Place:Dandong, Liaoning, People's Republic of China

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Dandong, formerly known as Andong, is a coastal prefecture-level city in southeastern Liaoning province, in the northeastern region of People's Republic of China.

It is the largest Chinese border city, facing Sinuiju, North Korea across the Yalu River, which demarcates the Sino-North Korean border. To the southwest of the city, the river flows into Korea Bay. Dandong has therefore had a dynamic history because of its strategic location for the northeast's rich natural resources and because of its convenient access to the ocean. It is designated as a major export production centre for the province, and is a port city connected by rail with Shenyang and Sinuiju. A significant amount of trade with North Korea flows through the city.

The size of the administrative city (prefecture) is . As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,188,436 inhabitants and the built-up area made of 3 urban districts is (815,576 inhabitants) and Sinuju, the North Korean neighboring city (359,341 inhabitants), was home to 1,175,199 inhabitants in 2020.^[1]

History

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Maps and artifacts suggest that the area has been settled since the Gojoseon kingdom period.

During the Han dynasty (221 BC–220 AD), the Dandong region was under the jurisdiction of west Anping county. During the Goguryeo kingdom period, the region was the site for Bakjak Fortress. After the fall of the Goguryeo, in the early Tang dynasty (618–907), the Dandong region was under the jurisdiction of Andong Prefecture. In the 8th century, the area was conquered by King Mun of Balhae (r. 737–793). In Liao dynasty (916–1125), it was under the jurisdictions of the states Xuan, Kai, and Mu.^[2]

It fell under the jurisdiction of the state of Po-Su in the Jin dynasty, the state of Po-Sha in the Yuan dynasty, and the state of Liaodong in the Ming dynasty.^[2]

The area became known as Andong County in 1876. "" means "pacifying the east", reflecting the power that China had over Korea at the time. After the start of the first Sino-Japanese War in 1894, Andong County was occupied by Japan. During the Manchukuo era, it was the capital of Andong Province, one of the fourteen provinces established by Manchukuo. It was opened as an American treaty port in 1903. It was opened as a treaty port in 1907.

From November 1950 to February 1951, Dandong's Sino–Korean Friendship Bridge was bombed by the United States during the Korean War, as was an older iron bridge leading to North Korea. Even though the Sino–Korean Friendship Bridge was rebuilt, the remains of the Japanese-built iron bridge were left and now serve as a war monument.

On 20 January 1965, the city adopted its present name of Dandong, which means "red east," to avoid the connotations of its previous name, which was considered imperialistic by some. Recently, the city has been gaining influence in this region of China because of its market with North Korea and the government's future plans to develop the city into a special "Border Economic Cooperation Zone" for export and import in order to expand the country's ability to conduct trade.

In 2001, Dandong was granted the "Best Tourist Destination City" award by the National Tourism Administration. Four years later, the same administration granted it the award of "National Clean City."^[3]

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