Xingcheng

Xingcheng has a long and distinguished history, and was established as a county as far back as the Liao Dynasty in CE 990.{{Cite web|url=http://www.xc-online.gov.cn/listxcgkshow.asp?id=3 |title=History of Xingcheng |publisher=Official website of Xingcheng Government |access-date=2010-01-05 |language=zh |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723211053/http://www.xc-online.gov.cn/listxcgkshow.asp?id=3 |archive-date=July 23, 2008 }} After being dissolved by the Yuan, it was resurrected during the Ming Dynasty under the name Ningyuan, and gained strategic importance as the first defensive outpost outside the Great Wall. Xingcheng's city walls have stood since they were first constructed in 1428 and were instrumental in helping the Ming defeat the great Manchu commander Nurhaci at the pivotal Battle of Ningyuan in 1626.

In modern times Xingcheng has become a mecca for those seeking relief from the bustling heat of summer in the overcrowded cities of Northern China. The town has attractive swimming beaches and is also blessed with natural hot springs, discovered during the Tang Dynasty. For this reason, a number of spa resorts and sanatoriums have sprung up and the town has been marketed as a health destination, and is frequented by groups of Party cadres on government sponsored training courses during the summer. Xingcheng is home to the largest island in the Bohai Gulf,{{citation needed|date=July 2012}} the beautiful and secluded Juhua Island ({{zh|s=菊花岛 |t=菊花島 |p=Júhuā Dǎo |l=Chrysanthemum Island}}; {{coord|40|29|51|N|120|48|05|E|type:isle_region:CN-21|display=inline|name=Juhua Island}}), once a sanctuary for the Prince of Yan on the run from the ruthless Qin Shihuang.{{Cite web|url=http://www.liaoning-gateway.com/gateway/tourism/392/1985892.shtml| title=Ancient City Xingcheng| publisher=Liaoning Gateway|access-date=2010-01-05}} A boat provides access to the island from the passenger terminal at the wharf, where local fisherman dock.{{Cite web|url=https://maps.google.com/maps/place?q=passenger+transport+loc:+xingcheng&hl=en&cid=9937135124211467787| title= Passenger Transport Wharf serving Chrysanthemum Island| publisher=Google Maps| work=Location}}

File:兴城邴家村海边.jpg

The Xingcheng seaside draws quite a crowd for swimming and other water sports and recreational activities during the summer. Its entrance is marked by a large statue of a local goddess.{{Cite web|url=https://maps.google.com/maps/place?q=juhuanv+diaoxiang+loc:+xingcheng,+Huludao,+Liaoning,+China&hl=en&cid=5717356707085182969| title= Seaside Goddess Statue| publisher=Google Maps| work=Location}} A pier connecting reef-top pavilions and a temple are located at the south end of the beach.{{Cite web|url=https://maps.google.com/maps/place?q=Temple+of+the+Queen+of+Heaven&cid=8577530486625703083| title= Temple of the Queen of Heaven| publisher=Google Maps| work=Location}}

Liaoning Finance and Trade College in Xingcheng hosted events for the city's first International Swimsuit Festival{{Cite web|url=http://huludao.swimsuit.china.org.cn| title= Xingcheng, Huludao International Swimsuit Festival}} on August 16, 2011. This event follows the city's receipt of the honorary title “Chinese Swimwear Town” by the China National Textile & Apparel Council and China Garment Association in 2010 for the city's noteworthy swimsuit manufacture.{{Cite web|url=http://english.ctei.gov.cn/innews/domestic/201010/t20101015_2785.html| title= Xingcheng Honored As Chinese Swimwear Town}}

The old town of Xingcheng is the best preserved of four Ming Dynasty cities in China that retain their original and complete city walls, and is a treasure trove of traditional Ming architecture, containing historical remnants such as the Confucius Temple, the oldest temple in Northeast China and the largest ancient building in Liaoning.

File:Xingcheng East Gate.jpg

Shoushan ({{lang|zh-Hans-CN|首山}}), a mountain located in the east end of Xingcheng, is open to the public for recreation. Visitors can hike to its summit. The area around it features temples on adjacent hills.{{Cite web|url=https://maps.google.com/maps/place?q=shoushan+loc:+xingcheng,+china&hl=en&cid=15394945247659538474| title= Shoushan Guojiaji Forest Park| publisher=Google Maps| work=Location}}

File:Shou shan lu sign xingcheng small.jpg (首山) beyond the overgrowth in the background in Xingcheng.]]

Xingcheng is served by rail lines and bus routes that make it accessible from other larger cities. Huludao, a short taxi ride away, also features high-speed rail and other rail lines and additional bus routes.

Taxis are metered and are typically easy to hail with fares starting at 5 RMB.

The city also provides bus service about twelve hours a day for a fare of 1 RMB per passenger. Routes 1 and 2 connect the east end near the coast to the heart of the city's commercial activity in Nanguan ({{lang|zh-Hans|南关}}) in the old town and the rail and bus stations on the west end.

The closest airport is Jinzhou Airport.

There are seven subdistricts, four towns, and two townships, and 15 ethnic townships under the city's administration.{{cite web

|url=http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjbz/cxfldm/2011/21/14/211481.html

|script-title=zh:2011年统计用区划代码和城乡划分代码：兴城市

|publisher=National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China

|language=zh

|access-date=2012-07-17

}}

Townships:

{{Weather box|width=auto

|metric first=y

|single line=y

|collapsed = Y

|location = Xingcheng, elevation {{convert|21|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2025)

|Jan high C = -1.3

|Feb high C = 2.1

|Mar high C = 8.4

|Apr high C = 16.1

|May high C = 22.6

|Jun high C = 25.6

|Jul high C = 28.0

|Aug high C = 28.3

|Sep high C = 24.9

|Oct high C = 17.9

|Nov high C = 8.2

|Dec high C = 1.1

|Jan mean C = -7.6

|Feb mean C = -3.9

|Mar mean C = 2.6

|Apr mean C = 10.5

|May mean C = 17.1

|Jun mean C = 21.3

|Jul mean C = 24.3

|Aug mean C = 24.0

|Sep mean C = 19.1

|Oct mean C = 11.6

|Nov mean C = 2.3

|Dec mean C = -5.0

|Jan low C = -12.7

|Feb low C = -9.1

|Mar low C = -2.6

|Apr low C = 4.9

|May low C = 11.7

|Jun low C = 17.1

|Jul low C = 20.9

|Aug low C = 20.0

|Sep low C = 13.7

|Oct low C = 5.7

|Nov low C = -2.7

|Dec low C = -9.8

|Jan record high C = 10.4 |Jan record low C = -27.5

|Feb record high C = 13.2 |Feb record low C = -20.7

|Mar record high C = 28.9 |Mar record low C = -14.4

|Apr record high C = 33.5 |Apr record low C = -7.3

|May record high C = 36.9 |May record low C = 2.3

|Jun record high C = 39.9 |Jun record low C = 5.5

|Jul record high C = 37.5 |Jul record low C = 14.2

|Aug record high C = 34.7 |Aug record low C = 11.2

|Sep record high C = 33.9 |Sep record low C = 0.1

|Oct record high C = 28.7 |Oct record low C = -6.1

|Nov record high C = 21.0 |Nov record low C = -16.2

|Dec record high C = 14.5 |Dec record low C = -22.0

|year high C = |year low C =

|year high F = |year low F =

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 2.2

|Feb precipitation mm = 2.7

|Mar precipitation mm = 7.2

|Apr precipitation mm = 23.6

|May precipitation mm = 49.6

|Jun precipitation mm = 82.6

|Jul precipitation mm = 151.8

|Aug precipitation mm = 138.7

|Sep precipitation mm = 43.8

|Oct precipitation mm = 29.7

|Nov precipitation mm = 12.3

|Dec precipitation mm = 2.7

|Jan humidity = 54

|Feb humidity = 54

|Mar humidity = 52

|Apr humidity = 54

|May humidity = 60

|Jun humidity = 75

|Jul humidity = 84

|Aug humidity = 82

|Sep humidity = 73

|Oct humidity = 64

|Nov humidity = 58

|Dec humidity = 55

|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 1.5

|Feb precipitation days = 1.5

|Mar precipitation days = 2.5

|Apr precipitation days = 4.2

|May precipitation days = 6.6

|Jun precipitation days = 9.7

|Jul precipitation days = 10.3

|Aug precipitation days = 8.6

|Sep precipitation days = 5.3

|Oct precipitation days = 4.4

|Nov precipitation days = 2.9

|Dec precipitation days = 1.5

|year precipitation days =

|Jan sun = 220.8

|Feb sun = 219.9

|Mar sun = 264.3

|Apr sun = 261.2

|May sun = 281.4

|Jun sun = 240.7

|Jul sun = 206.6

|Aug sun = 235.3

|Sep sun = 250.5

|Oct sun = 235.1

|Nov sun = 199.1

|Dec sun = 205.2

|year sun =

| Jan percentsun = 74

| Feb percentsun = 73

| Mar percentsun = 71

| Apr percentsun = 65

| May percentsun = 63

| Jun percentsun = 54

| Jul percentsun = 46

| Aug percentsun = 56

| Sep percentsun = 68

| Oct percentsun = 69

| Nov percentsun = 68

| Dec percentsun = 71

| year percentsun =

|Jan snow days = 2.3

|Feb snow days = 1.9

|Mar snow days = 1.7

|Apr snow days = 0.5

|May snow days = 0

|Jun snow days = 0

|Jul snow days = 0

|Aug snow days = 0

|Sep snow days = 0

|Oct snow days = 0.2

|Nov snow days = 1.9

|Dec snow days = 2.1

|year snow days =

|source 1 = China Meteorological Administration{{cite web |url=http://data.cma.cn/data/weatherBk.html |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data |publisher=China Meteorological Administration |language = zh-hans |access-date=29 July 2023}}

{{cite web|url=https://experience.arcgis.com/template/e724038fda394e9d9b7921f10fd1aa55/page/%E7%BA%AF%E8%A1%A8%E6%A0%BC%E7%BB%9F%E8%AE%A1-(%E5%AF%B9%E6%AF%948110%E5%8F%98%E5%8C%96)/?org=UQmaps |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网|publisher=China Meteorological Administration |language = zh-hans | access-date =29 July 2023}}

}}

• Battle of Ningyuan
• Liaoning Finance and Trade College

{{Reflist}}

{{Commonscat|Xingcheng}}

{{Wiktionary|Xingcheng}}

{{Wikivoyage}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080723211053/http://www.xc-online.gov.cn/ Official website of Xingcheng Government]
• http://www.liaoning-gateway.com/gateway/tourism/392/1985892.shtml/Ancient City Xingcheng

{{Liaoning}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Liaoning

Category:County-level divisions of Liaoning

Category:Huludao