Wuchang Jingqi Cultural Tourism Area

Wuchang Jingqi Cultural Tourism Area

Wuchang Jingqi Cultural Tourism Area

The Jingqi Cultural Tourism Area centers around Lalin Manchu Town in the north and extends to four Manchu townships and some Manchu villages (towns), distributed across 24 Qi Tun and 41 Baqi Wopeng (villages), with a Manchu population of over 120,000. Lalin Town is situated 50 kilometers north of Wuchang City and 60 kilometers from Harbin. It boasts a superior geographical location, convenient transportation, and well-developed electricity and communication infrastructure, serving as the economic and cultural hub for neighboring counties and cities such as Shuangcheng and Acheng.

Lalin Manchu Town has a history of over 900 years. Over this long historical period, it has accumulated profound historical and cultural heritage. In particular, the Jingqi culture, distinct from other regions’ Manchu cultures, shares the same roots as that of Beijing’s Manchu people. The migration from the capital during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty not only promoted ethnic unity but also facilitated the integration and development of Jingqi culture, making Lalin the birthplace of Jingqi culture. As a branch of the capital culture, Jingqi culture played an active role in the development and construction of the northeastern frontier. To this day, the area still retains a wealth of Jingqi cultural relics, customs, and relatively unique religious beliefs. Investigations have uncovered more than 1,100 items of Jingqi cultural heritage and related materials, including 270 of significant historical value—such as 19 genealogy books and 41 genealogy sheets in both Manchu and Chinese, two late Qing photographs of bannermen, 47 utensils, 33 pieces of furniture, 57 religious ritual items, four collections of Manchu-Chinese family letters, two Manchu-Chinese merit plaques, and two imperial edicts in both Manchu and Chinese. There are also numerous tools for daily life and production, along with stone carvings, wood carvings, brick carvings, weapons, and other relics. Many of these artifacts are rarely seen in China and are of inestimable value.

The various Manchu towns in the Lalin region still maintain the layout of 32 villages from that time, with the ethnic composition largely preserved. The Manchu residents in these villages continue to speak with a Beijing accent, and many Manchu vocabulary terms, proper nouns, place names, as well as foods, literature, sports, and clothing, retain characteristics of the Jingqi culture. The Lalin region not only boasts rich Jingqi culture but also, due to its proximity to the former capital of the Jin Dynasty, Shangjing Huining Prefecture, has many relics of the Jin culture. These include seven Jin Dynasty ancient city ruins: Yingchengzi, Beituchengzi, Dongchengzi, Xichengzi, Nantuchengzi, Guchengdian, and Banlichengzi. There are also five Jin Dynasty burial sites featuring stone figures and stone sheep, as well as multiple architectural ruins such as the Kanhualou, Wanghailou, and Imperial Garden. Additional relics include the Jin Dynasty grain transport river, the Dianjiangtai (General Platform), and Shangmatai (Mounting Platform).

During the Qing Dynasty, the Lalin region had many temples and a highly developed Buddhist culture, such as Huazang Temple and Guan Yu Temple. The world-renowned Buddhist leader Master Xuan Hua was born in Lalin. The Lalin Jingqi culture is distinctive, with deep historical roots and rich cultural connotations. It is the product of the collision between central China’s capital culture and the culture of the northeastern frontier from the mid-18th century to the early 20th century, as well as the fusion of Han Chinese culture with local ethnic cultures. It has not only added depth to the historical and cultural civilization of the Heilongjiang Basin but also provided China with valuable humanistic tourism resources, holding high potential for development and utilization.

Address: Lalin Manchu Town, Wuchang City, Harbin