List of provinces of Balhae

The Balhae (or Bohai) kingdom controlled the northern Korean Peninsula, the area from the Amur River (Heilong Jiang) to the Strait of Tartary, and the Liaodong Peninsula.[1][2] Similar to the workings of the Chinese Tang dynasty, the administration system of the Balhae kingdom was composed of:
Table of provinces
| Former State | Province | Capitals/Ancient name | Prefectures level 속주(屬州) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanja | Hangul | RR, Pinyin | Hanja | Hangul | RR, Pinyin | Modern location | ||
| Sushen 숙신 肅愼 |
龍泉府 | 용천부 | Yongcheon Longquan |
上京/龍州 | 상경/용주 | Sanggyeong/Yongju Shangjing/Longzhou |
Ning'an (寧安市) (Manchu: Ninguta 寧古塔) |
|
| Sushen 숙신 肅愼 |
顯德府 | 현덕부 | Hyundeok Xiande |
中京/顯州 | 중경/현주 | Junggyeong/Hyeonju Zhongjing/Xianzhou |
Helong/Dunhua (和龍市/敦化市) |
|
| Yemaek 예맥 濊貊 |
龍原府 | 용원부 | Yongwon Longyuan |
東京/慶州 | 동경/경주 | Donggyeong/Gyeongju Dongjing/Qingzhou |
Hunchun |
|
| Okjeo 옥저 沃沮 |
南海府 | 남해부 | Namhae Nanhai |
南京/沃州 | 남경/옥주 | Namgyeong/Okju Nanjing/Wozhou |
Hamheung |
|
| Goguryeo 고구려 高句麗 |
鴨綠府 | 압록부 | Amnok Yalü |
西京/神州 | 서경/신주 | Seogyeong/Sinju Xijing/Shenzhou |
Linjiang |
|
| Goguryeo 고구려 高句麗 |
長嶺府 | 장령부 | Jangnyeong Changling |
瑕州 | 하주 | Haju Xiazhou |
Jingyu (靖宇县) |
|
| Buyeo 부여 夫餘 |
夫餘府 | 부여부 | Buyeo Fuyu |
扶州 | 부주 | Buju Fuzhou |
Kaiyuan |
|
| Buyeo 부여 夫餘 |
鄚頡府 | 막힐부 | Makhil Moxie |
鄚州 | 막주 | Makju Mozhou |
Acheng (阿城) |
|
| 읍루 揖婁/우루부말갈 虞婁部靺鞨 |
定理府 | 정리부 | Jeongni Dingli |
定州 | 정주 | Jeongju/Dingzhou | Partizansk |
|
| 읍루 揖婁/우루부말갈 虞婁部靺鞨 |
安邊府 | 안변부 | Anbyeon Anbian |
安州 | 안주 | Anju Anzhou |
Olga |
|
| 솔빈 率賓 |
率賓府 | 솔빈부 | Solbin Shuaibin |
華州 | 화주 | Hwaju Huazhou |
Ussuriysk/Shuaibin |
|
| 불열 拂涅 |
東平府 | 동평부 | Dongpyeong Dongping |
伊州 | 이주 | Iju Yizhou |
Dangbi (密山市/当壁鎮) |
이주(伊州) 몽주(蒙州) 타주(沱州)=Troitskoye 흑주(黑州) 비주(比州) |
| 철리 鐵利 |
鐵利府 | 철리부 | Cheolli Tieli |
德理鎮 | 덕리진 | Deongnijin/Delizhen | Yilan (依蘭郷) |
광주(廣州) 분주(汾州) 포주(蒲州) 해주(海州) 귀주(歸州) |
| 월희 越喜 |
懷遠府 | 회원부 | Hoewon Huaiyuan |
達州 | 달주 | Dalju | Tongjiang (同江市) |
달주(達州) 월주(越州) 회주(懷州) 기주(紀州) 부주(富州) 미주(美州) 복주(福州) 사주(邪州) 지주(芝州) |
| 월희 越喜 |
安遠府 | 안원부 | Anyuan Anwon |
寧州 | 영주 | Yeongju Ningzhou |
Dalnerechensk | 영주(寧州) 미주(郿州)=Spassk-Dalny 모주(慕州) 상주(常州) |
Former Balhae provinces

Manzhou Yuanliu Kao provides records which show that the Balhae had occupied the Bisa Fortress (비사성) at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula.[5][6] The History of Liao records that the Balhae established provinces at the Sin Fortress (신성), Gaemo Fortress (개모성), Baegam Fortress (백암성), Yodong Fortress (요동성) and Ansi Fortress (안시성) area in Liaodong, as well as a substantial portion of the Liaoxi area.[7] The Balhae sovereign's message to Yamato Kingdom in 796 states that it has recovered the entire old Goguryeo territory and its ruler's authority now shines beyond the Liao River. The Balhae came to occupy the Songhua and Wusuli River basins as well as the whole adjoining coastal zone along the Sea of Japan (East Sea).
- 약홀주(若忽州) (present-day Dandong)
- 목저주(木底州) (present-day Yewutai (葉武臺), Faku County, Liaoning Province, near the Taizi River)
- 현도주 (玄兎州) (near present-day Manzhouli)
Correspondence
- Balhae Provinces coming from Andong protectorate (안동도호부) :
- Namhae province is corresponding to former Qusu (Hangul: 거소주 Hanja/Hanzi :去素州), Qudan (Hangul: 거단주 Hanja/Hanzi :去旦州), 식리주(識利州)
- Wolhui province is corresponding to former Yuexi (Hangul: 월희주 Hanja/Hanzi :越喜州)
- Dongpyeong is corresponding to former Funie 불열주(拂涅州)
- Jangnyung is corresponding to former 제북주(諸北州)
- Yalu is corresponding to former 안시주(安市州) and 창암주(倉巖州)
- Hoewon is corresponding to former 연진주(延津州)
- Hyeondeok is corresponding to former 여산주(黎山州)
See also
References
- ^ Kingdom, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA>Exhibitions>Permanent Exhibitions>Prehistory and Ancient History>Balhae. "Home". NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA>Exhibitions>Permanent Exhibitions>Prehistory and Ancient History>Balhae Kingdom (in Korean). Retrieved 2025-12-27.
- ^ "THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA CHEONG WA DAE". 18english.president.pa.go.kr. Retrieved 2025-12-27.
- ^ "우리역사넷". contents.history.go.kr. Retrieved 2025-12-27.
- ^ "오경 (五京)", 한국민족문화대백과사전 [Encyclopedia of Korean Culture] (in Korean), Academy of Korean Studies, retrieved 2025-12-27
- ^ Crossley, Pamela Kyle (1987). "Manzhou Yuanliu Kao and the Formalization of the Manchu Heritage". The Journal of Asian Studies. 46 (4): 761–790. doi:10.2307/2057101. ISSN 0021-9118.
- ^ Theobald, Ulrich. "Manzhou yuanliu kao 滿洲源流考 (www.chinaknowledge.de)". www.chinaknowledge.de. Retrieved 2025-12-27.
- ^ Twitchett, Denis; Tietze, Klaus-Peter (1994), Twitchett, Denis C.; Franke, Herbert (eds.), "The Liao", The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6: Alien Regimes and Border States, 907–1368, The Cambridge History of China, vol. 6, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 43–153, ISBN 978-0-521-24331-5, retrieved 2025-12-27
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
External links
- (in Korean) 발해내 말갈의 위치에 관한 지도
- (in Korean) 발해 행정지도 5경 15부 62주
- (in Korean) 발해의 행정지도
- (in Japanese) Ningan the Supreme Capital of Balhae Kingdom
- (in Chinese) 渤海国行政区划(转贴)(中,朝)
- The Union of the Ye-mack Tungus and the Mohe-Ruzhen Tungus[permanent dead link]