Qitaihe (Chinese:七台河;pinyin:Qītáihé) is a prefecture-level city in eastern Heilongjiang province, China. Covering an area 6,223km2(2,403sqmi), it is geographically the smallest prefecture-level division of the province. Qitaihe also has the second smallest population of the cities in Heilongjiang. At the 2010 census, its total population was 920,419, while 620,935 live in the built up area made of 3 urban districts. In 2024, the population of the city will be 726,329, of which the urban population will be 444,058, accounting for 61.1%.

Administrative divisions

Map
Xinxing Taoshan Qiezihe Boli County
NameHanziHanyu PinyinPopulation (2010 est.)Area (km2)Density (/km2)
Xinxing District新兴区Xīnxīng Qū236,7682,003118
Taoshan District桃山区Táoshān Qū230,293743,112
Qiezihe District茄子河区Qiézihé Qū153,8741,56998
Boli County勃利县Bólì Xiàn299,4842,575116

History

Qitaihe's history can be stretched back to 3,000 years ago during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, when it was inhabited by the ancient Sushen group, the ancestors of the Manchu. In 1910, coal resources was found in Qitaihe. However, coal mining industry did not really start until The CPC Committee of Heilongjiang Province ordered Hegang Mining Bureau to take charge of the Extractive industries in Boli County in 1958. Qitaihe began its development. On January 26, 1961, Boli Mining Bureau was established. The CPC Central Committee and State Council approved to establish Qitaihe District (七台河特区) as a pilot of the combination of enterprise management and government administration. In 1970, Qitaihe District was changed into Qitaihe City (county-level), which is under the jurisdiction of Jiamusi. In 1983, Qitaihe was designated a Prefecture-level city, and Boli County was put into Qitaihe's jurisdiction.

Geography and climate

Mineral resources

Qitaihe is rich in fresh water and minerals including coal, gold and graphite. There are 26 reservoirs in total. The water storage capacity of the city's Taoshan Reservoir is 264 million steres. Qitaihe has a total coal reserve of 5.3 billion tons, ranking third after Shuangyashan and Jixi in Heilongjiang Province.

Climate

Qitaihe has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen Dwb), with long, bitter, but dry winters, and humid and very warm summers.

Climate data for Qitaihe, elevation 225m (738ft), (1991–2020 normals)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)−11.7 (10.9)−6.9 (19.6)2.1 (35.8)12.4 (54.3)20.2 (68.4)25.1 (77.2)27.2 (81.0)26.1 (79.0)21.3 (70.3)12.5 (54.5)0.0 (32.0)−10.4 (13.3)9.8 (49.7)
Daily mean °C (°F)−16.6 (2.1)−12.4 (9.7)−3.1 (26.4)6.5 (43.7)14.2 (57.6)19.5 (67.1)22.2 (72.0)21.0 (69.8)15.3 (59.5)6.5 (43.7)−4.7 (23.5)−14.9 (5.2)4.5 (40.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−21.1 (−6.0)−17.7 (0.1)−8.3 (17.1)0.6 (33.1)8.3 (46.9)14.2 (57.6)17.8 (64.0)16.7 (62.1)9.9 (49.8)1.1 (34.0)−8.9 (16.0)−18.9 (−2.0)−0.5 (31.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)6.6 (0.26)5.8 (0.23)13.9 (0.55)28.8 (1.13)65.7 (2.59)95.2 (3.75)116.8 (4.60)119.0 (4.69)55.8 (2.20)29.6 (1.17)21.8 (0.86)12.0 (0.47)571 (22.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)6.35.78.28.712.914.614.914.19.87.37.48.7118.6
Average snowy days9.69.011.25.20.20000.12.99.913.461.5
Average relative humidity (%)69645953607178797261657167
Mean monthly sunshine hours138.8165.3204.4199.7207.7219.0216.5209.8208.3173.3131.0118.92,192.7
Percentage possible sunshine49565549454746485652474450
Source: China Meteorological Administration

Economy

Coal mining is an important industry. Qitaihe is the only pilot city for coal recycling in Heilongjiang. The city's GDP topped RMB 23.35 billion in 2009, featuring a growth of 26% over the previous year. Qitaihe is home to Qitaihe Coal Mining Group and Qitaihe No.1 Power Generation Company.

Transportation

The Tumen-Jiamusi Railway and the Boli-Qitaihe Railway connect the city with Mudanjiang, Jiamusi and other cities in Heilongjiang. Jiamusi Airport, Jixi Airport and Mudanjiang Airport, which offer regular flights to other domestic cities in China, are less than two hours away.

External links