I. PROCESS OF URBANIZATION AND CHANGES IN THE ENVIRONMENT

[ I | I-A | I-B | I-C | I-D ]

B. Industrial colonial city of strategic importance in North-East Asia

After the Opium Wars in 1840, China was reduced to the status of a colony and was invaded by various Western powers in succession. In 1861, tsarist Russia intruded into Shenyang, and forced China to open the port of Yingkou according to "the Tianjin Pact". Soon afterwards, railways and factories were constructed and shops and banks were established. As a result, the original appearance of ancient Shenyang city as well as the pattern of the surrounding towns were adversely altered. In 1905, after the Japanese-Russian War, the Japanese replaced tsarist Russia in Shenyang. They then placed a large area to the west of Heping street in Heping district of today under the South Manchuria Railway Limited Company and made it into an dependent territory (actually a concession territory). The Japanese continued to open up new roads, construct houses and establish factories. In 1906, the zone between the west gate of the city and the above- mentioned dependent territory was opened up as a trading port area where the Western powers fought for footing. Soon after, two new commercial districts, the South Market set up in 1919 and the North Market in 1920, became prominent.

Following the revolution of 1911, a warlord named Zhangzuolin took over Shenyang and constructed the Dadong Industrial District, the North Railway Station and the East Railway Station to strengthen his power. Thus the old Shenyang city area expanded gradually on all sides during that period. Being cut apart by the dependent territory, the old city comprised different styles in its various districts and its layout was disorderly with very few municipal utilities.

From 1914 when the First World War broke out, Shenyang became the hub of the transport system, both outside and inside the Pass, as it was the intersection of the Beijing--Liaoning Railway, Shenyang-Haicheng Railway, Anshan-Fenghua Railway and Nan-Hai Railway. Five roads also passing through Shenyang, and postal and telecommunication services were developed. The towns along the railways and the roads, such as Sujiatun, Xinchengzi, Xinmin and Liaozhong, were quickly developed. All those activities laid the foundation for forming the pattern of cities and towns in the entire Shenyang area. With the development of communications and postal services, Shenyang's industrial and commercial sectors were revived. Many factories, shops and other commercial buildings were established and prospered. Middle Street became a flourishing shopping area. The Great East Industrial District mainly comprised the ordnance factory of the three eastern provinces, and the Manchuria Plane Manufacturing Plant, Biggie Ironworks and the Mint were established. After the end of the First World War, Western forces once again poured into Shenyang.

In 1931, during the Sino-Japanese war, Shenyang was placed under the central control of the Japanese. The urbanization process during the Japanese rule also had a great impact on the environment. In September of that year, Shenyang was reduced to the status of a Japanese colony. Soon after, Japanese undertook major city reconstruction work in accordance with a city Development plan they had introduced. The development of the Tiexi Industrial Zone is a case in point. The zone was located in western Shenyang and a large number of Japanese factories were concentrated there. Since Shenyang was influenced mainly by south-westerly and north-westerly winds, a vast amount of waste gases, smoke and dust emitted by the Tiexi Industrial Zone was carried by the winds, spreading over Shenyang City and causing air pollution that threatened the health of residents. That unreasonable city arrangement continues to hinder current environment improvement. The Japanese also opened up coal, iron, steel, siderite, lead and zinc mines in middle and south Liaoning. Meanwhile, they constructed industrial processing bases for metallurgy, mechanical operations, textiles and other light industries. By the 1930s, the output by heavy industries such as coal, iron and steel, electric power, oil refining from oil-shale and non-ferrous metal refining ranked first in China, forming the biggest heavy industrial base in the country at that time. The heavy industrial structure not only increased the consumption of energy and resources, but also greatly increased the discharge of pollutants. The industrial structure and arrangements resulted in serious pollution in a group of cities in middle Liaoning and created difficulties for environmental quality control in later years.

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