MANCIURIA

MANCHURIA. – It is the north-eastern part of the Chinese domain, bounded by the Amur, the Ussuri, the Korean peninsula, the province of Hopei, and Mongolia; a territory more than three times the size of Italy, stretching between extreme latitudes from Denmark to Calabria and facing, with a short coastline (from the Gulf of Liaotung to that of Korea), the Yellow Sea.

I. GEOGRAPHY

A long mountain frame encircles on the W. (Hsing-an), N. (Hsiao Hsing-an) and E. (Chang-paik) the vast plain through which flow the Sungari (2,400 km. in length) and the Liao (1,160 km.), which with their tributaries form an excellent network of internal communication routes. The climate is cold continental, with abundant rainfall and notable differences between N. and S. In addition to its agricultural vocation, which follows from the abundance and fertility of its alluvial soils, Manchuria displays considerable industrial potential thanks to numerous mineral reserves, still not well known (coal, iron, copper, lead, manganese, bituminous shale, etc.) and no less considerable forest resources (30% of the territorial surface); the exploitation of both is, one might say, still in its infancy. Agriculture yields mainly soybeans, wheat, rice and sugar beet; livestock raising (5.4 million head of swine, 2 million of sheep, 1.7 million of cattle) is still far from its potential. Large-scale industry, although of recent introduction, already boasts notable achievements in the steel and chemical sectors (Anshan and Penhishin), hydroelectric and textile. Trade benefits from the two ports of Antung (the larger) and Dairen (the former Port Arthur).

The population (36.9 million inhabitants in 1946) is overwhelmingly Chinese; the actual Manchus probably do not constitute more than one-eighth of the total, and other minorities (Koreans, Japanese, Russians) are numerically insignificant. Density is already high in southern Manchuria, where the climate is milder and economic activity more intense, especially in the lower basin of the Liao. There are numerous large urban centres: one (Shenyang, formerly Mukden) exceeds one million inhabitants (1.1 million in 1946); two exceed 500,000 (the capital Changchun, formerly Hsinking with 790,000, and Pinkiang, formerly Harbin, with 662,000); Kao-liang (a kind of borough) and about ten exceed 100,000 (among them Chifeng with 430,000, Fushun and Dairen with over 300,000 each).

Manchuria, an independent republic in 1931, was constituted by the Japanese—who in fact controlled it—into an empire (Man-chu-Kwo) in 1934; after 1945 it was returned to China and divided into nine provinces (Antung, Heilung-Kiang, Ho-Kiang, Hsing-an, Kirin, Liao-ning, Liao-pehi, Nung-Kiang and Sung-Kiang; Jehol is excluded). The Chinese Eastern Railway (Manchuli-Harbin-Suifenho-Pograničnaja) and the South Manchurian Railway (Changchow-Mukden-Dairen) operate under Sino-Soviet joint control.

II. EVANGELIZATION

In 1838 Gregory XVI detached from the diocese of Peking the apostolic vicariate of Leatung with jurisdiction over Manchuria and Mongolia, entrusting it to the Paris Foreign Missions Seminary. In 1840 Mongolia was erected into a separate apostolic vicariate and entrusted to the Vincentians. In Manchuria there were about 2,500 Chinese Christian exiles or refugees who had escaped the persecutions at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. They had no resident missionaries, but were visited by priests sent from the bishop of Peking, who since 1702 had been apostolic delegate for Chinese Tartary. The first apostolic vicar, Emmanuel Verrolles (1838–78), established several stations. The difficulties were great: the ethnic diversity of the population, the vastness of the territory, the harshness of the climate, and the hostility of the pagans. Under Mgr. Verrolles and his successors, however, the missionaries succeeded in organizing the existing Christian communities and founding new ones. In 1875 the first Sisters of Providence of Portieux arrived in the mission. A real advance in conversions came only after 1890.