Songliao

Songliao is a Chinese toponym derived from the Songhua River (Song) and the Liao River (Liao). It commonly refers to a geographic region in Northeast China that includes parts of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning. The name is used for two related units: the Songliao Plain (松辽平原) and the Songliao Basin (松辽盆地).

The Songliao Plain is a vast alluvial plain formed by sediment deposition from the Songhua and Liao rivers. It stretches across central portions of Heilongjiang, southern Jilin, and northern Liaoning, with Harbin on the Songhua River and Changchun nearby as major urban centers. The plain is one of China’s principal agricultural zones, producing large quantities of corn, soybeans, wheat, and other crops, aided by relatively flat terrain and temperate climate. It has historically been described as the main “granary” region of Northeast China.

The Songliao Basin is a major intracratonic sedimentary basin in northeast China, extending across Heilongjiang and Jilin and into Liaoning. It formed in the Mesozoic era through extensional tectonics and contains thick sequences of sedimentary rocks that host significant oil and gas resources. The Daqing Oil Field is the best-known field, since its discovery in 1959 and sustained production in the following decades, making the basin a cornerstone of China’s modern petroleum industry. In recent years, development has diversified to include natural gas and related industries, while environmental and water management issues remain a focus of regional planning.