History and Culture of Baicheng
Located at the junction of Jilin Province, Heilongjiang Province and Inner Mongolia, Baicheng has been a millennial melting pot of three cultures: nomadism, fishing-hunting and farming. It served as the imperial palace for the Liao emperors’ Spring Nabo, and was the frontier for land reclamation in Mongolian territory during the Qing Dynasty. Today, it forms a cultural complex featuring red-crowned crane ecology, Mongolian-Han folk customs and Liao-Jin historical relics.
I. Origin of the Place Name: The Mongolian Name "Chaganhot"
The name "Baicheng" derives from the Mongolian word Chaganhot.
Chagan means white, and hot means city, so the literal translation is "White City". Since the Mongolians regarded white as a symbol of holiness, it was also known as the "Holy City".
II. Historical Development: From Ancient Times to the Modern Era
1. Prehistory to the Pre-Qin Period: Dawn of Civilization (12,000 years ago)
- Late Paleolithic Age: Human activities left relics of the Chagan Nur people.
- Shang, Zhou and Qin dynasties: The western area was inhabited by the Donghu nomads, while the eastern part belonged to the Mohe people.
2. Han, Wei and Northern and Southern Dynasties: Dominated by the Xianbei and Fuyu Tribes
The region came successively under the rule of the Xianbei and Fuyu kingdoms, where grassland tribal alliances flourished.
3. Sui and Tang Dynasties: Nomadic Heartland of the Khitan
The Khitan people grazed their herds here, laying the foundation for the establishment of Changchun Prefecture in the Liao Dynasty.
4. Liao Dynasty: The Golden Age (Core Period)
Changchun Prefecture was established, with its seat at the ancient city of Cheng Sijiazi in Deshun Township, Taobei District. It ranked among the four major imperial palaces of the Liao Dynasty.
Spring Nabo
Every spring, Liao emperors came here to fish through ice, hunt wild geese and swans, host the First Fish Banquet and First Goose Banquet, and handle state affairs. This place became the political centre of the Liao Empire in spring.
5. Jin Dynasty: Continued Use and Administrative Downgrade
Changchun Prefecture was retained at first and later demoted to Changchun County. In the third year of the Cheng’an reign, Taizhou was re-established, still with its administrative centre at Cheng Sijiazi Ancient City.
6. Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties: Grassland Civilization and Land Reclamation
- Yuan Dynasty: This land was enfeoffed to Otchigin, the fourth younger brother of Genghis Khan, and later came under Taining Circuit of Liaoyang Province.
- Ming Dynasty: It belonged to Taining Guard under the Nurgan Regional Military Commission.
- Qing Dynasty: The area was part of the Front Banner of Horqin Right Wing. Land reclamation was promoted during the Guangxu reign. Taonan Prefecture was founded in 1904, marking the large-scale development of agriculture.
7. Modern and Contemporary Period: Administrative Evolution
- 1914: Jing’an County was renamed Tao’an County.
- 1938: The county was renamed Baicheng County.
- 1954: It was incorporated into Jilin Province, and Baichengzi Prefecture was set up.
- 1993: The prefecture was abolished and Baicheng was upgraded to a prefecture-level city. It administers Taobei District, Zhenlai County and Tongyu County, while taking charge of Taonan City and Da’an City on behalf of the provincial government.
III. Three Core Cultural Genes
1. Liao-Jin Nabo Culture (The Most Profound Heritage)
- Cheng Sijiazi Ancient City: Site of Liao Changchun Prefecture and Jin Taizhou, one of the best-preserved Liao-Jin ancient cities in Northeast China.
- Spring Nabo rituals: Ice fishing, hunting with goshawks, and the First Fish Banquet, representing royal ceremonies combining fishing-hunting and nomadic traditions.
- Cultural relics: Khitan bronze mirrors, Liao-Jin bricks and pottery sculptures that embody the splendour of the grassland empire.
2. Grassland Culture of Mongolian-Han Integration (The Most Vibrant Folk Tradition)
- Mongolian folk customs: Nadam Festival (horse racing, wrestling, archery), Oboo worship, Mongolian long tunes, horse-head fiddle, milk tea and boiled mutton eaten by hand.
- Manchu and Northeast folk customs: Paper-cutting, Errenzhuan opera, Yangko dance, corn leaf weaving and the traditional baking craft of the Jiao family.
- Intangible cultural heritage: Taonan Xiang liquor brewing (inherited from the Liao Dynasty), Mongolian embroidery, and Khitan calligraphy.
3. Wetland and Crane Culture (The Most Distinctive Feature)
- Xianghai and Momoge Wetlands: Grade A international wetlands, core habitats for red-crowned cranes and white cranes. 95 percent of the world’s white cranes stop over here during migration.
- Crane Culture Festival: Bird watching, photography and cultural creation. The scene of "cranes dancing over wetlands" has become Baicheng’s cultural calling card.
IV. Major Historical Sites and Cultural Relics
- Cheng Sijiazi Ancient City: Liao-Jin urban site, a national key cultural relic protection unit.
- Hanshu Site (Da’an): Bronze Age ruins, the naming site of Northeast Bronze Culture, under national protection.
- Houtaomuga Site (Da’an): Neolithic settlement, one of the earliest human habitats along the Nenjiang River.
- Twin Pagodas Site (Taonan): Neolithic to Bronze Age ruins, a provincial-level protected cultural relic.
V. Red Revolutionary Culture
- Former Site of the Liao-Ji Provincial Party Committee and the Liaobei Provincial Government: Important revolutionary sites from the Liberation War.
- Wanfulin Former Residence and Tian’en Land Bureau: Modern historical buildings witnessing the turbulent years of the Republic of China.
VI. Summary of Cultural Characteristics
Baicheng serves as a living fossil of three civilizations:
- Liao and Jin dynasties: A political and military hub of grassland empires;
- Mongolian-Han culture: A place where nomadism and farming have blended for thousands of years;
- Wetland ecology: A model of harmonious coexistence between human beings and nature
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