IMPORTANT PLACES IN CHINESE HISTORY

Beijing

Capital of China in the Qing Dynasty.

Liaoning Province

The name Liaoning was termed in 1929. It lies in the southern part of the region formerly known as Manchuria, traditionally the homeland of the Jurchens. The area was known as Liaodong in the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming government set up a military government with a Regional Commander in charge of the military towns in the area. In the early days, the Ming government’s defensive strategy was to fend off the marauding Mongols, but with the rise of Nurchaci, attention was turned to the Jurchens. After Nurhaci captured all the Ming towns east of the Liao River including important towns such as Liaoyang and Shenyang, the Ming shifted their defence to the west of the river. The area west of the Liao River was then often referred to as Liaoxi (meaning West of Liao River). Liaoxi included Ming strongholds in Guangning, Jinzhou, Ningyuan and Shanhaiguan.

After the Manchus conquered and reunited China, the whole area was renamed Fengtian, and the name was adopted by the Republic of China until 1929 when it was changed to Liaoning. In 1949, Liaoning was divided into East Liaoning and West Liaoning, but in August 1954 the two provinces again merged into one province under the name Liaoning.

Liaoyang, Liaodong

Liaoyang, situated in central Liaoning Province and 30 miles from Shenyang, was a crucial military base of Ming defence in the north-east. It was the capital of Liaodong and the seat of the Regional Commander of Liaodong. However Ming’s defensive measures were ineffectual against Nurhaci, who by 1621 had taken down all the Ming towns in Liaodong except the very tip of the Liaodong Peninsula. In 1621, Nurhaci made Liaoyang his capital.

Shenyang, Liaodong

In 1625, Nurchaci moved his capital from Liaoyang to Shenyang (also known as Shengjing or Mukden in Manchurian). Shenyang remained the capital of the Manchu empire until the Manchu Conquest of China in 1644 when the Manchu capital was moved to Beijing. Shenyang retains its historical value because the tomb of Nurhaci is in Dongling (East Tomb) and the tomb of Abahai is in Zhaoling (North Tomb).

Guangning, Liaoxi

Quangning, situated at the throat of the Western Corridor leading directly to Jinzhou, Ningyuan and Shanhaiguan, was a strategic outpost of Ming defence. In 1622 Nurhaci attacked Guangning and the town surrendered without a fight. Nurchaci plundered the town and took the spoils and people of Guangning back to Liaodong, and burned the town down.

Jinzhou, Liaoxi

Jinzhou was a strategic Ming defence town in Liaoxi. In 1626, Nurhaci captured Jinzhou but was then defeated by Ming General Yuan ChongHuan at Ningyuan. After Nurhaci retreated from Liaoxi, Ming rebuilt and strengthened the defence line stretching from Shanhaiguan, Ningyuan, and Jinzhou up to Da Ling River. The defence line was known as ‘Guan-Jin Defence Line’ (‘Guan’ means ‘Shanhaiguan’, and ‘Jin’ means ‘Jinzhou’).

Ningyuan, Liaoxi

The Ming General, Yuan ChongHuan, refused to follow his superior’s instruction to abandon Ningyuan and retreat to Shanhaiguan. He continued to defend Ningyuan and in 1626 he defeated Nurhaci who retreated to Liaodong and died a few months later.

Shanhaiguan Pass

In 1644 the Ming General, Wu SanGui, joined forces with the Manchu troops and defeated the rebel chief Li ZiCheng in Shanhaiguan, and thus opened the way for the Manchu Conquest of China.

Locations of the Three Feudatories

Wu SanGui controlled the provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, parts of Hunan and Sichuan.

Shang KeXi controlled Guangdong and parts of Guangxi.

Geng ZiMao controlled Fujian.