundance of areas that appeal to tourists. Its ice and snow activities are the best in China. The snow-skiing season lasts 120-140 days a year. In the mountainous areas, snow on the ground can be 100-300 cm deep and it's great for skiing. There are approximately 100 suitable mountains for skiing. Heilongjiang's beautiful landscape, forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers and lakes are becoming well known for eco-tourism.
The province is blessed with a rich cultural legacy. The Bohai State from the Tang Dynasty, the ruins of the Jin-dynasty capital in Huining and the ruins of Longquan Mansion are among those of historical interest.
The cross-border tours to Russia, launched on the border rivers of Heilong and Wusuli, attract tourists from all over the country. Such cities as Harbin, Daqing and Yichun attract travelers with their distinctive northern frontier cities atmosphere. In Heilongjiang one can visit the zoo for Northeast China tigers (Northeast China tiger – Heilongjiang Travel Guide), the reserve that's home to the red-crowned crane, and 80 plus other nature reserves.
Capital City
Harbin, the provincial capital, is a city of contrasts, with Chinese, Russian, and eclectic worldwide influences. Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant churches dot the city, and the long, cold winter is the backdrop for its famed ice sculpture exhibitions.
