Combined with the current development status of 36 cities in Northeast China, I think these cities can be roughly divided into the following 9 grades, and then analyze them in detail.
The first gear: Shenyang, Dalian
There is no doubt that Shenyang and Dalian are the leading cities in Northeast China, and Shenyang is slightly better than Dalian in terms of comprehensive strength. Because Dalian is only stronger than Shenyang in terms of industrial strength, Dalian actually suffers in terms of geographical location. Because there is no cross-sea bridge from Dalian to Yantai, the distance to other cities in Liaoning Province is far, and there is no direct railway train to Qingdao and Yantai.
On the whole, Shenyang is stronger than Dalian in terms of medical care, commerce, transportation, strategic position, etc., and combined with the current development status, Shenyang's comprehensive strength is still stronger than Dalian.
The second gear: Changchun, Harbin
Although they are all sub-provincial cities, there is still a slight gap between the development status of Changchun and Harbin and Shenyang and Dalian. Not only because the economic level of Changchun and Harbin lags behind that of Shenyang and Dalian, but also because there is a small gap in other aspects.
If you compare Changchun and Harbin carefully, I find that Changchun is slightly stronger. Because Harbin's secondary industry lags behind Changchun, Harbin's transportation infrastructure construction lags behind Changchun's by a large margin, and the built-up area of Harbin is not as fast as Changchun's.
Even though the urban area of Harbin is more prosperous and the international reputation is higher, if you only look at the current situation, I feel that Changchun is indeed developing faster than Harbin.
The third gear: Daqing, Anshan
After all, Daqing has oil and Anshan has steel, so the development status of these two cities can be ranked third in the northeast.
The reason why I put Daqing before Anshan is because Daqing's urban area and infrastructure construction are more powerful. Driving on the streets of Daqing is a kind of enjoyment, and there is a big gap between the road conditions in Anshan and Daqing.
Fourth gear: Jilin, Yingkou, Panjin
Jilin City used to be a grade with Daqing and Anshan, but the development of Jilin City in recent years has not been satisfactory. Many people say that it is because Changchun is the only city that makes other small cities suffer, but I don't agree with that.
Because the decline of Jilin City stems from the inability to upgrade the industry, the periphery of the urban area is surrounded by mountains, and its geographical location is not on the Harbin-Dalian railway line, Jilin City has declined in the long run.
As for Yingkou and Panjin, I feel that Yingkou is slightly stronger. Because Panjin was established late, there is nothing eye-catching about the level of urban construction. If the petrochemical industry does not perform well, Panjin's economic growth will be ugly, and the past 2023 is the best proof.
Fifth gear: Jinzhou, Benxi, Qiqihar, Dandong, Yanbian Prefecture
Although Jinzhou's economy is weak and the urban construction level on the north bank of the Xiaoling River is very dilapidated, Jinzhou's transportation location, higher education, and medical strength are still very strong, and the profound heritage makes Jinzhou stronger than other prefecture-level cities.
Although Benxi is the least populous city in Liaoning Province, many people think that developing Shiqiaozi is not a smart move, but in any case, the proximity to Shenyang has more advantages than disadvantages.
In addition, Benxi has two 5A-level scenic spots, and its per capita GDP ranks 7th in Northeast China, Benxi Iron and Steel has become a part of Anshan Iron and Steel Group, and the basic education resources of the whole city are abundant, and I am still very optimistic about Benxi in the future.
At its peak, Qiqihar was the capital city of Heilongjiang Province. Although it has declined, we have to admit that the urban infrastructure construction in the Northeast can still be at the forefront.
Dandong has a beautiful ecological environment and rich tourism resources, and is a beautiful border city. It is deeply regrettable that Dandong's secondary industry is weak, the degree of aging is high, the infrastructure construction is not perfect, and the urban area is small.
Yanbian Prefecture is also developing slowly, and the urban area is very small. It's just that the Korean ethnic customs here are very strong, and Changbai Mountain is very attractive to tourists from other provinces, so it is barely ranked in this grade.
Sixth gear: Fushun, Mudanjiang, Jiamusi
The situation in Fushun is very similar to that of Benxi, and the slightly worse thing is that Fushun has not yet been connected to the high-speed railway, and the tourism resources have not been developed, so it can only be ranked at this level.
As for Mudanjiang and Jiamusi, I feel that Mudanjiang is slightly better. Because the urban construction of Mudanjiang has been greatly improved, and the south bank of the Mudanjiang River is also covered, as for Mudanjiang and Jiamusi, I feel that Mudanjiang is slightly better. Because the urban construction of Mudanjiang has been greatly improved, high-rise buildings have also been built on the south bank of the Mudanjiang River. On the other hand, Jiamusi is still developing on the south bank of the Songhua River, and it is impossible to achieve the prosperity of both sides of the river, so I appreciate the Mudanjiang River more.
Seventh gear: Chaoyang, Liaoyang, Huludao, Siping, Songyuan, Suihua
Now Chaoyang's GDP has exceeded 100 billion, and the whole city is gradually on the right track with the opening of the Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway, but there are still many deficiencies in careful observation. So far, Chaoyang is the only city in Liaoning Province that does not have a green train, and cannot directly reach Shanghai, Tianjin and other municipalities directly under the central government. It is also a little backward in terms of urban construction, and many things for Chaoyang cannot catch up in an instant.
In recent years, Liaoyang's economic development speed has not caught up with Chaoyang, and Zhongwang has not been able to support it, and the decline of the development of the whole city has been vividly displayed.
Huludao still does not have Wanda Plaza, and the medical and educational resources are not abundant. I feel that the city has no advantages other than good geographical location.
The decline of Siping stems from the absence of Gongzhuling City, after all, there is a loss of more than 1 million people all of a sudden, and it is not easy to think about it now.
The geographical location of Songyuan is a little embarrassing, and the speed of the Changbaiwu Express Railway is still not fast enough. However, tourism has indeed developed over the years, and Chagan Lake has now become a 5A-level scenic spot, and it will slowly transform in the future.
The development of Suihua urban area is a mess, but the following Anda City and Zhaodong City are quite good. After all, Anda is next to Daqing, and Zhaodong is next to Harbin.
Eighth gear: Tonghua, Tieling, Fuxin, Jixi, Liaoyuan, Baicheng, Baishan
Tonghua is a small mountain city, the scenery is really beautiful, but unfortunately the traffic is not convenient, and the number of trains to Changchun is less than Shenyang. No wonder everyone always ridicules Tonghua people in Jilin and their hearts in Liaoning.
As for Tieling, Fuxin, Jixi, Liaoyuan, Baicheng, Baishan and other cities, the economic strength is really weak, and they are all resource-based cities. It's just that Tieling is more well-known and close to Shenyang and Changchun, so it can be ranked relatively high.
The ninth gear: Yichun, Hegang, Qitaihe, Shuangyashan, Heihe, Daxinganling area
Lindu Yichun has a high level of negative oxygen ions, which is a good place to escape the heat in summer, but it is difficult to describe the industrial development. It is gratifying that it is expected that the high-speed railway from Yichun to Suihua to Harbin will be opened in 2026, and the quality of life of the local people will be transformed at that time.
Hegang is well-known because of the low cost of living, but the geographical location is very remote, even people with mediocre ability have run to the development of Jiamusi.
But even so, the development momentum of Hegang is still better than that of Qitaihe, Shuangyashan, Heihe, Daxinganling and other places. No matter how bad the development of Hegang is, this city has entered the public eye, and the cities behind it may not even be able to be named, so it is more difficult to think about it carefully.