WikiPortallus: Khabarovsk.html

The area was originally part of China, part of Manchu-ruled(17th Century to 20th Century) Imperial China and was called Boli. The Manchurian hamlet dates back to the 12th century.[1]

On March 26 1652, Cossacks were attacked by a joint Manchu cavalry near Achansk (Ачанск), a Russian fort corresponding to the present-day Khabarovsk, but failed to take the fort. However, in 1654, a joint Manchu-Korean army met a Russian army at the Battle of Hutong (hangul: 후퉁강 hanja: 厚通江 (混同江)), which was won by Manchu-Korean allied forces. Four years later,in 1658, Hyojong sent troops once again to help the Qing Dynasty against Russia; 260 Korean musketeers and cannoners were sent to fight against the Russians under command of an Amur Cossack, Onufrij Stepanov (Онуфрий Степанов-Кузнец). Manchu-Korean forces met the Russians at Sharhody (Chinese: 沙尔虎达 Шарходы/Шарходе hangul:의례목성 (어라이무청)), on the mouth of the Sungari River, killing 270 Russians and driving them out of Manchu territory. Those campaigns are better known in Korean chronicles as, Nasun Jeongbeol (hangul: 나선정벌 hanja: 羅禪征伐 Усмирении России).

In 1858, the area was ceded to Russia under the Treaty of Aigun. The Russians founded the military outpost of Khabarovka (Хаба́ровка), [2] named after a Russian explorer Yerofey Khabarov. The post later became an important industrial centre for the region.

In 1894, a department of Russian Geographical Society was formed in Khabarovsk and began initiating the foundation of libraries, theaters, and museums in the city. Since then, Khabarovsk's cultural life has flourished. Much of the local indigenous history has been well-preserved in the Regional Lore Museum and Natural History Museum and in places like near the Nanai settlement of Sikhachi-Alyan, where cliff drawings from more than 1,300 years ago can be found. The Khabarovsk Art Museum exhibits a rare collection of old Russian icons.

Tourism

Visitors to the picturesque city of Khabarovsk are likely to enjoy walking the broad Amursky Boulevard with its many vibrant shops and perhaps visit the local market. The city's five districts stretch for 45 kilometers (28 mi) along the Amur River.

Recently, there have been many renovations in the city's central part, rebuilding with historical perspective. A popular attraction for visitors is a walking tour from the Lenin Square to Utes via Muravyov-Amursky Street, where visitors can find traditional Russian cuisine restaurants and shops with souvenirs. There are many night clubs and pubs in this area.

Unlike Vladivostok, the city has never been closed to foreigners, despite its being the headquarters of the Far East Military District, and retains its historically international flavor. Once the capital of the Soviet Far East (from 1926 to 1938), since the demise of the Soviet Union it has experienced an increased Asian presence. It is estimated that over one million Chinese travel to and through Khabarovsk yearly, and foreign investment by Japanese and Korean corporations has grown in recent years.