Geography of China I Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dalian

Dalian is one of the prime tourist destinations in China. Its pristine Yellow Sea beaches attract many tourists, especially from Japan. In the late 19th century, it became the Russian naval base of Port Arthur. However, the Russians were deprived of its control by Japan during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 to 1905.

Answer: Heilong / Wusuli

You were very close if you guessed the Amur and the Ussuri. The rivers you selected were correct, but I asked for the Chinese name and this choice features the Russian equivalents. The Songhua River is a tributary of the Heilong, and the Woken is a river located in the province to the immediate south of the Heilong River, called Heilongjiang. The Huma and Nen are in Inner Mongolia.

Answer: Zhenbao Dao

The Russian name for this island is Damanski. It was ceded to Russia by the Chinese imperial government through the Treaties of Aigun (1858) and Peking (1860). In March, 1969, the Chinese attempted three times to recapture the island, but the ensuing battles were largely indecisive. Negotiations followed between the Chinese and Soviet governments, and a demarcation line was agreed upon. Damanski Island was finally returned to China in 1991 and renamed Zhenbao Dao. Hainan Dao and the Xisha Qundao are located in the South China Sea, and Jinmen Dao is located in the Taiwan Strait off Xiamen, Fujian Province, in southeastern China.

Answer: Yalu

The Yalu River has been the scene of many historical events. On September 17, 1894, the Chinese fleet was encircled and decimated by the better trained and equipped Japanese navy in the epic Battle of the Yalu.

Answer: Harbin

The city of Harbin has a population of 2.54 million is the capital of Heilongjiang province and boasts many attractions, including ice sculptures during winter. Also, the Pokrov Church in Harbin is the last remnant of the once thriving Russian heritage in the city, numbering 144 000 at the time of the communist takeover in 1949.

Answer: Xingkai Hu

Xingkai Hu's Russian name is Ozero Khanka. Approximately one-third of it lies in China and the remainder in Russian territory. It is the source of the Wusuli river.

Answer: Qiqihar

Qiqihar was founded in 1691 as a Chinese military fortress to protect the region from Russian incursions which frequently encroached upon Chinese territory in Heilongjiang. It was once the capital of Heilongjiang.

Answer: Jilin

Jilin City, with a population of over 4 million and an area of more than 27 000 square kilometers, is one of the thirty largest cities in China. It is often mistakened as the capital of Jilin province, though the capital is actually Changchun, approximately 100 kilo-meters to the west.

Answer: Fushun

Fushun was developed by the Russians until taken over by the Japanese in 1905. It reverted to Chinese control at the end of World War II. The city has a long-established coal-mining industry; its enormous open-pit coal mine has been in operation since the twelfth century.

Answer: Mohe

Situated at 53 degrees north latitude, Mohe is also one of the strangest places in the country. It is the coldest city in China, with temperatures averaging between minus 30 and minus 40 degrees Celsius in winter. It is situated so far north that it is the only place in China that the phenomenon of the midnight sun in summer can be seen!