Historic city · Industrial centre · Scenic area · Heilongjiang
Qiqihar
齐齐哈尔
Crane City on the Nen River
Qiqihar is a prefecture-level city on the Nen River in western Heilongjiang and was the provincial capital until 1954. It is a centre of heavy machinery and home of the Daur people, and the Zhalong wetland on its edge is one of the world's main breeding grounds of the red-crowned crane.
Key facts
Overview
Qiqihar grew from a Qing fortress on the Nen River, built in the late seventeenth century to control the Daur and Evenk tribes and guard against Russia. It became the seat of the military governor of Heilongjiang in 1699 and the provincial capital, a role it kept until the province was merged with Songjiang in 1954 and the capital moved to Harbin. The name comes from the Daur language; its meaning is debated.
After 1949 the city became a base of heavy industry, with China First Heavy Machinery and rolling-stock works. Its surroundings are flat grassland and wetland, and the Zhalong reserve draws birdwatchers from spring to autumn.
Names and nicknames
鹤城
“Crane City”
From the cranes of the Zhalong wetland.
卜奎
Old name of the town, from a Daur place name.
History
The Qing built the fortress at Qiqihar in the 1690s and moved the military governor there in 1699. The city was the provincial capital under the Qing, the Republic and in the early People's Republic. In 1931 Chinese forces under Ma Zhanshan resisted the Japanese advance at the Nen River bridge. In the 1950s Soviet-aided factories made it an industrial centre.
1690s
Qing fortress founded
Built on the Nen to control the region's tribes after the Treaty of Nerchinsk.
1699
Seat of the Heilongjiang governor
Qiqihar became the administrative centre of the region, and later the provincial capital.
November 1931
Battle of the Nen River bridge
Troops under Ma Zhanshan fought the Kwantung Army, one of the first armed resistances to the Japanese occupation.
1954
Capital moves to Harbin
The merger of Heilongjiang and Songjiang provinces made Harbin the new capital.
1979
Zhalong Nature Reserve
The wetland was protected as a reserve for red-crowned and other cranes, and listed as a Ramsar wetland in 1992.
Landmarks
Nature
Zhalong Nature Reserve
扎龙自然保护区
Reed marshes and lakes south-east of the city, a breeding ground of red-crowned cranes, with a crane centre where birds are released daily in the warmer months.
Park or garden
Longsha Park
龙沙公园
Park in the centre laid out in the early twentieth century, with pavilions and lakes.
Historic site
Former residence of the Heilongjiang General
黑龙江将军衙署
The Qing governor's yamen, restored as a museum of the city's history.
Neighbourhoods
Meilisi Daur District
梅里斯达斡尔族区
District with Daur villages, known for the Daur tradition of field hockey.
Food
Qiqihar barbecue
齐齐哈尔烤肉
Marinated beef grilled on a hot iron plate at the table with onions, a city speciality.
Hand-held mutton
手把肉
Boiled mutton on the bone, eaten by hand, as on the Mongolian grasslands to the west.
Culture
Qiqihar is a centre of Daur culture. The Daur play beikou, a form of field hockey with a history of several centuries, and the district has produced many of China's national hockey players. The cranes of Zhalong are the city's emblem.
Getting around
- Qiqihar South is the high-speed station on the line from Harbin via Daqing.
- Sanjiazi Airport has domestic flights.
Day trips
Wudalianchi
五大连池
Volcanic cones and lava fields to the north-east, reached via Bei'an.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Qiqihar Municipal People's Government — Qiqihar Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Qiqihar — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
More cities in Heilongjiang
- Harbin哈尔滨Capital · Historic city · Cultural centreIce City on the Songhua, built by the railway
- Mudanjiang牡丹江Scenic area · Historic city · Border cityJingpo Lake, the Bohai capital and the snow country of the south-east
- Heihe黑河Border city · Historic city · Scenic areaBorder city on the Amur, facing Blagoveshchensk
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