Haicheng, city in northeastern China, in Liaoning province. It lies east of the Liao River, where the Liao River valley meets the Qian Shan mountain range. Haicheng is situated at the eastern edge of the most important deposits of iron ore in Liaoning province. This iron, along with the province's coal deposits, forms the base of Liaoning's iron and steel industry. The surrounding farmland produces one crop of rice each year as well as fruits and vegetables. Haicheng is situated on the superhighway between Shenyang and Dalian, and at the junction between the Shenyang-Dalian railroad and a line leading west to Goubangzi and on to Beijing.
Haicheng is known to have existed during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). It was later conquered by the Koreans, who built a fort there. In AD 645 the Tang (T'ang) reconquered it. Under the Liao dynasty (907-1125), who succeeded the Tang in the northeast, the city was renamed Haicheng. The name means “Sea City,” and at that time the city was by the sea, although today it lies roughly 80 km (50 mi) inland due to silting in the Liao River delta. In February 1975 Haicheng suffered a severe earthquake that destroyed or damaged 90 percent of the buildings in the city. Haicheng has since been rebuilt. Population (1991) 205,560.
