Baicheng
prefecture-level city in Jilin, China
Baicheng (Chinese: 白城市; pinyin: Báichéng Shì; lit. 'White City') is a prefecture-level city in the northwestern part of Jilin province, China, bordering Inner Mongolia to the north and west and Heilongjiang to the east and northeast. At the 2010 census, 2,033,058 people lived within its administrative area of 25,683 km2 (9,916 sq mi).
Toponymy
By 1938 the area was renamed to Baicheng, which in Chinese means white town. The name's origin is the Mongolian name of the city Chaghanhot, which also means "white town".
History
The area of present-day Baicheng has been inhabited by humans for more than 12,000 years, dating back to the Upper Paleolithic era. The area was subsequently inhabited by the nomadic Donghu from the period of the Shang dynasty through to the Qin dynasty. It would later be inhabited by the Xianbei and formed part of Buyeo from the period of the Han dynasty through to the Northern and Southern dynasties. During the time of the Sui dynasty and Tang dynasty, the area was inhabited by the Khitan people.
During the Khitan-founded Liao dynasty, the area was incorporated as part of the Changchun Prefecture, the seat of which was located in the ancient city of Chengsijiazi (Chinese: 城四家子; pinyin: Chéngsìjiāzǐ), located in present-day Deshun Mongol Ethnic Township in Taobei District.
The public source identifies “Baicheng” as prefecture-level city in Jilin, China. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Baicheng, prefecture-level and city.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Baicheng”, the useful work is to connect “prefecture-level city in Jilin, China” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q92381. VIAF identifies the subject as 156679913. Authority coordinates are 45.615, 122.832. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2010 and 1938.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Baicheng”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Baicheng primary sources, Baicheng archive and Baicheng research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Baicheng”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Baicheng” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.