Daqing
The "Oil City": the Iron Man Wang Jinxi Memorial, the Daqing Oilfield History Exhibition Hall and Iron Man's First Well tell the story of the great oil campaign, alongside urban lakes, wetlands and Lianhuan Lake hot springs.
Daqing lies on the Songnen Plain in western Heilongjiang and is home to China's largest oilfield. Its name, "Great Celebration", comes from the Songji No. 3 well striking oil in 1959, just in time for the 10th anniversary of the People's Republic. The city is made up of five scattered districts — Sartu, Ranghulu, Longfeng, Honggang and Datong — separated by oilfields, lakes and wetlands, earning it the nickname "City of a Hundred Lakes", and "nodding donkey" pumpjacks are everywhere. The main attractions fall into three groups. First, oil industry and revolutionary heritage: the Iron Man Wang Jinxi Memorial, the Daqing Oilfield History Exhibition Hall, Iron Man's First Well, the Songji No. 3 well and the Petroleum Science and Technology Museum. Second, the Eastern New District, with the Daqing Museum, the MAD-designed Daqing Opera House and Liming Lake. Third, nature and leisure: birdwatching in Longfeng Wetland, hot springs and winter fishing at Lianhuan Lake in Dorbod, and Lindian, dubbed "China's Hot Spring Capital". The best season is June–September, when the weather is cool and the wetlands lush; in the deep cold of winter you can soak in hot springs and watch winter fishing. Getting there: Harbin–Qiqihar high-speed trains stop at Daqing East and Daqing West stations, about 1 hour from Harbin, and there is also Sartu Airport. Allow 2 days: one for oil heritage, one for wetlands and hot springs. Most memorial halls are free but require advance booking and are closed on Mondays.
Top sights
- Iron Man Wang Jinxi Memorial – A national first-class museum shaped like a worker, telling the story of the 'Iron Man' Wang Jinxi, who led the 1205 drilling team in the D…
- Daqing Oilfield History Museum – Housed in 'Building No. 2', the former headquarters of the oilfield battle, this museum presents the full history of the Daqing oilfield's…
- Iron Man First Oil Well (Well Sa-55) – The site of Well Sa-55, the first oil well drilled in Daqing by Drilling Team 1205. The original rig, mud pits and dugout workshop are pres…
- Songji No.3 Well – The discovery well of the Daqing oilfield, where industrial oil flowed on 1959. The name “Daqing” came from here, and it is a milestone in…
- Daqing Museum – A comprehensive museum in the new eastern district, displaying Songnen Plain fossils, local history and the development of Daqing as an oil…
- Daqing Petroleum Science and Technology Museum – A science museum focused on oil exploration, drilling and refining, with many interactive exhibits, making it well suited for family study…
- Daqing Opera House – A streamlined white building designed by MAD Architects, resembling snow dunes shaped by the wind on the grassland. It is the new landmark…
- Longfeng Wetland – A provincial wetland nature reserve within the city. Bird-watching towers and boardwalks offer views of reed marshes, red-crowned cranes, e…
- Liming Lake Park – A large urban lake park in Dongcheng District, with a lakeside walking trail connected to wetland scenery, and winter ice and snow activiti…
- Lianhuan Lake Hot Springs – A hot spring resort surrounded by 18 interconnected lakes in Durbet. Enjoy birdwatching by the lake in summer and soak in hot springs while…
- Lindian Hot Springs – Known as the "Hot Spring Hometown of China," Lindian County clusters several geothermal resorts around its county seat, easily combined wit…
Where to eat
- Sanhe Pit-Roasted Beef Head – An old shop on Tiedong Village's pit-roast street; Daqing's first restaurant to serve pit-roasted beef head, selling ab…
- Tuanjie Road Knife-Cut Noodles (Xiangjiang Road Branch) – A Daqing old-brand knife-cut noodle shop; hand-shaved wide noodles topped with braised beef make a filling breakfast fo…
Itineraries
- Wudalianchi, Heihe & Qiqihar Northwest Loop – A loop starting from Harbin that connects volcanic landscapes, Aihui history, Zhalong red-crowned cranes, and the Daqin…