Shijiazhuang
Encyclopedia
Shijiazhuang is the capital and largest city of North China
's Hebei
province. Administratively a prefecture-level city
, it is about 280 kilometres (174 mi) south of Beijing
. Shijiazhuang Prefecture contains the 5 districts of Shijiazhuang urban area, the Jingxing Mining District, five county-level cities, and twelve counties.
At the 2010 census, it has a total population of 10,163,788, with 2,604,930 in the urban area in 2010 and 3,833,606 in its built up area (metro) made of 5 urban districts plus Luquan
city, Zhengding
and Luancheng
counties. Gaocheng
county is about to be part of Shijiazhuang built up area while its urbanisation is still growing.
Shijiazhuang is a newly industrialised city. It experienced dramatic growth after the founding of the People's Republic of China
in 1949. The population of the metropolitan area has more than quadrupled in only 30 years. It is a central hub of transportation routes. The city is home to a large garrison of military troops ready to protect Beijing if required. It has a number of PLA
colleges and universities.
times (i.e., before 206 BC) it was the site of the city of Shiyi in the state of Zhao
, and, from Han
(206 BC–AD 220) to Sui
(581–618) times, it was the site of a county town with the same name. With the reorganization of local government in the early period of the Tang dynasty
(618–907), the county was abolished. Shijiazhuang then became little more than a local market town
, subordinated to the flourishing city of Zhengding
(modern Zhengding) a few miles to the north.
The growth of Shijiazhuang into one of China's major cities began in 1905, when the Beijing
–Wuhan
(Hankou) railway
reached the area, stimulating much new trade and encouraging local farmers to grow cash crops. Two years later the town became the junction for the new Shitai line, running from Shijiazhuang to Taiyuan
in central Shanxi
province. This connection immediately transformed the town from a local collecting centre and market into a communications centre of national importance on the main route from Beijing and Tianjin
to Shanxi and later, when the railway from Taiyuan was extended to the southwest to Shaanxi
province as well. The city also became the centre of an extensive road network.
During the pre-World War II
period, Shijiazhuang was a large railway town
as well as a commercial and collecting centre for Shanxi and the regions farther west and for the agricultural produce of the North China Plain
, particularly for grain
, tobacco
, and cotton
. By 1935, it had far outstripped Zhengding as an economic centre. At the end of World War II, the character of the city changed once again. Not only did it assume an administrative role as the preeminent city in western Hebei but it also developed into an industrial city. Some industry, such as match manufacturing, tobacco processing, and glassmaking, had already been established before the war.
Until 1948, the city was instead known as Shímén (石門), and then it was renamed to Shijiazhuang.
Xibaipo
, a village about 90 km from Shijiazhuang, in Pingshan County
was the location of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
and the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army
during the decisive stages of the Chinese Civil War
between May 26, 1948 and March 23, 1949, at which point they were moved to Beijing
. Today, the area houses a memorial site.
Only after 1949, however, did the planned industrialisation
of the city gather momentum. Its population more than tripled in the decade 1948–58. In the 1950s, the city experienced a major expansion in the textile industry, with large-scale cotton
spinning, weaving
, printing
, and dyeing
works. In addition, there are various plants processing local farm produce. In the 1960s, it was also the site of a new chemical industry
, with plants producing fertilizer
and caustic soda. Shijiazhuang also became an engineering
base, with a tractor
-accessory plant. There are important coal
deposits at Jingxing
and Huailu, now named Luquan, a few miles to the west in the foothills of the Taihang Mountains
, which provide fuel for a thermal-generating plant supplying power to local industries. The city's role as a transport centre has been supplemented by the construction of an airport handling regular domestic flights.
In 1967, Tianjin was for the last time carved out of Hebei province, and thus the provincial capital was moved to Baoding
. Yet was quite chaotic in the midst of the Cultural Revolution
, and under the direction of Mao Zedong, in 1968, to "prepare for war and natural disasters", Shijiazhuang became the provincial capital and remains so today.
. The latitude of the prefecture ranges from 37° 27' to 38° 47' N, the longitude 113° 30' to 115° 20' E. At its greatest, the prefecture is 148 kilometres (92 mi) long from south to north and 175 kilometres (108.7 mi) wide from east to west. The prefecture has borders stretching 760 kilometres (472 mi) long and covers an area of 15722 square kilometres (6,070.3 sq mi). Bordering prefectures within Hebei are Hengshui
(E), Xingtai
(S), and Baoding
(N/NE). To the west lies Shanxi Province.
The city stands at the edge of the North China Plain
, which rises to the Taihang Mountains
to the west of the city, and lies south of the Hutuo River (滹沱河). From west to east, the topography can be summarised as moderately-high mountains, then low-lying mountains, hills, basin, and finally plains. Out of the eight east-west routes across the Taihang Mountains, the fifth, the Niangzi Pass, connects the city directly with Taiyuan
, the capital of Shanxi.
-influenced semi-arid climate (Köppen
BSk), characterised by hot, humid summers due to the East Asian monsoon, and generally cold, windy, very dry winters that reflect the influence of the vast Siberian anticyclone. Spring can bear witness to sandstorms blowing in from the Mongolian steppe, accompanied by rapidly warming, but generally dry, conditions. Autumn is similar to spring in temperature and lack of rainfall. January averages −2.3 °C, while July averages 26.8 °C (80.2 °F); the annual mean is 13.4 °C (56.1 °F). More than half of the annual rainfall occurs in July and August alone.
Salaries continue to experience relatively rapid growth as well. The city continues to strive to create an economic atmosphere encouraging investment and growth. Total fixed investment reached RMB 172.7 billion.
Shijiazhuang has become a major industrial city in North China and is considered to be the economic center of Hebei province. The city is the largest base for the pharmaceutical industry and is also one of the most important textile industry bases. Other main sectors include machinery and chemicals, building materials, light industry and electronics. With abundant agricultural resources, Shijiazhuang has 590,000 hectares of cultivated land and is the main source of high quality cotton, pears, dates and walnuts in Hebei province.
In 2008, total imports reached US$1.393 billion, an increase of 42.1 percent over the previous year. Exports increased by 34.9 percent to US$5.596 billion.
The Shijiazhuang municipal government reports that higher education and vocational education continue to experience rapid development, while compulsory education has experienced an increase in quality. A 2006 World Bank reports that Shijiazhuang spends less than RMB400 per capita on education, as opposed to Beijing (RMB1,044) and Weihai (RMB1,631).
The zone was established in March 1991 as a State-level development zone and is divided into three districts. Several National Highways like 107, 207, 307, 308 pass through the zone, and it is 15 km away from Shijiazhuang Railway Station, 105 km away from Tianjin Port. The zone has comprehensive infrastructure and industries encouraged include pharmaceuticals, electronic information, mechanical production, automobile manufacturing, chemicals production and logistics.
The Eastern District, located in the eastern part of Shijiazhuang, covers an area of 5.8 square kilometers, and serves as the primary section of the New High-tech Industrial Development Zone. The district focuses on the establishment of new high-tech enterprises. There are plans to expand the district into an area of 9.8 square kilometers. A special railway line operated by Shijiazhuang Oil Refinery runs through the zone from north to south, making it easy for enterprises in the zone to build lines of their own if necessary.
The Western District, located in the southwest of Shijiazhuang, covers an area of 8.2 square kilometers. It focuses on small- and medium-sized technology enterprises and technology incubation. Liangcun District, which borders the Western District, covers four square kilometers, and focuses on the pharmaceutical industry and the petrochemical industry. All three districts are subject to the same policies and regulations.
Since its foundation, 2,560 enterprises have settled in the zone, of which 185 are foreign-funded enterprises. At present, firms from Japan, the US, the Republic of Korea, Germany, Italy, Canada, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan have all established themselves in the zone.
. Both were rocked by the 2008 Chinese milk scandal
. Chairman and General Manager of Sanlu, and several party officials, including vice mayor in charge of food and agriculture, Zhang Fawang, were reportedly removed from office. Mayor Ji Chuntang reportedly resigned on 17 September;
Since Sanlu, the region's largest purchaser of milk, was ordered to halt production, farmers in Hebei are suffering hardship because of the lack of purchasers for their milk. Many are said to be contemplating selling their cows into a buyerless market.
-Guangzhou
, Taiyuan
-Dezhou
, and Shuozhou
-Huanghua
railroads and many expressways, including the Beijing
-Shenzhen
and Taiyuan
-Cangzhou
Expressways.
of the People's Liberation Army
, one of the three group armies that comprise the Beijing Military Region responsible for defending China's capital.
As a young industrial city, Shijiazhuang city proper is generally considered to have relatively few sights of historical or cultural interest. Exceptions are:
However, several sites of historical and cultural significance are located in the surrounding area, including:
took place on March 16, 2001 and resulted in 108 deaths and 38 injuries.
with:
Saskatoon
, Saskatchewan
, Canada Parma
, Emilia-Romagna
, Italy Bielsko-Biala
, Poland Cheonan
, Chungcheongnam-do
, South Korea Soria
, Castilla y León, Spain Falkenberg
, Sweden Des Moines, Iowa
, United States Edison, New Jersey
, United States Nagykanizsa, Hungary
Shijiazhuang also has a Sister City Agreement: Bankstown
, New South Wales, Australia
North China
thumb|250px|Northern [[People's Republic of China]] region.Northern China or North China is a geographical region of China. The heartland of North China is the North China Plain....
's Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
province. Administratively a prefecture-level city
Prefecture-level city
A prefectural level city , prefectural city or prefectural level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. Prefectural level cities form the second level of the administrative...
, it is about 280 kilometres (174 mi) south of Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. Shijiazhuang Prefecture contains the 5 districts of Shijiazhuang urban area, the Jingxing Mining District, five county-level cities, and twelve counties.
At the 2010 census, it has a total population of 10,163,788, with 2,604,930 in the urban area in 2010 and 3,833,606 in its built up area (metro) made of 5 urban districts plus Luquan
Luquan
Luquan is a county-level city in the southwestern part of Hebei province, China. Luquan lies in the foothills of the Taihang Mountains and is around west of Shijiazhuang, which both administers Luquan and is the provincial capital-Administrative Divisions:...
city, Zhengding
Zhengding
Zhengding is a county in Hebei Province approximately 260 kilometers south of Beijing, China. It comes under the administration of nearby Shijiazhuang City and has a population of 594,000. Zhengding has been an important religious center for more than 1,000 years, from - at least - the times...
and Luancheng
Luancheng
Luancheng County is a county under the administration of Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, in the People's Republic of China. Luancheng is mostly a rural county, neighbouring the metropolitan area of Shijiazhuang....
counties. Gaocheng
Gaocheng
Gaocheng is a county-level city belonging to Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China. The city has an area of 836 km² and a population of 743,000. It is located between and .-Administrative Divisions:There are 13 towns and 1 township.Towns:...
county is about to be part of Shijiazhuang built up area while its urbanisation is still growing.
Shijiazhuang is a newly industrialised city. It experienced dramatic growth after the founding of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in 1949. The population of the metropolitan area has more than quadrupled in only 30 years. It is a central hub of transportation routes. The city is home to a large garrison of military troops ready to protect Beijing if required. It has a number of PLA
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
colleges and universities.
History
In pre-HanHan Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
times (i.e., before 206 BC) it was the site of the city of Shiyi in the state of Zhao
Zhao (state)
Zhao was a significant Chinese state during the Warring States Period, along with six others...
, and, from Han
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
(206 BC–AD 220) to Sui
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
(581–618) times, it was the site of a county town with the same name. With the reorganization of local government in the early period of the Tang dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
(618–907), the county was abolished. Shijiazhuang then became little more than a local market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
, subordinated to the flourishing city of Zhengding
Zhengding
Zhengding is a county in Hebei Province approximately 260 kilometers south of Beijing, China. It comes under the administration of nearby Shijiazhuang City and has a population of 594,000. Zhengding has been an important religious center for more than 1,000 years, from - at least - the times...
(modern Zhengding) a few miles to the north.
The growth of Shijiazhuang into one of China's major cities began in 1905, when the Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
–Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
(Hankou) railway
Jinghan railway
The Beijing–Hankou or Jinghan Railway was a railway line extending from the Chinese capital Beijing to Hankou in Hubei province that was finished in 1905. It was originally known as the Peking–Hankow Railway. Across the Yangtze river in Wuchang was another line, the Canton–Hankow...
reached the area, stimulating much new trade and encouraging local farmers to grow cash crops. Two years later the town became the junction for the new Shitai line, running from Shijiazhuang to Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
in central Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
province. This connection immediately transformed the town from a local collecting centre and market into a communications centre of national importance on the main route from Beijing and Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
to Shanxi and later, when the railway from Taiyuan was extended to the southwest to Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
province as well. The city also became the centre of an extensive road network.
During the pre-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
period, Shijiazhuang was a large railway town
Railway town
A railway town is a settlement that originated or was greatly developed because of a railway station or junction at its site.In Victorian Britain, the spread of railways greatly affected the fate of many small towns...
as well as a commercial and collecting centre for Shanxi and the regions farther west and for the agricultural produce of the North China Plain
North China Plain
The North China Plain is based on the deposits of the Yellow River and is the largest alluvial plain of eastern Asia. The plain is bordered on the north by the Yanshan Mountains and on the west by the Taihang Mountains edge of the Shanxi plateau. To the south, it merges into the Yangtze Plain...
, particularly for grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
, tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, and cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
. By 1935, it had far outstripped Zhengding as an economic centre. At the end of World War II, the character of the city changed once again. Not only did it assume an administrative role as the preeminent city in western Hebei but it also developed into an industrial city. Some industry, such as match manufacturing, tobacco processing, and glassmaking, had already been established before the war.
Until 1948, the city was instead known as Shímén (石門), and then it was renamed to Shijiazhuang.
Xibaipo
Xibaipo
Xibaipo is a township-level division of Pingshan County, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China....
, a village about 90 km from Shijiazhuang, in Pingshan County
Pingshan County, Hebei
Pingshan County, Hebei is a county of Hebei, China. It is under the administration of the Shijiazhuang city.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:...
was the location of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
and the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
during the decisive stages of the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
between May 26, 1948 and March 23, 1949, at which point they were moved to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. Today, the area houses a memorial site.
Only after 1949, however, did the planned industrialisation
Industrialisation
Industrialization is the process of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial one...
of the city gather momentum. Its population more than tripled in the decade 1948–58. In the 1950s, the city experienced a major expansion in the textile industry, with large-scale cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
spinning, weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
, printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
, and dyeing
Dyeing
Dyeing is the process of adding color to textile products like fibers, yarns, and fabrics. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular chemical material. After dyeing, dye molecules have uncut Chemical bond with fiber molecules. The temperature and time controlling...
works. In addition, there are various plants processing local farm produce. In the 1960s, it was also the site of a new chemical industry
Chemical industry
The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, it converts raw materials into more than 70,000 different products.-Products:...
, with plants producing fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
and caustic soda. Shijiazhuang also became an engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
base, with a tractor
Tractor
A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
-accessory plant. There are important coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
deposits at Jingxing
Jingxing Mining District
Jingxing Mining District is a mining district of Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Shijiazhuang City.-Administrative Divisions:There are 2 subdistricts , 2 towns , and 1 township in the district....
and Huailu, now named Luquan, a few miles to the west in the foothills of the Taihang Mountains
Taihang Mountains
The Taihang Mountains are a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Henan, Shanxi and Hebei provinces. The range extends over 400 km from north to south and has an average elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 meters. The principal peak is Xiao Wutaishan...
, which provide fuel for a thermal-generating plant supplying power to local industries. The city's role as a transport centre has been supplemented by the construction of an airport handling regular domestic flights.
In 1967, Tianjin was for the last time carved out of Hebei province, and thus the provincial capital was moved to Baoding
Baoding
-Administrative divisions:Baoding prefecture-level city consists of 3 municipal districts, 4 county-level cities, 18 counties:-Demographics:The Baoding urban area has a population of around 1,006,000 . The population of the Baoding administrative area is 10,890,000. The considerable majority are...
. Yet was quite chaotic in the midst of the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
, and under the direction of Mao Zedong, in 1968, to "prepare for war and natural disasters", Shijiazhuang became the provincial capital and remains so today.
Geography
Shijiazhuang is located in south-central Hebei, and is part of the Bohai Economic RimBohai Economic Rim
The Bohai Economic Rim or BER or Bohai Bay Economic Rim is a term used to describe the economic hinterland surrounding Beijing and Tianjin. It also includes areas in Hebei, Liaoning and Shandong which surrounds the Bohai Sea. This region has gone through major changes in economic and infrastructures...
. The latitude of the prefecture ranges from 37° 27' to 38° 47' N, the longitude 113° 30' to 115° 20' E. At its greatest, the prefecture is 148 kilometres (92 mi) long from south to north and 175 kilometres (108.7 mi) wide from east to west. The prefecture has borders stretching 760 kilometres (472 mi) long and covers an area of 15722 square kilometres (6,070.3 sq mi). Bordering prefectures within Hebei are Hengshui
Hengshui
Hengshui is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, China. It has an urban population of 460,240 in the built up area and a population of 4,340,373 at the 2010 census in its administrative area...
(E), Xingtai
Xingtai
Xingtai is a city in southern Hebei province, North China. The prefecture-level city of Xingtai, with a total area of , administers 2 districts, 2 county-level cities and 15 counties. In 2004 it had an urban population of 561,400 and a total population of 6.73 million...
(S), and Baoding
Baoding
-Administrative divisions:Baoding prefecture-level city consists of 3 municipal districts, 4 county-level cities, 18 counties:-Demographics:The Baoding urban area has a population of around 1,006,000 . The population of the Baoding administrative area is 10,890,000. The considerable majority are...
(N/NE). To the west lies Shanxi Province.
The city stands at the edge of the North China Plain
North China Plain
The North China Plain is based on the deposits of the Yellow River and is the largest alluvial plain of eastern Asia. The plain is bordered on the north by the Yanshan Mountains and on the west by the Taihang Mountains edge of the Shanxi plateau. To the south, it merges into the Yangtze Plain...
, which rises to the Taihang Mountains
Taihang Mountains
The Taihang Mountains are a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Henan, Shanxi and Hebei provinces. The range extends over 400 km from north to south and has an average elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 meters. The principal peak is Xiao Wutaishan...
to the west of the city, and lies south of the Hutuo River (滹沱河). From west to east, the topography can be summarised as moderately-high mountains, then low-lying mountains, hills, basin, and finally plains. Out of the eight east-west routes across the Taihang Mountains, the fifth, the Niangzi Pass, connects the city directly with Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, the capital of Shanxi.
Climate
The city has a continental, monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
-influenced semi-arid climate (Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk), characterised by hot, humid summers due to the East Asian monsoon, and generally cold, windy, very dry winters that reflect the influence of the vast Siberian anticyclone. Spring can bear witness to sandstorms blowing in from the Mongolian steppe, accompanied by rapidly warming, but generally dry, conditions. Autumn is similar to spring in temperature and lack of rainfall. January averages −2.3 °C, while July averages 26.8 °C (80.2 °F); the annual mean is 13.4 °C (56.1 °F). More than half of the annual rainfall occurs in July and August alone.
Administration divisions
Shijiazhuang has direct administrative jurisdiction over:| Map | # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2010) | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City proper | ||||||
| 1 | Chang'an District Chang'an District, Shijiazhuang Chang'an District is in the northeast of Shijiazhuang city. The area is 110.24 km2. There are 426,500 residents, among which 109,700 residents are farmers... |
长安区 | Cháng'ān Qū | 479,801 | 110 | 4,362 |
| 2 | Qiaodong District Qiaodong District, Shijiazhuang -Administrative Divisions:There are 9 sub-districts and 1 town in the district.List of subdistricts:*East Zhongshan Road Subdistrict 、Penghou Subdistrict 、Dongfeng Subdistrict 、Donghua Subdistrict 、Xiumen Subdistrict 、Fukang Subdistrict 、Jian'an Subdistrict 、North Shengli Subdistrict 、Huitong... |
桥东区 | Qiáodōng Qū | 410,116 | 43 | 9,538 |
| 3 | Qiaoxi District Qiaoxi District, Shijiazhuang Qiaoxi District is a district of Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province, China.-Administrative Divisions:List of subdistricts:*Dongli Subdistrict 、Zhongshan Road Subdistrict 、Nanchang Subdistrict 、Weiming Subdistrict 、Yuxi Subdistrict 、Youyi Subdistrict 、Hongqi Subdistrict 、Xinshi Subdistrict... |
桥西区 | Qiáoxī Qū | 596,164 | 53 | 11,248 |
| 4 | Xinhua District Xinhua District, Shijiazhuang Xinhua District is a district of Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province, People's Republic of China.-Administrative Divisions:There are 11 subdistricts, 2 towns, and 2 townships.Subdistricts:... |
新华区 | Xīnhuá Qū | 625,119 | 92 | 6,795 |
| 5 | Yuhua District Yuhua District, Shijiazhuang Yuhua District , is a district of the municipality of Shijiazhuang. It lies towards the southeastern part of the greater urban area. Several major universities of Shijiazhuang, including Hebei Normal University, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang... |
裕华区 | Yùhuá Qū | 493,730 | 101 | 4,888 |
| Suburban and Satellite cities and districts | ||||||
| 6 | Jingxing Mining District Jingxing Mining District Jingxing Mining District is a mining district of Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Shijiazhuang City.-Administrative Divisions:There are 2 subdistricts , 2 towns , and 1 township in the district.... |
井陉矿区 | Jǐngxíng Kuàngqū | 95,170 | 56 | 1,699 |
| 7 | Xinji City Xinji Xinji is city of Hebei province in northern China. There are 8 townships and 7 rural districts under the administration of Xinji.-Geography:*Population: The population is 610,000 in the year 2003.*Area: 951 km2... |
辛集市 | Xīnjí Shì | 615,919 | 951 | 648 |
| 8 | Gaocheng City Gaocheng Gaocheng is a county-level city belonging to Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China. The city has an area of 836 km² and a population of 743,000. It is located between and .-Administrative Divisions:There are 13 towns and 1 township.Towns:... |
藁城市 | Gàochéng Shì | 775,110 | 836 | 927 |
| 9 | Jinzhou City Jinzhou, Hebei Jinzhou is a county-level city of Hebei province, under the administration of Shijiazhuang prefecture-level city. Until 1991, it was known as Jin County .... |
晋州市 | Jìnzhōu Shì | 537,679 | 619 | 868 |
| 10 | Xinle City Xinle, Hebei -Administrative Divisions:Subdistricts:*Changshou Subdistrict Towns:*Cheng'an 、Hantai 、Dongwang 、Matoupu 、Zhengmo 、Dugu 、Nandayue 、Huapi Townships:... |
新乐市 | Xīnlè Shì | 487,652 | 625 | 780 |
| 11 | Luquan City | 鹿泉市 | Lùquán Shì | 432,936 | 603 | 718 |
| Rural | ||||||
| 12 | Jingxing County Jingxing County Jingxing County is a county in the southwest of Hebei province in Northern China. It is under the administration of Shijiazhuang City.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:... |
井陉县 | Jǐngxíng Xiàn | 309,882 | 1,381 | 224 |
| 13 | Zhengding County | 正定县 | Zhèngdìng Xiàn | 466,807 | 568 | 822 |
| 14 | Luancheng County | 栾城县 | Luánchéng Xiàn | 328,933 | 347 | 948 |
| 15 | Xingtang County Xingtang County Xingtang County is a county of Hebei, China. It is under the administration of Shijiazhuang City.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:*Longzhou , Nanqiao , Shangbei , Koutou Townships:... |
行唐县 | Xíngtáng Xiàn | 406,353 | 1,025 | 396 |
| 16 | Lingshou County Lingshou County Lingshou County is a county of Hebei, China. It is under the administration of the Shijiazhuang city.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:*Lingshou Town , Qingtong , Tashang , Ciyu , Chatou , Chenzhuang Townships:... |
灵寿县 | Língshòu Xiàn | 333,558 | 1,546 | 216 |
| 17 | Gaoyi County Gaoyi County Gaoyi County is a county of Hebei, China. It is under the administration of the Shijiazhuang city.-Administrative Divisions:The only town is Gaoyi Town Townships:... |
高邑县 | Gāoyì Xiàn | 186,478 | 222 | 840 |
| 18 | Shenze County Shenze County Shenze County is a county of Hebei, China. It is under the administration of the Shijiazhuang city.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:*Shenze Town , Tiegan Townships:... |
深泽县 | Shēnzé Xiàn | 250,264 | 296 | 845 |
| 19 | Zanhuang County Zanhuang County Zanhuang County is a county of Hebei, China. It is under the administration of Shijiazhuang City.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:*Zanhuang Town , Yuantou Townships:... |
赞皇县 | Zànhuáng Xiàn | 244,799 | 1,210 | 202 |
| 20 | Wuji County Wuji County Wuji County is a county administered by Shijiazhuang prefecture in Hebei Province, China. It covers an area of 524 km², and has a population of 482,799. Wuji County has 6 towns, 4 townships and 1 Hui autonomous township, total 213 villages... |
无极县 | Wújí Xiàn | 502,662 | 524 | 959 |
| 21 | Pingshan County | 平山县 | Píngshān Xiàn | 433,429 | 2,951 | 147 |
| 22 | Yuanshi County Yuanshi County Yuanshi County is located in the southwest of Hebei province in North China, to the south of Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital. Yuanshi County borders Gaoyi County to the south, Zhaoxian and Luancheng to the east, Jingxing County to the west and Luquan to its north.The total area of the county... |
元氏县 | Yuánshì Xiàn | 418,466 | 849 | 493 |
| 23 | Zhao County Zhao County Zhao County , a historic town called Zhaozhou in the past, is located in Hebei 40 km southeast of the provincial capital Shijiazhuang, and 280 km south of Beijing. Its total land area is 675 km² and total population is around 550,000... |
赵县 | Zhào Xiàn | 571,077 | 714 | 800 |
Economy
In 2009, the GDP of Shijiazhuang reached RMB 311.7 billion, an increase of 10 percent over the previous year.Salaries continue to experience relatively rapid growth as well. The city continues to strive to create an economic atmosphere encouraging investment and growth. Total fixed investment reached RMB 172.7 billion.
Shijiazhuang has become a major industrial city in North China and is considered to be the economic center of Hebei province. The city is the largest base for the pharmaceutical industry and is also one of the most important textile industry bases. Other main sectors include machinery and chemicals, building materials, light industry and electronics. With abundant agricultural resources, Shijiazhuang has 590,000 hectares of cultivated land and is the main source of high quality cotton, pears, dates and walnuts in Hebei province.
In 2008, total imports reached US$1.393 billion, an increase of 42.1 percent over the previous year. Exports increased by 34.9 percent to US$5.596 billion.
The Shijiazhuang municipal government reports that higher education and vocational education continue to experience rapid development, while compulsory education has experienced an increase in quality. A 2006 World Bank reports that Shijiazhuang spends less than RMB400 per capita on education, as opposed to Beijing (RMB1,044) and Weihai (RMB1,631).
Development Zones
- Shijiazhuang High-Tech Industrial Development Zone
The zone was established in March 1991 as a State-level development zone and is divided into three districts. Several National Highways like 107, 207, 307, 308 pass through the zone, and it is 15 km away from Shijiazhuang Railway Station, 105 km away from Tianjin Port. The zone has comprehensive infrastructure and industries encouraged include pharmaceuticals, electronic information, mechanical production, automobile manufacturing, chemicals production and logistics.
The Eastern District, located in the eastern part of Shijiazhuang, covers an area of 5.8 square kilometers, and serves as the primary section of the New High-tech Industrial Development Zone. The district focuses on the establishment of new high-tech enterprises. There are plans to expand the district into an area of 9.8 square kilometers. A special railway line operated by Shijiazhuang Oil Refinery runs through the zone from north to south, making it easy for enterprises in the zone to build lines of their own if necessary.
The Western District, located in the southwest of Shijiazhuang, covers an area of 8.2 square kilometers. It focuses on small- and medium-sized technology enterprises and technology incubation. Liangcun District, which borders the Western District, covers four square kilometers, and focuses on the pharmaceutical industry and the petrochemical industry. All three districts are subject to the same policies and regulations.
Since its foundation, 2,560 enterprises have settled in the zone, of which 185 are foreign-funded enterprises. At present, firms from Japan, the US, the Republic of Korea, Germany, Italy, Canada, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan have all established themselves in the zone.
Dairy centre
The city is an important centre for the dairy trade, being the headquarters of the Sanlu GroupSanlu Group
Sanlu Group was a state-owned Chinese dairy products company based in Shijiazhuang, the capital city of Hebei Province. It was one of the oldest and most popular brands of infant formula in China. New Zealand's Fonterra owned 43% of Sanlu....
. Both were rocked by the 2008 Chinese milk scandal
2008 Chinese milk scandal
The 2008 Chinese milk scandal was a food safety incident in the People's Republic of China, involving milk and infant formula, and other food materials and components, adulterated with melamine....
. Chairman and General Manager of Sanlu, and several party officials, including vice mayor in charge of food and agriculture, Zhang Fawang, were reportedly removed from office. Mayor Ji Chuntang reportedly resigned on 17 September;
Since Sanlu, the region's largest purchaser of milk, was ordered to halt production, farmers in Hebei are suffering hardship because of the lack of purchasers for their milk. Many are said to be contemplating selling their cows into a buyerless market.
Transportation
Infrastructure
In 2001, the city received approval from the World Bank for a US$100 million loan for the Shijiazhuang Urban Transport Project, which was designed to foster the development of an efficient and environmentally sustainable urban transport system while providing a wider set of travel choices for users. The project is scheduled to be completed by December 31, 2008, with a total estimated cost of US$266 million. Major elements of the project include the upgrading of 25 kilometers of peripheral roads linking the city to the surrounding provincial highways, the upgrading and construction of 52 kilometers of urban major arterial roads, and the construction of six multi-level interchanges, two major rail overpasses, and 21 pedestrian crossing facilities.Rail and roads
Shijiazhuang is a transportation hub: it is at the intersection point of the BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
-Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
-Dezhou
Dezhou
Dezhou is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southeast, Liaocheng to the southwest, Binzhou to the northeast, and the province of Hebei to the north....
, and Shuozhou
Shuozhou
Shuozhou is a city in the north of Shanxi Province in North China, located on the upper reaches of the Fen River. As of 2004, its population is approximately 1.25 million, and the city has an area of approximately 5,737 square kilometres. Administratively, Shuozhou is a prefecture-level city, with...
-Huanghua
Huanghua, Hebei
Huanghua is a county-level city located in the Bohai Gulf coastal regions of eastern China's Hebei Province. It is under the jurisdiction of Cangzhou municipality....
railroads and many expressways, including the Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
-Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
and Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
-Cangzhou
Cangzhou
Cangzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. Cangzhou's urban center has a population of approximately 514,074 at the 2010 census which correspond to the built up area), while the prefecture-level administrative region in total has a population of 7,134,053...
Expressways.
Airport
The Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport is the province’s center of air transportation. It is located about 30 kilometers northeast of the city and can accommodate all types of medium and large-sized aircraft. Presently there are 32 domestic routes arriving at and departing from Shijiazhuang, including destinations such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, Dalian, Hong Kong, and other medium and large cities. In addition, the airport services 12 international destinations including four routes to Russia. The airport is currently being expanded and will be capable of being an alternate airport to Beijing Capital International Airport.Military
Shijiazhuang is headquarters of the 27th Group Army27th Army (People's Republic of China)
The 27th Group Army is a military formation of China's People's Liberation Army and one of three active group armies belonging to the Beijing Military Region. It is based in Shijiazhuang, Hebei and is composed of one armored brigade, two motorized infantry brigades, one artillery brigade, and an...
of the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
, one of the three group armies that comprise the Beijing Military Region responsible for defending China's capital.
Culture
- Martyrs' Memorial dedicated to Norman BethuneNorman BethuneHenry Norman Bethune was a Canadian physician and medical innovator. Bethune is best known for his service in war time medical units during the Spanish Civil War and with the Communist Eighth Route Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War...
, Eric LiddellEric LiddellEric Henry Liddell was a Scottish athlete, rugby union international player, and missionary.Liddell was the winner of the men's 400 metres at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris...
, and Dwarkanath KotnisDwarkanath KotnisDwarkanath Shantaram Kotnis was one of five Indian physicians dispatched to China to provide medical assistance during the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1938... - Hebei Museum
However, several sites of historical and cultural significance are located in the surrounding area, including:
- Longxing MonasteryLongxing MonasteryThe Longxing Monastery or Longxing Temple is an ancient Buddhist monastery located near the town of Zhengding in Hebei Province, China, approximately 15 kilometers north of the provincial capital of Shijiazhuang. It has been referred to as the "First Temple south of Beijing".-History:The monastery...
in ZhengdingZhengdingZhengding is a county in Hebei Province approximately 260 kilometers south of Beijing, China. It comes under the administration of nearby Shijiazhuang City and has a population of 594,000. Zhengding has been an important religious center for more than 1,000 years, from - at least - the times...
, 15 kilometers to the north - Mount Cangyan, 50 km to the southwest
- Zhaozhou BridgeZhaozhou BridgeThe Anji Bridge is the world's oldest open-spandrel stone segmental arch bridge. Credited to the design of a craftsman named Li Chun, the bridge was constructed in the years 595-605 during the Sui Dynasty...
, 40 km to the southeast - Bailin (Cypress Grove) TemplePagoda of Bailin TempleThe Pagoda of Bailin Temple , located in Zhao County, Hebei province, China is an octagonal-based brick Chinese pagoda built in 1330 during the reign of Emperor Wenzong, ruler of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty .-Features:...
, 40 km to the southeast, known as one the ten most renowned Buddhist temples in China.
Music
Shijiazhuang is also famous for its rock cultures. Several underground rock bands are active in this city, mostly performing in pubs. Two nation-wide rock magazines, SoRock(我爱摇滚乐) and XMusic (通俗歌曲) are based in Shijiazhuang and act as major platforms promoting rock music in China.Safety
The Shijiazhuang bombingsShijiazhuang bombings
The Shijiazhuang bombings were a series of bomb blasts that rocked the city of Shijiazhuang, China on March 16, 2001. A total of 108 people were killed, and 38 others injured when within a short period of time several bombs exploded near four apartment buildings. A single man, Jin Ruchao , was...
took place on March 16, 2001 and resulted in 108 deaths and 38 injuries.
Universities and colleges
Twin towns — sister cities
Shijiazhuang is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia–Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of and about 4.4 million inhabitants....
, Italy Bielsko-Biala
Bielsko-Biala
-Economy and Industry:Nowadays Bielsko-Biała is one of the best-developed parts of Poland. It was ranked 2nd best city for business in that country by Forbes. About 5% of people are unemployed . Bielsko-Biała is famous for its textile, machine-building, and especially automotive industry...
, Poland Cheonan
Cheonan
Cheonan is a city located in the northeast corner of South Chungcheong, a province of South Korea, and is 83.6 km south of the capital, Seoul...
, Chungcheongnam-do
Chungcheongnam-do
Chungcheongnam-do or Chungnam is a province in the west of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the south-western half of the former Chungcheong Province and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, thereafter becoming part of South Korea...
, South Korea Soria
Soria
Soria is a city in north-central Spain, the capital of the province of Soria in the autonomous community of Castile and León. , the municipality has a population of c. 39,500 inhabitants, nearly 40% of the population of the province...
, Castilla y León, Spain Falkenberg
Falkenberg
Falkenberg is a locality and the seat of Falkenberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 18,972 inhabitants in 2005.The town has a population of 19,000 and is located at the mouth of the river Ätran. The name consists of the Swedish words for falcon and mountain...
, Sweden Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, United States Edison, New Jersey
Edison, New Jersey
Edison Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway Township and Woodbridge Township...
, United States Nagykanizsa, Hungary
Shijiazhuang also has a Sister City Agreement: Bankstown
City of Bankstown
The City of Bankstown is a city and Local Government Area in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, centred on the suburb of Bankstown....
, New South Wales, Australia