Shuangyashan was given its name in AD 1384 during the Ming Dynasty. However, few people lived in the area before coal was discovered there in 1914. In 1928 a major coal mining operation was established on the site and in 1946 the area was first designated a county. Shuangyashan was established as a special mining district in 1954 and officially designated a city by the CPC Central Committee and State Council in 1956.
Geography and climate
Resources
Shuangyashan is rich in coal, magnetite and marble. The proven coal reserves in the city total 11 billion tons, ranking first out of 13 prefecture and prefecture-level cities in the province. The magnetite reserves in Shuangyashan exceed 120 million tons, ranking first in Heilongjiang Province.
Climate
The city has a cold temperate monsoon climate, with long, cold, windy winters. The annual mean temperature in the city is.
Economy
Shuangyashan is a major center for coal mining. The city also produces steel, lumber, chemicals, building materials, textiles, electric machinery, and food products. In 2010, Shuangyashan's GDP reached RMB 37.67 billion, featuring a growth of 25% from a year ago. The production output of steel and coal ranked the first and the second in Heilongjiang province. The region has attracted investments from large domestic companies such as Shandong Luneng Group and Jianlong Group. Tourism, retailing and wholesaling are also the pillars of the city's service sector. More recently, the city has been feeling the effects of the coal downturn, with mining demand collapsing amidst a slowdown in China's economic growth.
Transportation
Shuangyashan is the end of the Harbin to Shuangyashan railway spur link. 15 hours from Harbin by train, and 90 minutes from the closest prefecture-level city, Jiamusi. A modern freeway connects the town to Jiamusi over a distance of. There is a modern coach service as well which does this trip in approximately 45 minutes. The city is from Jiamusi Airport, which operates regular flights to Beijing, Dalian, Shanghai, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Sanya and Khabarovsk.
Sight-seeing
Shuangyashan is surrounded by small mountains, and a large park based around one of these mountains forms a major feature of the outdoor life of the town. During the winter, this pine and elm-covered mountain forms an area for recreational activities.
