The word "Northeast" was first seen in "Shang Shu·Yugong": "The Northeast is called Youzhou, and its mountain town is called Yiwulu." Yiwulu Mountain is located at the junction of Beining and Yixian, Liaoning today, with the main peak at an altitude of 866.6 rice. There is a mountain temple at the east foot of the mountain - "Beizhen Temple". There are many local legends about Yiwulu Mountain. then. During the Warring States Period, the State of Yan established Liaodong County in the area of ??today's Liaodong Peninsula (the county governs Xiangping, today's Liaoyang, Liaoning), and the Qin, Han, Wei and Jin Dynasties followed suit. In the Sui Dynasty, Liaodong County was moved to Tongding Town (now northeast of Xinmin, Liaoning). In the Yuan Dynasty, Liaodong Road was established in the fourth year of Zhiyuan (1267), and the administrative office was located in Huanglong Mansion (now Nong'an, Jilin). In October of the eighth year of Hongwu's reign (1375), Zhu Yuanzhang established the "Liaodong Capital Command and Envoy Division" to govern Liaoyang (now part of Liaoning). For a long historical period, people used "Liaodong" to refer to the Northeast region. Therefore, Mr. Cao Juren, a famous scholar, writer and newspaperman, said in "A Journey of Ten Thousand Miles": "The ancient Northeast was the northeast of the Liaohe River Basin."
The word "Guandong" originally refers to the east of Hangu Pass. Hangu Pass is located in Wangduo Village, Potou Township, Lingbao County, Henan Province. It stretches from Xiaoshan in the east to Tongjin in the west. Since the Western Zhou Dynasty, it has been the gateway connecting Guandong and Guanzhong, and it is a battleground for military strategists. "Guandong" and "Shandong" are synonymous. The "mountain" here refers to Mount Wei (xiáo), and "Shandong" refers to the east of Mount Wei. In the 14th year of Zhu Yuanzhang's Hongwu reign (1381), general Xu Da built a castle in Shanhaiguan. Shanhaiguan strangled the throat of the Northeast and the Central Plains, so the Northeast was called "Guandong". The area within Shanhaiguan is commonly known as "Guanli". From Liaodong to the Ming Dynasty, it was still under the jurisdiction of Shandong Prefecture. The Manchus entered the Pass and cut off the territory of Liaodong and Shandong. Therefore, Liaodong was forced to be divided from Shandong in the Qing Dynasty! !
The Ming Dynasty generally used the word "Liaodong" to refer to the Northeast. From Liaodong to the Ming Dynasty, it was still under the jurisdiction of Shandong Prefecture. The Manchus entered the customs and cut off the territory of Liaodong and Shandong. Therefore, Liaodong was forced to be divided from Shandong in the Qing Dynasty!
Since the Kangxi period (1662-1722), the term "Guandong" has gradually been widely used by officials and people. "Eastern Three Provinces" is another name people call Northeast China. In the 33rd year of Guangxu (1907), Fengtian, Jilin and Heilongjiang were divided into three provinces. This was the beginning of the name "Three Eastern Provinces". In addition to "Northeast", "Guandong" and "Three Eastern Provinces", there are also some common names. For example, the Jiaodong Peninsula is bounded by the Bohai Bay, the Northeast is called "Haibei", and Shandong is called "Hainan". In addition, Northeast China also has a frequently used nickname - "White Mountains and Black Waters".