Jiandao

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Jiandao, also known as Gando in Korean, is a historic border region along the north bank of the Tumen River in Jilin Province, northeast China. It has a large population of ethnic Koreans. The name originally came from a shallow island in the river that served as a landmark for Koreans moving across the border. Over time, “Jiandao” came to refer to the areas where Koreans settled.

In the early 20th century, Japan tried to control the region. Japanese forces invaded Jiandao in 1907 but withdrew in 1909 after Chinese and other pressures, and the border along the Tumen River was recognized as it had been. In China, the area is now part of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, and the name Jiandao is less used because of its association with Japanese rule. Some Koreans outside China still debate the issue, but officially the region is regarded as Chinese territory.

Historically, many peoples and states ruled the area. It was part of the lands of Goguryeo and Balhae, and later came under Qing rule, followed by Manchukuo under Japanese control. A formal border agreement in 1712 set limits along the Yalu and Tumen rivers, and movement into Manchuria was restricted for centuries. The region opened to settlement in 1881, and Korean farmers moved there for other reasons, including famine.

During the 1930s and 1940s, the area was part of Manchukuo and saw renewed Korean settlement and harsh military action by the Japanese. After World War II, many Koreans returned to Korea, but many stayed in Manchuria. Today the area is part of China’s Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin, with a large Korean minority.

Since the 1960s, border agreements between China and Korea have settled disputes over Jiandao/Gando. North Korea and South Korea recognize the border mainly along the Yalu and Tumen rivers, and there is little popular or official pressure to claim the land. Some irredentist ideas exist among a few groups, but they have little influence on current relations. Today, Jiandao is remembered as a region with a strong Korean community living within China.