Jilin
(1998 est. pop. 26 million). In many ways, Jilin Province represents a very good example of "new" China in transition. Jilin is located in northeast China and has a short border with Russia and a long border with North Korea. It is the central province of the old Manchuria, whence came the Manchu people who conquered the Chinese empire in the mid-seventeenth century and who nominally ruled China until 1911. The province's capital, Changchun (meaning eternal spring), was the capital of the Japanese puppet state of Manchuguo between 1933 and 1945.
There is something of a frontier atmosphere in this province of 187,000 square kilometers. Its population is 90 percent Han Chinese, even though before 1907 Han Chinese were not permitted to live in this outpost of empire. Thus, the vast majority of the current Chinese in Jilin are descended from settlers who moved there during the twentieth century. Much of the remaining population is Man (the original Manchurians). There is also a large Korean minority population. The people of Jilin lack the reserve of those in southern China. They are known for their openness, their hospitality, and their ability to drink copious amounts of bai jiu (white liquor), the spirit of choice in most of China. The climate is similar to that of the northern part of North America; that is, the winters are long and severe, with temperatures dipping to –25° and –30°C. Jilin has four quite distinct seasons.
Jilin is an agricultural province. It supplies one-sixth of China's grain needs. Corn and wheat are the mainstays, while the ever-present rice is also a staple. Jilin also has ample forest resources, and wood products are a significant export. The province is a major oil producer. Since the Japanese occupation, Jilin has always been a highly industrialized province, being a center of automobile and chemical production. And while there is still a very large state-owned sector, in recent years the provincial government has welcomed foreign private investment, specifically in the automobile industry.
Further Reading
Howell, Jude. (1993) China Opens Its Doors. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner.
Kristoff, Nicolas D., and Sheryl Wudunn. (1994) China Wakes. New York: Times Books.
Spence, Jonathan. (1990) The Search for Modern China. New York: Norton.
This is the complete article, containing 364 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page).
