Zalantun (ManchuJ̌alan Ai"l or Jalan Tun) or Zhalantun (Chinese: 扎兰屯; Mongolian: ᠵᠠᠯᠠᠨ ᠠᠢ᠌ᠯ ᠬᠣᠲᠠ), is a city and administrative division of HulunbuirPrefecture-level city, Inner Mongolia, China. It is in the northeastern part of Inner Mongolia, in the southeastern foothills of the Greater Khingan mountains, bordering Heilongjiang province to the east. It is an area which has a number of forests and streams, as well as the Yalu River, not to be confused with the Yalu River on the Sino-Korean border. It is known for its hunting and fishing.[citation needed]
History
Zalantun was formerly known as Butha (布特哈; Bùtèhā), and the city was made into an administrative centre in the Kangxi era. In 1929, Buteha was renamed as Yalu county (雅鲁县; Yǎlǔ Xiàn) because the Yalu River runs through it, but in 1933 it became the Zalantun Banner (扎兰屯旗; Zhālántún Qí). In 1983, Zalantun ceased to be a banner and became a part of Hulunbuir, remaining so today.
Zalantun has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (KöppenDwa/Dwb), with long frigid winters, very warm summers, and short transitional seasons. The monthly mean temperature ranges from −16.5 °C (2.3 °F) in January to 21.7 °C (71.1 °F) in July, while the annual mean is 3.65 °C (38.6 °F). Typifying the influence of the East Asian Monsoon, on average, a majority of the annual 501 millimetres (19.7 in) of precipitation falls in July and August alone.
Climate data for Zhalantun, elevation 307 m (1,007 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–2010)
Zalantun's economy is based primarily on tourism and agriculture, livestock and forestry. The Harbin-Manzhouli Railway traverses the district. It is rich in food grains, particularly wheat, soy and corn, as well as cattle, sheep, horse and other livestock. It has an industrial base in paper production, candy production, and wool. It has an annual average temperature of 2 °C and an average annual precipitation of 480mm. The northwest portion of the district consists of natural forests in the Greater Khingan mountains.