Heze, formerly known as Caozhou, is the westernmost prefecture-level city in Shandong province, China, bordering Jining to the east and the provinces of Henan and Anhui to the west and south respectively.The total area is 12238.62 square kilometers and the population is 10.58 million. It governs Mudan District and Dingtao District, 2 districts and 7 counties including Caoxian, Chengwu, Shanxian, Juye, Yuncheng, Juancheng and Dongming. There are more than 100 cultural relics and historic sites in the territory, 6 national-level cultural relics protection units, and 52 provincial-level cultural relics protection units. Places of interest include Caozhou Peony Garden, Yuncheng Water Margin, Sunbin Tourist City, Dingtao Han Tomb, Shanxian Archway, Jinshan Mountain, Fangshan Mountain, Fulong Lake, the scenery of the old Yellow River route, etc.

History

Caozhou was at the center of the Nian Rebellion during the 1850s and 60s. In August 1949, Heze was detached from Shandong and given to the experimental province of Pingyuan, but was later returned to Shandong just over three years later. In April 1953, Heze and Jining gained counties from the former prefecture of Huxi after its abolition.

City flower

Mudan is the city flower of Heze. The earliest documentary of Mudan is in Classic of Poetry, written almost 3,000 years ago. Mudan is also called the "king of flowers" from the Bencao Gangmu. It is a symbol of honor, peace, wealth, love, aristocracy and feminine beauty. There are 9 types of Mudan based on the colors: red, white, purple, yellow, blue, green, black, pink, and multi-colored.

Climate

Heze has a monsoon-influenced climate that lies between the humid subtropical and humid continental zones (Köppen Cwa/Dwa), with four well-defined seasons. The city is warm and nearly rainless in spring, hot and humid in summer, crisp in autumn and cold and dry in winter. The mean annual temperature is 14.22 °C, with the monthly 24-hour average temperature ranging from −0.5 °C in January to 27.1 °C in July. Nearly 70% of the annual precipitation occurs from June to September. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 48% in July to 60% in May, the city receives 2,411 hours of bright sunshine annually. At the same time, Heze is also an area prone to meteorological disasters. Droughts and floods are one of them, especially droughts that occur frequently and have a large impact, causing the most serious harm.

Administration

The prefecture-level city of Heze administers nine county-level divisions. The municipal executive, legislature and judiciary are in Mudan District (牡丹区), together with CPC and public security bureaux. There are two districts and seven counties,2 additional development zones: These are further divided into 158 township-level divisions.

Demographics

According to the 2020 Chinese census, Heze was home to 8,287,693 people, of whom 1,346,717 live in the built-up area around the seat of government in Mudan District. The permanent population in the territory is mainly Han, and the ethnic minorities include Hui, Manchu, Tibetan, Miao, Uyghur, Kazakh, Zhuang, Mongolian and other ethnic groups.

Government

The current mayor is Li Chunying and the chairman of the Municipal Council is Wang Weidong.

Culture

Heze is rich in cultural tourism resources and is known as the capital of peonies, the hometown of opera, martial arts, calligraphy and painting, and folk art. Peony cultivation began in the Sui Dynasty, flourished in the Tang Dynasty, and flourished in the Ming Dynasty. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it had become the center of peony cultivation in China. It is known as "Caozhou has the best peonies in the world, and Heze has the best peonies in the world."

Places of interest

Foods

Transportation

Heze has convenient transportation and has formed a transportation network consisting of four modes of transportation: railway, highway, shipping, aviation, and pipeline. The Beijing-Kowloon Railway Line and the Xinyan Line cross the territory, running through Caoxian, Dingtao, Mudan District, and Juan respectively. Cheng, Yuncheng, Dongming, Juye and other counties, there are 8 county-level railway stations; Beijing-Kowloon High-speed Railway and Shandong-Nan High-speed Railway intersect here, and highway transportation is developed.

Famous people

Ancient times

Current

Economy

Heze is the largest center in China for the cultivation of the "national flower" peony, after which the Mudan District was named. Over 30% of its GDP comes from the sale of peony.

Sister cities