Formation of cities in Manchuria in the late 19th – early 20th centuries

The article analyzes the influence of railway construction on the development of cities and towns in Northern Manchuria in the late 19th – early 20th centuries. This article examines the key aspects of the formation of Manchurian city planning, their connection with historical settlements and the influence of transport infrastructure on their urban development. It analyzes the geographical and historical prerequisites for the formation of cities, the role of railway infrastructure in the formation of compositional centers, as well as the features of their dual development - around historical Chinese cities and towns and new European quarters. The article examines key cities such as Hailar, Qiqihar, Harbin, Changchun, Jilin, Tieling, Shenyang, Yingkou, Dalian, Port Arthur and Dandong, and their role in the transport infrastructure of the region. The study reveals the unique features of Manchurian urban planning caused by the complex interaction in the context of transport and social changes in the early 20th century. The research methodology is based on an integrated approach to the analysis of the planning development of Manchuria cities and is based on empirical methods. Cartographic analysis allowed us to determine the historical core of cities and settlements in the structure of modern cities, as well as to identify patterns in the placement of functional zones. Historical and archival analysis allowed us to identify key factors that influenced planning decisions. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that the work for the first time carried out a comprehensive analysis of the planning of cities in Northern Manchuria during the period of active construction of the railway network. For the first time, models of urban structure development based on the interaction of traditional Chinese urban cores and the formation of new European quarters were systematically identified and described. This phenomenon is interpreted as a reflection of complex socio-cultural and transport-economic processes characteristic of the region in the period under review. The results of the study contribute to an expanded understanding of the role of railway construction in the formation of planning structures of Manchuria cities. Thus, it was possible to reveal that the railway infrastructure played a key role in the formation of urban planning, promoting the development of transport and economic links and stimulating the emergence of new functional zones, including national characteristics.