Ji'an is separated from Manpo, Chagang Province, North Korea by the Yalu River; it has an international border running 203.5 km (126.4 mi).

[2] Archaeological excavations in the Ji'an area have unearthed several Yemaek sites along the Amnok River and its tributary the Hunjiang, which belong to the regional Neolithic and Bronze ages.

[3] After the fall of Wiman Joseon to the Han dynasty in 108 BCE, Ji'an was part of Goguryeo County under the administration of Xuantu Commandery.

[3] In 3 CE, the second ruler of Goguryeo, King Yuri, moved the state's capital to Gungnae (modern Ji'an) and established the mountain fortress Hwando nearby to defend it.

[3] The Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom, located in Ji'an and Huanren Manchu Autonomous County, Liaoning, have been listed as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.