Siping, Jilin Province, China

🇨🇳 Siping (四平), formerly Ssupingkai, is a prefecture-level city in the west of Jilin province, People's Republic of China. Located in the middle of the Songliao Plain and at the intersection of Jilin, Liaoning and Inner Mongolia, Siping covers an area of 14,323 km² (5,530 sq mi) and is located in the middle of the Songliao Plain, near the border with Liaoning and Inner Mongolia provinces.

History Siping's history can be stretched to 3,000 years ago during the Shang dynasty. The Kingdom of Yan Ruins indicate that the Han Chinese People started moving into Northeast region of China during the Spring and Autumn period. Ancient ethnic tribes such as the Fuyu, the Goguryeo, the Khitans, the Jurchen, the Mongols, the Manchus, and Koreans have left behind cultural artifacts, including Hanzhou, Xinzhou, and the Yehe Tribe Cultural Artifacts. Yehe Town in Siping is also the hometown of two empresses of the Qing dynasty, Empress Dowager Cixi and Empress Dowager Longyu.

However, Siping was a place of little importance until the completion of the railway between Changchun and the port of Dalian in 1902. With a rapidly growing population, Siping became a regional commercial center. After 1907, Siping's economy experienced steady growth under the administration of the South Manchuria Railway Company. The construction of a railway linked to Baicheng in north-western Jilin Province was completed in 1923, while a railway running south to Tonghua and to Korean Peninsula was built in 1939. A new town was built after 1921, going by the name Ssupingkai. After 1932, under the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, some agriculture-based industry including brewing, oil pressing and flour milling grew up. In the latter part of World War II, the Japanese completed a project in the construction of a refinery for the production of synthetic petroleum from coal.

Siping was the site of several major battles during the Chinese Civil War between the Chinese Communist and Nationalist forces from 1945 to 1949. After the war, Siping was virtually destroyed. • Battle of Siping, March 15, 1946 − March 17, 1946 • Campaign to Defend Siping, April 17, 1946 − May 19, 1946 • Siping Campaign, June 11, 1947 − March 13, 1948; Siping grew rapidly after the Communist government was established in 1949, being the third largest city in Jilin Province.

Geography Siping is located in the transition between plains and hilly terrain, with hills to the south-east and the Songliao Plain to the northwest. The city has a four-season, monsoon-influenced, humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa).

Administrative divisions Siping prefecture includes two districts, two counties and two county-level cities. Four commodity grain bases in Jinlin Province, namely Lishu County, Yitong Manchu Autonomous County, and Shuangliao City, are under the administration of Siping. Gongzhuling City is under the administration of Jilin Province. Siping recorded a population of 1,814,733 in the 2020 census.

Tiexi District, 铁西区, Tiěxī Qū; Tiedong District, 铁东区, Tiědōng Qū; Shuangliao City, 双辽市, Shuāngliáo Shì; Lishu County, 梨树县, Líshù Xiàn; Yitong Manchu Autonomous County, 伊通满族自治县, Yītōng Mǎnzú Zìzhìxiàn.

Economy Siping has GDP of RMB 1266.3 billion Yuan in 2015, representing a rise of 6.4% year on year. The city's GDP ranked fourth in Jilin Province (2010). Agricultural products processing, electricity and thermal power, pharmaceutical, and chemicals are the pillar industries. Private economy is also a major contributor of the industrial sector.

Transport Siping is a transportation hub in Jilin Province. The Qiqihar-Siping, Siping-Meihekou and Beijing–Harbin railways The city is served by both the Siping Railway Station and Siping East Railway Station (IATA: OSQ). The Harbin-Beijing Highspeed Railway also run through the Siping East Railway Station. The new airport will be completed in 2030.

With the Highway, the city run through Beijing-Harbin highway, JiTong highway, Daqiang-Guangzhou Highway, Changchun-Shenzhen Expressway, ChangYing highway, TieChao highway (Beijing-Siping highway), Yi Liao Expressway and Changchun-Liaoyuan highway. The city of Siping also has a ring first grade highway, which is connected to the 102 National Road and 303 National Road in the four directions.

Siping is 550 km away from Dalian international shipping center. It is one hour away from Changchun Longjia Airport and Shenyang Taoxian International Airport. The Siping local dual-use airport is about to open domestic flights.