Shijiazhuang (; ;
Mandarin: ), formerly known as Shimen and
romanized
Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and ...
as Shihkiachwang, is the capital and most populous city of China’s North China's
Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...
Province. Administratively a
prefecture-level city
A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure.
During the Republican era, many of China' ...
, it is about southwest of Beijing, and it administers eight
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
, two
county-level cities
A county-level municipality (), county-level city or county city, formerly known as prefecture-controlled city (1949–1970: ; 1970–1983: ), is a county-level administrative division of the People's Republic of China. County-level ...
, and 12
counties
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
.
As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 11,235,086, with 6,230,709 in the built-up (''or metro'') area comprising all urban districts but Jingxing not agglomerated and
Zhengding
Zhengding (), originally Zhending (), is a county in southwestern Hebei Province, North China, located approximately south of Beijing. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Shijiazhuang, the capital of the province, and h ...
county largely conurbated with the Shijiazhuang metropolitan area as urbanization continues to proliferate. Shijiazhuang's total population ranked twelfth in mainland China.
Shijiazhuang experienced dramatic growth after the founding of the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
in 1949. The population of the metropolitan area has more than quadrupled in 30 years as a result of industrialization and infrastructural developments. From 2008 to 2011, Shijiazhuang implemented a three-year plan which concluded with the reorganization of the city resulting in an increase of green areas and new buildings and roads. A train station, airport and a subway system have been opened.
Shijiazhuang is situated east of the
Taihang Mountains
The Taihang Mountains () are a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Shanxi, Henan and Hebei provinces. The range extends over from north to south and has an average elevation of . The principal peak is ...
, a mountain range extending over from north to south with an average elevation of .
Name
The city's present name, Shijiazhuang (), first appeared during the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
. Its literal meaning is "
Shi
Shi or SHI may refer to:
Language
* ''Shi'', a Japanese titles#Shi, Japanese title commonly used as a pronoun
* ''Shi'', proposed gender-neutral pronoun
* Shi (kana), a kana in Japanese syllabaries
* Shi language
* ''Shī'', transliteration of ...
family's village". The word Shijiazhuang was generally used after construction of the
Shijiazhuang station of the
Zhengtai Railway in 1907. In Chinglish style, Shijiazhuang can be translated from characters meaning to words named Rock-Home-Town (石:
Rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
; 家:
Home
A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...
; 庄:
Town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
), the same meaning as Hometown of Rock to call.
The origin of the name is heavily disputed. One story claimed that the
Wanli Emperor
The Wanli Emperor (; 4 September 1563 – 18 August 1620), personal name Zhu Yijun (), was the 14th Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1572 to 1620. "Wanli", the era name of his reign, literally means "ten thousand calendars". He was the ...
sent 24 officers and their families to the area, after which the group splits into two settlements consisting of 10 and 14 families. The imperial court then named the settlements "village of 10 families" () and "village of 14 families" (), respectively. Since the Chinese characters for ten () and stone () are homophones, it is speculated that the city name gradually evolved into its current spelling. Another explanation is that the settlement was named after the highest-ranking official amongst the groups, who was surnamed
Shi
Shi or SHI may refer to:
Language
* ''Shi'', a Japanese titles#Shi, Japanese title commonly used as a pronoun
* ''Shi'', proposed gender-neutral pronoun
* Shi (kana), a kana in Japanese syllabaries
* Shi language
* ''Shī'', transliteration of ...
. However, a county named Shiyi (), in present-day
Luquan District
Luquan (), formerly Huailu CountyThe character has the pronunciation "huái" specific for this place name instead of "huò" in normal cases. () until 1994, is one of the eight districts of the prefecture-level city of Shijiazhuang, the capital ...
, was already present during the
Warring States period
The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...
, suggesting that the name, or its elements, have even older origins.
At first, the settlement was officially known only as "Shijia", as the "zhuang" was solely used to denote the nature of the settlement being a village, instead of being part of its name. This was further evidenced on June 24, 1925, when the
Republican government
Representative democracy, also known as indirect democracy, is a type of democracy where elected people represent a group of people, in contrast to direct democracy. Nearly all modern Western-style democracies function as some type of represe ...
ordered the village to be established as an autonomous city under the name Shijia. The city ended up being renamed as Shimen () when it was officially incorporated on August 29, 1925, after the merger with another village, Xiumen (). Despite being renamed, however, many documents and war plans from the
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
and the
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
still referred to the city as "Shijiazhuang" or "Shizhuang". To avoid confusion and association with the
Japanese Army, the
Chinese Communist Party
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victoriou ...
ultimately reverted the city's name back to Shijiazhuang on December 26, 1947. Since then, many terms regarding the city have been stemmed from the "zhuang" suffix, including its nickname "international village" (), and the colloquial demonym, "villagers" ().
History
Pre-Qin period
This area was occupied by
Xianyu people
The Di or Beidi (Northern Di) were various ethnic groups who lived north of the Chinese (''Huaxia'') realms during the Zhou dynasty. Although initially described as nomadic, they seem to have practiced a mixed pastoral, agricultural, and huntin ...
at beginning of Zhou dynasty, and later belonged to the
Zhongshan
Zhongshan (; ) is a prefecture-level city in the south of the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong province, China. As of the 2020 census, the whole city with 4,418,060 inhabitants is now part of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen conurbation with 65,565,622 i ...
(中山國) and
Zhao states at pre-Qin period.
Qin and Han dynasties
In pre-
Han
Han may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group.
** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...
times (i.e., before 206 BC), the site of the city of Shiyi in the state of
Zhao was located in this area. After taking over
Zhao,
Qin Shi Huang
Qin Shi Huang (, ; 259–210 BC) was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of a unified China. Rather than maintain the title of "king" ( ''wáng'') borne by the previous Shang and Zhou rulers, he ruled as the First Emperor ( ...
established the
Hengshan Commandery
Changshan Commandery (常山郡), or Hengshan Commandery (恒山郡), was a historical commandery of China, located in present-day southern Hebei province.
The commandery was established as Hengshan by the Qin state after it annexed the state of Z ...
in the region. It became part of the
Zhao Principality under
Western Han
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...
. The land was briefly granted to Liu Buyi (), son of the
Emperor Hui, during
Empress Dowager Lü
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...
's reign. The territory was then passed to Liu Hong,
Emperor Houshao of Han, after Buyi's death. It was then granted to Liu Chao (), another son of Emperor Hui. During the
defeat of the Lü clan, Liu Chao was killed and the territory became a commandery of Zhao once again. Later, due to a
naming taboo
A naming taboo is a cultural taboo against speaking or writing the given names of exalted persons, notably in China and within the Chinese cultural sphere. It was enforced by several laws throughout Imperial China, but its cultural and possibly r ...
of
Emperor Wen of Han
Emperor Wen of Han (; 203/202 – 6 July 157 BCE), born Liu Heng (), was the fifth emperor of the Western Han dynasty in China from 180 to his death in 157 BCE. The son of Emperor Gao and Consort Bo, his reign provided a much needed stability a ...
, whose
personal name
A personal name, or full name, in onomastic terminology also known as prosoponym (from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον / ''prósōpon'' - person, and ὄνομα / ''onoma'' - name), is the set of names by which an individual person is known ...
is Liu Heng, its name was changed to Changshan.
From
Han
Han may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group.
** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...
(206 BC–AD 220) to
Sui (581–618) times it was the site of a county seat named Shiyi.
Tang dynasty
With the reorganization of local government in the early period of the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
(618–907), Hengshan county was abolished, and it was reestablished as a prefecture. It was renamed as Zhen Prefecture due to a naming taboo with
Emperor Muzong of Tang
Emperor Muzong of Tang (July 26, 795 – February 25, 824), personal name Li Heng, né Li You () (name changed 812), was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 820 to 824. Emperor Muzong was the son of Emperor Xianzong. He was ...
, whose personal name was Li Heng.
Yuan and Song dynasties
Zhending
Zhengding (), originally Zhending (), is a county in southwestern Hebei Province, North China, located approximately south of Beijing. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Shijiazhuang, the capital of the province, and ...
was a giant city in the area, now
Zhengding
Zhengding (), originally Zhending (), is a county in southwestern Hebei Province, North China, located approximately south of Beijing. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Shijiazhuang, the capital of the province, and h ...
county, where was destination of migration from
Yuan dynasty
The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth ...
people and central area of preceding Northern
Song dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
people, particular in
Kaifeng
Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the Nort ...
and
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou (; ), also spelt Zheng Zhou and alternatively romanized as Chengchow, is the capital and largest city of Henan Province in the central part of the People's Republic of China. Located in north-central Henan, it is one of the National ...
etc.
Ming and Qing dynasties
The name "Shijiazhuang" was first mentioned in 1535 on a stele of a local temple. Shijiazhuang was then little more than a local
market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
, subordinated to the flourishing city of
Zhengding
Zhengding (), originally Zhending (), is a county in southwestern Hebei Province, North China, located approximately south of Beijing. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Shijiazhuang, the capital of the province, and h ...
a few miles to the north.
Republican era
![CHEU-KIA-TCHOUANG](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/CHEU-KIA-TCHOUANG.jpg)
The growth of Shijiazhuang into one of China's major cities began in 1905, when the Beijing–
Wuhan
Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province in the China, People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the List of cities in China ...
(
Hankou
Hankou, alternately romanized as Hankow (), was one of the three towns (the other two were Wuchang and Hanyang) merged to become modern-day Wuhan city, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers wher ...
)
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
reached the area, stimulating 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 (; ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; also known as (), ()) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. ...
, Shanxi. The connection transformed the town from a local collecting center and market into a communications center of national importance on the main route from Beijing and
Tianjin
Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popul ...
to Shanxi, and later, when the railway from Taiyuan was extended to the southwest, to
Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichu ...
as well. The city also became the center of an extensive road network.
Pre-
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
Shijiazhuang was a large
railway town
A railway town, or railroad town, is a settlement that originated or was greatly developed because of a railway station or junction at its site.
North America
During the construction of the First transcontinental railroad in the 1860s, temporar ...
as well as a commercial and collecting center for Shanxi and regions farther west and for agricultural produce of the
North China Plain
The North China Plain or Huang-Huai-Hai Plain () is a large-scale downfaulted rift basin formed in the late Paleogene and Neogene and then modified by the deposits of the Yellow River. It is the largest alluvial plain of China. The plain is bord ...
, particularly grain, tobacco, and cotton. By 1935 it had far outstripped Zhengding as an economic center. At the end of World War II the character of the city changed when it took on an administrative role as the preeminent city in western Hebei, and developed into an industrial city. Some industries, such as match manufacturing, tobacco processing, and glassmaking, had already been established before the war. By 1941, Shide railway line was constructed between Shijiazhuang and
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 t ...
,
Shandong
Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region.
Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...
in the war occupied period, operated by
North China Transportation Company.
On November 12, 1947, the city was captured by Communist forces.
Xibaipo
Xibaipo () is a township-level division of Pingshan County, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China. The Hebei Xibaipo, Xishan District of Hutuo River north of the small village, not only beautiful and fertile soil.
Once the Central Committee of the Chine ...
, a village about from downtown Shijiazhuang, in
Pingshan County was the location of the Central Committee of the
Chinese Communist Party
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victoriou ...
and the headquarters of the
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...
during the decisive stages of the
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
between May 26, 1948, and March 23, 1949, at which point they were moved to Beijing. Today, the area is a memorial site.
People's Republic
Since the city was pivotal to the
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...
's victory of the
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
, many governmental agencies have roots in Shijiazhuang. The creation of the North China People's Government in 1947 affirmed the city's position as a key political center. A year later, as the result of the merger between the Bank of North China, the Bank of Beihai, and the Northwest Agricultural Bank, the
People's Bank of China
The People's Bank of China (officially PBC or informally PBOC; ) is the central bank of the People's Republic of China, responsible for carrying out monetary policy and regulation of financial institutions in mainland China, as determined by ...
was established here, where it produced and released the
first series of the renminbi
The first series of Renminbi banknotes was introduced during the Chinese Civil War by the newly founded People's Bank of China on December 1, 1948, nearly one year before the founding of the People's Republic of China itself. It was issued to unif ...
.
Meanwhile, the industrialization of the city also gathered momentum thanks to government initiatives including the
First Five-Year Plan
The first five-year plan (russian: I пятилетний план, ) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was a list of economic goals, created by Communist Party General Secretary Joseph Stalin, based on his policy of socialism in ...
. Shijiazhuang was one of the fourteen cities selected as focus cities for development. The 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 plants processing local farm produce. In the 1960s it was the site of a new
chemical industry
The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, it converts raw materials (oil, natural gas, air, water, metals, and minerals) into more than 70,000 different products. The ...
, with plants producing fertilizer and
caustic soda
Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaOH. It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations and hydroxide anions .
Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic base and alkali ...
. 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
The Taihang Mountains () are a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Shanxi, Henan and Hebei provinces. The range extends over from north to south and has an average elevation of . The principal peak is ...
, which provide fuel for a thermal-generating plant supplying power to local industries.
Tianjin was again carved out of Hebei in 1967, remaining a separate entity today. The provincial capital was then moved to
Baoding
Baoding (), formerly known as Baozhou and Qingyuan, is a prefecture-level city in central Hebei province, approximately southwest of Beijing. As of the 2010 census, Baoding City had 11,194,382 inhabitants out of which 2,176,857 lived in the b ...
, however, the city was plunged into chaos due to the
Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...
just a year later. Thus, under the direction of
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...
to "prepare for war and natural disasters", Shijiazhuang became the provincial capital in 1968.
Beginning in the 1990s, Shijiazhuang saw another episode of rapid growth and development. Starting from the plains area in the east and south of the city, the focus of the developments later shifted towards the mountainous districts and counties in the west, as well as along the
Hutuo River
The Hutuo River is a major river in northern China and an important member of Hai River system. It derives from Wutai Mountain in Shanxi province and flows through the Taihang Mountains to reach the North China Plain, and meets the Ziya River n ...
in the north.
In the early hours of March 16, 2001, four apartment buildings were leveled after
a series of explosions rocked the city, killing 108 while injuring 38. The perpetrator was a deaf, unemployed man named Jin Ruchao who police arrested weeks later. Jin confessed that he had delivered the bombs via taxi and stated that the bombings were an act of revenge on his relatives, who were among the tenants of the apartments. Jin and his accomplices were later executed.
In December 2020, its mayor, Deng Peiran, was charged with corruption, with Ma Yujun currently serving as the acting mayor. A few weeks later, the city became a new
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
hotspot: starting from the village of Xiaoguozhuang in
Gaocheng District
Gaocheng () is one of eight districts of the prefecture-level city of Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei Province, North China, on the upper reaches of the Hutuo River (). The city has a total area of and in 2010 had a population of 743,000. in the northern portion of the city, cases has been increasing rapidly since January 2, 2021. Due to its proximity with Beijing and the severity of the outbreak, harsh measures were put into place, with all 11 million residences undergoing mandatory testing, as well as school closures, banning of gatherings, and residential districts being sealed. All highways were blocked off, with rail and air links also suspended.
Throughout the years, the city's administrative units have been shifted and adjusted multiple times. Initially, Shijiazhuang was administered under the prefecture of the same name, along with the counties of
Zhengding
Zhengding (), originally Zhending (), is a county in southwestern Hebei Province, North China, located approximately south of Beijing. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Shijiazhuang, the capital of the province, and h ...
,
Pingshan,
Lingshou,
Jingxing,
Jianping,
Huailu
Huolu or Huailu () is a town and the seat of Luquan District of Shijiazhuang in the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains in southwestern Hebei province, China, , it has 12 residential communities () and 27 villages under its administration. ...
,
Jinxian
Jinxian County () is a county of Jiangxi Province, China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Nanchang
Nanchang (, ; ) is the capital of Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China. Located in the north-centr ...
,
Gaocheng Gaocheng may refer to the following locations in China:
* Gaocheng District (), a district of Shijiazhuang, Hebei
* Gaocheng Township (高城乡), a township in Xinzhou, Shanxi
Towns
* Gaocheng, Henan (告成), in Dengfeng, Henan
* Gaocheng, Hub ...
,
Luancheng,
Zhaoxian Zhaoxian or Zhao Xian may refer to:
* Zhao County (), Hebei, China
* Zhaoxian (Taoism) (), "illuminated immortals", who achieve transcendence through constant periods of thought and recollection
People with the name Zhaoxian or Zhao Xian include:
* ...
,
Shulu,
Yuanshi,
Zanhuang
Zanhuang County () is a county in the southwestern Hebei Province, North China, bordering Shanxi province to the west. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital.
Administrative divisions
To ...
,
Gaoyi
Gaoyi () is a county of Hebei Province, North China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Shijiazhuang, the capital of the province.
Administrative divisions
Towns:
* Gaoyi Town (), Daying Town (), Fucun Town ()
Town ...
, and one town,
Xinji. The first new district of the city,
Jingxing Mining District
Jingxing Mining District () is a Coal mining, mining district and one of eight District (China), districts of the prefecture-level city of Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei, Hebei Province, North China, North China. It is an Enclave and exclave, ...
, was created on June 27, 1950. On November 7, 1952,
Hengshui
Hengshui () is a prefecture-level city in southern Hebei province, People's Republic of China, bordering Shandong to the southeast. At the 2010 census its population was 4,340,373 inhabitants whom 522,147 lived in the built-up (''or metro'') are ...
Prefecture, to the east, was merged into Shijiazhuang, adding six more counties. The prefecture continued to expand after
Dingxian Prefecture was split and merged into
Baoding
Baoding (), formerly known as Baozhou and Qingyuan, is a prefecture-level city in central Hebei province, approximately southwest of Beijing. As of the 2010 census, Baoding City had 11,194,382 inhabitants out of which 2,176,857 lived in the b ...
and Shijiazhuang on June 18, 1954. Between March 1960 and May 1961, the prefecture and the city merged. Thereafter, however, the prefecture was re-established, with Hengshui Prefecture splitting away the next year. The city and its prefecture merged for good in June 1993. In the 2010s, Shijiazhuang's administrative divisions saw further changes. In 2013, the county-level city of
Xinji, although still part of Shijiazhuang prefecture, is now
directly administered by Hebei province. Later, the
State Council of the People's Republic of China
The State Council, constitutionally synonymous with the Central People's Government since 1954 (particularly in relation to local governments), is the chief administrative authority of the People's Republic of China. It is chaired by the p ...
approved more adjustments to the city's divisions.
Qiaodong District was dissolved and merged into
Chang'an
Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi ...
and
Qiaoxi districts. Three county-level cities,
Gaocheng Gaocheng may refer to the following locations in China:
* Gaocheng District (), a district of Shijiazhuang, Hebei
* Gaocheng Township (高城乡), a township in Xinzhou, Shanxi
Towns
* Gaocheng, Henan (告成), in Dengfeng, Henan
* Gaocheng, Hub ...
,
Luquan, and
Luancheng, became urban districts.
Geography
![Txu-oclc-10552568-nj50-5](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Txu-oclc-10552568-nj50-5.jpg)
Shijiazhuang is located in south-central Hebei, and is part of the
Bohai Economic Rim
The Bohai Economic Rim (BER) or Bohai Bay Economic Rim (BBER) is the economic region surrounding Tianjin (Tientsin). It also includes areas in Hebei, Liaoning and Shandong surrounding the Bohai Sea. This region has undergone major economic and in ...
. Its administrative area ranges in latitude from 37° 27' to 38° 47' N, and the longitude 113° 30' to 115° 20' E. The prefecture-level city reaches a north–south extent and a wide from east to west. The prefecture has borders stretching long and covers an area of . Bordering prefecture-level cities in Hebei are
Hengshui
Hengshui () is a prefecture-level city in southern Hebei province, People's Republic of China, bordering Shandong to the southeast. At the 2010 census its population was 4,340,373 inhabitants whom 522,147 lived in the built-up (''or metro'') are ...
(E),
Xingtai
Xingtai (), formerly known as Xingzhou and Shunde, is a prefecture-level city in southern Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It has a total area of and administers 4 districts, 2 county-level cities and 12 counties. At the 2020 censu ...
(S), and
Baoding
Baoding (), formerly known as Baozhou and Qingyuan, is a prefecture-level city in central Hebei province, approximately southwest of Beijing. As of the 2010 census, Baoding City had 11,194,382 inhabitants out of which 2,176,857 lived in the b ...
(N/NE). To the west lies the province of
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
.
The city stands at the edge of the
North China Plain
The North China Plain or Huang-Huai-Hai Plain () is a large-scale downfaulted rift basin formed in the late Paleogene and Neogene and then modified by the deposits of the Yellow River. It is the largest alluvial plain of China. The plain is bord ...
, which rises to the
Taihang Mountains
The Taihang Mountains () are a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Shanxi, Henan and Hebei provinces. The range extends over from north to south and has an average elevation of . The principal peak is ...
to the west of the city, and lies south of the
Hutuo River
The Hutuo River is a major river in northern China and an important member of Hai River system. It derives from Wutai Mountain in Shanxi province and flows through the Taihang Mountains to reach the North China Plain, and meets the Ziya River n ...
. 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
Niangzi Pass (), also called the Ladies' Pass, is a mountain pass west of Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei Province in North China. One of the major passages from Shanxi Province to Hebei Province across the Taihang Mountains, it is west of Sh ...
, connects the city directly with
Taiyuan
Taiyuan (; ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; also known as (), ()) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. ...
, Shanxi.
The mountainous part of the prefecture consists of parts of:
*Jingxing Mining District
*Jingxing County
*Zanhuang County
*Xingtang County
*Lingshou County
*Yuanshi County
*Luquan District
The Hutuo River Basin in the east juts into:
*Xinle City
*Wuji County
*Shenze County
*Jinzhou City
*Gaocheng District
*Gaoyi County
*Zhao County
*Luancheng District
*Zhengding County
*The metropolitan area and its suburbs, in their entirety
*All of the divisions mentioned in the above list, except for Jingxing Mining District
Climate
The city has a continental,
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally 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 annual latitudinal oscil ...
-influenced
semi-arid climate
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''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
Siberian anticyclone
The Siberian High (also Siberian Anticyclone; russian: Азиатский антициклон (''Aziatsky antitsiklon'')) is a massive collection of cold dry air that accumulates in the northeastern part of Eurasia from September until April. It ...
. Spring can see 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 , while July averages ; the annual mean is . With the monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 45 percent in July to 61 percent in May, the city receives 2,427 hours of sunshine annually. More than half of the annual rainfall occurs in July and August alone.
Air quality
![公园 - panoramio (7)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/%E5%85%AC%E5%9B%AD_-_panoramio_%287%29.jpg)
According to the National Environmental Analysis released by
Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University (; abbreviation, abbr. THU) is a National university, national Public university, public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Minis ...
and The Asian Development Bank in January 2013, Shijiazhuang was one of ten most air-polluted cities in the world. Also according to this report, 7 of 10 most air-polluted cities are in China, including
Taiyuan
Taiyuan (; ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; also known as (), ()) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. ...
, Beijing,
Urumqi,
Lanzhou
Lanzhou (, ; ) is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. Located on the banks of the Yellow River, it is a key regional transportation hub, connecting areas further west by rail to the eastern half of the country. H ...
, Chongqing,
Jinan
Jinan (), Postal Map Romanization, alternately romanization of Chinese, romanized as Tsinan, is the Capital (political), capital of Shandong province in East China, Eastern China. With a population of 9.2 million, it is the second-largest city i ...
and Shijiazhuang. As air pollution in China is at an all-time high, several northern cities are among the most polluted cities and have some of the worst air quality in China. Reporting on China's air quality has been accompanied by what seems like a monochromatic slideshow of the country's several cities smothered in thick smog. According to a survey made by "Global voices China" in February 2013, Shijiazhuang is among China's 10 most polluted cities along with other cities including major Chinese cities like Beijing and
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou (; ), also spelt Zheng Zhou and alternatively romanized as Chengchow, is the capital and largest city of Henan Province in the central part of the People's Republic of China. Located in north-central Henan, it is one of the National ...
, and 6 other prefectural cities all in
Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...
. These cities are all situated in traditional geographic subdivision of "Huabei (North China) Region".
In 2020, annual averag
PM2.5Air Pollution in Shijiazhuang stood at 56 µg/m³, which is 11.2 times the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
PM2.5 Guideline (5 µg/m³: set in September, 2021).
These pollution levels are estimated to reduce the
Life Expectancy
Life expectancy is a statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live, based on the year of its birth, current age, and other demographic factors like sex. The most commonly used measure is life expectancy at birth ...
of an average person living in Shijiazhuang by almost 5 years.
A dense wave of smog began in the
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and
Eastern
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
part of China on December 2, 2013, across a distance of around , including Shijiazhuang and surrounding areas. A lack of cold air flow, combined with slow-moving
air mass
In meteorology, an air mass is a volume of air defined by its temperature and humidity. Air masses cover many hundreds or thousands of square miles, and adapt to the characteristics of the surface below them. They are classified according to la ...
es carrying industrial emissions, collected
airborne pollutants
Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different types ...
to form a thick layer of smog over the region. Officials blamed the dense pollution on lack of wind, automobile exhaust emissions under low air pressure, and coal-powered
district heating
District heating (also known as heat networks or teleheating) is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location through a system of insulated pipes for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating a ...
system in North China region. Prevailing winds blew low-hanging air masses of factory emissions (mostly
SO2) towards China's east coast.
Current leaders
Administrative divisions
Shijiazhuang has direct administrative jurisdiction over:
Demographics
Migrants flowing in from all across China largely contributed to the population growth of Shijiazhuang in recent times. With a population of 120,000 in 1947, Shijiazhuang became the first medium-large city captured by the Chinese Communist Party from the
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
. By the time of the People's Republic of China's founding in 1949, the total urban population increased to more than 270,000 people, more than doubling in a span of two years. In 1953, when China rolled out its first five-year plan, the total population of Shijiazhuang's urban area increased to 320,000. In 1960, the total population of the Shijiazhuang urban area had reached 650,000. In 1968, the city experienced a substantial increase due to it being designated the capital of Hebei to avoid chaos in Baoding amidst the Cultural Revolution. By 1980, the urban population had surpassed the one million mark, joining the ranks of a large city. As of the end of 2017, the urban population of Shijiazhuang exceeded 4.5 million.
In just six decades, the city's population has increased by more than 20 fold.
At the end of 2009, the city's total non-migrant population was 9,774,100, an increase of 109,300 over the previous year. The birth rate of the city's population is 14.65%, the death rate is 6.25%, and the natural growth rate is 8.4%.
According to the
sixth national census in 2010, the city's total non-migrant population stands at 10,163,788.
Compared with the
fifth national census a decade prior, there was an increase of 818,365 people, or an increase of 8.76%, and an average annual growth rate of 0.84%. Among them, the male population stood at 5,087,913, accounting for 50.06% of the total population; the female population is 5,075,875, accounting for 49.94% of the total population. The gender ratio of the total population is 100 women per 100.24 men. The population aged between 0 and 14 is 1,548,125, accounting for 15.23% of the total population; the population aged between 15 and 64 is 7,789,753, accounting for 76.64% of the total population; the population aged 65 and over is 825,910, accounting for 8.13% of the total population.
The top 10 surnames of Shijiazhuang are:
Zhang Zhang may refer to:
Chinese culture, etc.
* Zhang (surname) (張/张), common Chinese surname
** Zhang (surname 章), a rarer Chinese surname
* Zhang County (漳县), of Dingxi, Gansu
* Zhang River (漳河), a river flowing mainly in Henan
* ''Zha ...
(10.27%),
Wang
Wang may refer to:
Names
* Wang (surname) (王), a common Chinese surname
* Wāng (汪), a less common Chinese surname
* Titles in Chinese nobility
* A title in Korean nobility
* A title in Mongolian nobility
Places
* Wang River in Thai ...
(9.25%),
Li (9.17%),
Liu
/ ( or ) is an East Asian surname. pinyin: in Mandarin Chinese, in Cantonese. It is the family name of the Han dynasty emperors. The character originally meant 'kill', but is now used only as a surname. It is listed 252nd in the classic text ...
(6.73%),
Zhao (4.28%),
Yang
Yang may refer to:
* Yang, in yin and yang, one half of the two symbolic polarities in Chinese philosophy
* Korean yang, former unit of currency of Korea from 1892 to 1902
* YANG, a data modeling language for the NETCONF network configuration ...
(2.82%),
Gao
Gao , or Gawgaw/Kawkaw, is a city in Mali and the capital of the Gao Region. The city is located on the River Niger, east-southeast of Timbuktu on the left bank at the junction with the Tilemsi valley.
For much of its history Gao was an impor ...
(2.08%),
Chen (1.92%),
Ma (1.77%), and
Guo
"Guo", written in Chinese: 郭, is one of the most common Chinese surnames and means "the wall that surrounds a city" in Chinese. It can also be transliterated into English as Cok, Gou, Quo, Quach, Quek, Que, Keh, Kuo, Kwo, Kuoch, Kok, Koc, ...
(1.55%).
On May 6, 2011, the
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) is a Chinese research institute and think tank. The institution is the premier comprehensive national academic research organization in the People's Republic of China for the study in the fields of ...
published the "2011 China Urban Competitiveness Blue Book: China Urban Competitiveness Report". In it, the happiness survey sampled 294 cities across China, arriving at the conclusion that the residents of Shijiazhuang were the happiest. This result caused strong doubts from netizens.
Economy
![Zhengtaihotel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Zhengtaihotel.jpg)
In 2014, the GDP of Shijiazhuang reached CNY(RMB)¥510.02 billion (about $80.45 billion in USD), an increase of 12 percent over the previous year, and placing the city 20th in provincial capitals by GDP.
Shijiazhuang has become a major industrial city in North China and is considered to be the economic center of Hebei province, along with
Tangshan
Tangshan () is a coastal, industrial prefecture-level city in the northeast of Hebei province. It is located in the eastern part of Hebei Province and the northeastern part of the North China Plain. It is located in the central area of the Boha ...
. The city also located in
Beijing-Tianjin-Shijiazhuang Hi-Tech Industrial Belt, which is one of the main Hi-Tech Belts in China. Nicknamed the "medicine hub of China", it's home to major pharmaceutical companies and factories like the North China Pharmaceutical Group Corporation,
Shijiazhuang Pharma Group
CSPC Pharmaceutical Group () (China Pharma, , Hang Seng Index component) researches, develops, manufactures and sells pharmaceutical products. Its headquarters is in China's Hebei Province.
CSPC produces both active pharmaceutical ingredient (A ...
, and Shineway Pharma. The textile industry is also one of the backbones of the city's commerce. Other 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 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.
2006 World Bank reported that Shijiazhuang was spending 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. National highways 107, 207, 307, 308 pass through the zone. It is away from Shijiazhuang railway station, away from Tianjin Port. Industries 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 , 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 . A railway line operated by Shijiazhuang Oil Refinery runs through the zone from north to south, so enterprises in the zone can build lines of their own.
The Western District, located in the southwest of Shijiazhuang, covers an area of . It focuses on small- and medium-sized technology enterprises and technology incubation. Liangcun District, which borders the Western District, covers , and focuses on the pharmaceutical industry and the
petrochemical industry
The petrochemical industry is concerned with the production and trade of petrochemicals. A major part is constituted by the plastics (polymer) industry. It directly interfaces with the petroleum industry, especially the downstream sector.
Comp ...
.
By 2009, some 2,600 enterprises had settled in the zone, of which 185 were foreign-funded enterprises. Firms from Japan, the US, the Republic of Korea, Germany, Italy, Canada, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan had established themselves in the zone.
Dairy
The city is a center for the dairy trade, being the headquarters of the
Sanlu Group
Sanlu Group CO., Ltd. (SJZSGCZ) was a state-owned Chinese dairy products company based in Xinhua District, Shijiazhuang, the capital city of Hebei. It produced one of the oldest and most popular brands of infant formula in China. . Sanlu became Shijiazhuang's largest taxpayer since it had become the largest formula seller in China for a continuous 15-year period.
Richard McGregor
Richard McGregor (born 1958) is an Australian journalist, writer, and author. He is currently working as a Senior Fellow at the Lowey Insititute based in Sydney, Australia. He previously was based in Japan and also other locations such as Shangh ...
, author of ''
The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers'', said that Sanlu became "an invaluable asset for a city otherwise struggling to attract industry and investment on a par with China's premier metropolises."
Both the dairy trade and Sanlu were affected by the
2008 Chinese milk scandal. The chairman and general manager of Sanlu, and several party officials, including the vice-mayor in charge of food and agriculture, Zhang Fawang, were reportedly removed from office.
[Klaudia Lee, "Tests find tainted baby milk at 21 more firms", Page A1, '']South China Morning Post
The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained ...
'' (September 17, 2008)[''Xinhua'']
"Officials, company manager sacked following baby milk powder scandal"
, chinaview.cn (September 16, 2008) Mayor Ji Chuntang reportedly resigned on September 17, 2008.
, ''Xinhua'' (September 18, 2008)
Transportation
Expressways
The city is served by many expressways, including the
Shitai, Beijing–
Shenzhen
Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major sub-provincial city and one of the special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern province ...
and
Taiyuan
Taiyuan (; ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; also known as (), ()) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. ...
–
Cangzhou
Cangzhou () is a prefecture-level city in eastern Hebei province, People's Republic of China. At the 2020 census, Cangzhou's built-up (''or metro'') area made of Yunhe, Xinhua districts and Cang County largely being conurbated had a populatio ...
Expressways.
Railway
Shijiazhuang is a transportation hub at the intersection point of the Beijing–
Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
,
Taiyuan
Taiyuan (; ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; also known as (), ()) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. ...
–
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 t ...
, and
Shuozhou
Shuozhou is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi province, China, bordering Inner Mongolia to the northwest. It is situated along the upper reaches of the Fen River. The prefecture as a whole has an area of about and, in 2010, a popu ...
–
Huanghua
Huanghua () is a county-level city located in the Bohai Gulf coastal region of Hebei province, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Cangzhou.
Huanghua is named after Chinese Communist revolutionary Huang Hua. Pre ...
railways. The new
Shijiazhuang railway station
The Shijiazhuang railway station () is the main railway station of Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei Province of China. Over the city's history, the name has been applied to several different facilities located in the main Beijing-Guangzhou railw ...
(opened December 2012) has a rare distinction of being served by both the "conventional"
Beijing–Guangzhou Railway and the new
Beijing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong High-Speed Railway
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
. Such an arrangement is fairly uncommon on China's
high-speed rail network, as typically high-speed lines are constructed to bypass city cores, where the older "conventional" train stations are.
In Shijiazhuang's case, to make it possible to bring the new high-speed railway into the central city, a long railway tunnel was constructed under the city. This is the first time a high-speed railway has been run ''under'' a Chinese city.
There is also the smaller
Shijiazhuang North railway station
Shijiazhuang North railway station () is one of the passenger railway stations in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province, China.
Shijiazhuang North is a smaller station than the city's main station, the Shijiazhuang railway station. It is us ...
, used by trains going west toward
Taiyuan
Taiyuan (; ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; also known as (), ()) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. ...
without the need for passing though downtown.
Metro
Line 1, Line 2 and Line 3 of the
Shijiazhuang Metro
Shijiazhuang Metro (; branded as SJZ Metro) is a rapid transit system in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, China.
Network
Line 1
Line 1, opened on 26 June 2017. It is 34.3 kilometers in length with 26 underground stations.
Line 2
Line 2, opene ...
are currently operational.
The system is in length.
The latest metro plan of Shijiazhuang includes 6 lines in total.
Airport
The
Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport
Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport is the primary airport serving Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province, China. The airport is the hub for Hebei Airlines and a focus city for both China United Airlines and Spring Airlines. It is ...
is the province's center of air transportation. It is about 30 kilometers northeast of the city. There are 32 domestic routes arriving at and departing from Shijiazhuang, including destinations such as Shanghai, Shenzhen and Dalian. The airport serves 12 international destinations including four routes to Russia. The airport is being expanded and will be capable of being an alternate airport to
Beijing Capital International Airport
Beijing Capital International Airport is one of two international airports serving Beijing, the other one being Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). It is located northeast of Beijing's city center, in an exclave of Chaoyang District ...
.
With the opening of the
Beijing–Guangzhou High-Speed Railway
The Beijing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong high-speed railway or Jingguangshengang high-speed railway from its Chinese name is a high-speed railway corridor of the CRH passenger service, connecting Beijingxi station in Beijing and West Ko ...
at the end of 2012, the airport got
its own train station, making available fast, although infrequent, train service between the airport and Shijiazhuang railway station, as well as other stations in the region.
Cycling
Most large roads in the city feature a separate cycle lane and, combined with the city being flat, make it ideal for cycling. Thousands of cyclists use the city each day and often there are more cyclists waiting at a crossroad than cars.
Military
Shijiazhuang is headquarters of the
27th Group Army
The 27th Group Army was a military formation of the People's Republic of China's People's Liberation Army and one of three active group armies belonging to the Beijing Military Region between 1949 and 2017. It was based in Shijiazhuang, Hebei. ...
of the
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...
, one of the three group armies that comprise the
Beijing Military Region
The Beijing Military Region was one of seven military regions for the Chinese People's Liberation Army. From the mid 1980s to 2017, it had administration of all military affairs within Beijing city, Tianjin city, Hebei province, Shanxi province, ...
responsible for defending China's capital.
Culture
City centre
The city of Shijiazhuang is similar to Beijing in that all roads run from north to south and east to west, making the city easy to navigate. Many roads have cycle paths making it cyclist friendly. In the heart of the city is the
Hebei Museum
The Hebei Museum () is located in Shijiazhuang, the capital city of Hebei Province, China. It first opened in April 1953 in Baoding. After moving twice in the 1980s, it reopened in October 1987 at its present location on South Zhongshan Street. As ...
which was refurbished in 2013 and 2014. It holds regular events, mostly showing traditional Chinese art and artifacts. The Yutong International Sports Centre hosts the Shijiazhuang Ever Bright football matches as well as holding pop concerts.
Shijiazhuang Zoo is located on the west side of the city. The zoo has 3,000 animals of 250 species including flamingos, golden monkeys, manchurian tigers, Indian elephants, giraffes, chimpanzees, kangaroos, seals, white tigers, springboks and pandas. Near the Shijiazhuang Zoo are the Botanical Gardens (), offering a range of exotic and native plants both to view and purchase. The Martyrs Memorial () can be found in the centre of the city, commemorating the soldiers lost in war.
Main sights
Baodu Zhai (), or Baodu Village, is an ancient fortified hilltop settlement located on the west side of the city, the mountain contains walks and buddhist statues. Close to
Baodu Zhai is Fenglong Mountain () is situated outside of Shijiazhuang to the west, the mountain features walks and a large stone Buddha statue situated on top of the mountain.
Mount Cangyan
Mount Cangyan () is a scenic area in Jingxing County, Hebei Province, China, famous for its combination of natural mountain scenery with historical man-made structures. It is located approximately southwest of the provincial capital Shijiazhu ...
() is a scenic area in Jingxing County, famous for its combination of natural mountain scenery with historical man-made structures. It was featured in a scene of the Chinese movie
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' is a 2000 wuxia film directed by Ang Lee and written for the screen by Wang Hui-ling, James Schamus, and Tsai Kuo-jung . The film features a cast of actors of Chinese people, Chinese ethnicity, including Ch ...
.
The
Longxing Temple
The Longxing Monastery or Longxing Temple () is an ancient Buddhist monastery located in the town of Zhengding in Hebei Province, China, approximately north of the provincial capital of Shijiazhuang. It has been referred to as the ''"Best Temple ...
() is an ancient Buddhist monastery located just outside the city. It has been referred to as the "First Temple south of Beijing". The
Anji Bridge (also known as Zhaozhou 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 (581–618). It is the oldest standing bridge in China. The
Pagoda of Bailin Temple ( or ) is an octagonal-based brick Chinese pagoda built in 1330 during the reign of Emperor Wenzong, ruler of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty (1271–1368).
City parks
The downtown area of the city contains a range of parks. The largest park is found in the centre of the city known as Chang'an Park (), the park includes an underground shopping mall, a theatre, a museum, a lake, bars and restaurants. Another park is found on the south east side of the city: Century Park (), Century Park contains a lake in the centre with an amusement park to the north side. On the northwest side of the city is Water Park () which features a large lake, amusement rides, short walks and various restaurants. As well as these three large parks there are smaller parks scattered across the city.
Shopping
The largest mall in the city is the
Wanda shopping mall, located in the southeast side of the city, along with the Lerthai Shopping Complex at the downtown, and Wondermall on the southwest side. The Wanda mall includes an IMAX theatre.
Food
During the summer barbecue restaurants () open, selling a whole range of foods, the most popular of which are lamb kebabs (). Thousands of restaurants can be found across the city offering a range of Chinese as well as western cuisine open around the clock.
Cultural references
The 2018 arthouse film ''
An Elephant Sitting Still'' by
Hu Bo was shot and set in Shijiazhuang.
Notable people
*
Deng Lun
Deng Lun () also known as Allen Deng, is a Chinese film and television actor, born on October 21, 1992, in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province. He graduated from the Performance Department of Shanghai Theatre Academy. He made his acting debut in t ...
, actor
*
Kang Hui, news anchor for
China Central Television
China Central Television (CCTV) is a Chinese state- and political party-owned broadcaster controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Its 50 different channels broadcast a variety of programing to more than one billion viewers in six lan ...
.
*
Omnipotent Youth Society, Chinese alternative rock band that was formed in the late 1990s.
*
Feng Zhang
Feng Zhang (; born October 22, 1981) is a Chinese-American biochemist. Zhang currently holds the James and Patricia Poitras Professorship in Neuroscience at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research and in the departments of Brain and Cognitive ...
, Chinese-American biochemist. Known for his role in the development of CRISPR technologies.
*
Sun Yingsha, table tennis player.
*
Zhao Tuo,
Qin dynasty
The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first Dynasties in Chinese history, dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin (state), ...
Chinese general. Founder of
Triệu dynasty
The Triệu dynasty or Zhao dynasty (; vi, Nhà Triệu, links=no; 茹趙) ruled the kingdom of Nanyue, which consisted of parts of southern China as well as northern Vietnam. Its capital was Panyu, in modern Guangzhou. The founder of the dynas ...
.
*
Zhao Yun
Zhao Yun ( ) (died 229), courtesy name Zilong (), was a military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the northern warlord Gongsun Zan, Zhao Yun later came ...
, military general who lived during the late
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
and early
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...
period.
*
Li Jiang, an official of
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
, serving as a chancellor during the reign of
Emperor Xianzong
Emperor Xianzong of Tang (4 March to 1 April 778''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 14. – 14 February 820; r. 805 – 820), personal name Li Chun, né Li Chun (), was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was the eldest son of Emperor Shunzon ...
.
*
Li Deyu
Li Deyu (; 787 – January 26, 850Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter.''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 174.), courtesy name Wenrao (), formally the Duke of Wei (), was a Chinese poet, politician, and writer during the Tang Dynasty, serv ...
, a Chinese poet, politician, and writer of
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
.
*
Han Shantong
Han Shantong ({{zh, t=韓山童, p=Hán Shāntóng; died 1351), born in Luancheng, Hebei, was one of the early leaders of the Red Turban Rebellions. He claimed to be the descendant of Emperor Huizong of Song (1082–1135), the penultimate empero ...
, one of leaders of the early
Red Turban rebellion
The Red Turban Rebellions () were uprisings against the Yuan dynasty between 1351 and 1368, eventually leading to its collapse. Remnants of the Yuan imperial court retreated northwards and is thereafter known as the Northern Yuan in historiogr ...
.
*
Zhou Dongyu
Zhou Dongyu () is a Chinese actress, who gained recognition after appearing in Zhang Yimou's film '' Under the Hawthorn Tree''. She was also chosen by '' Southern Metropolis Daily'' as one of the " Four Dan actresses of the post-90s Generation" ...
, actress considered one of the
Four Dan actresses of the post 90's generation
*
Zheng Yuanjie, Chinese
fairy tale
A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...
author, and founder and sole writer of a children's literature magazine known as the King of Fairy Tales.
Sports
Shijiazhuang Ever Bright F.C.
Cangzhou Mighty Lions Football Club () is a professional football club that currently participates in the Chinese Super League under licence from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The team is based in Cangzhou, Hebei and their home stadium ...
() is a Chinese football club based in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, which competes in the Chinese Super League. It plays in the 37,000-seat Yutong International Sports Centre. The team changed to their current name on February 24, 2014.
Yutong International Sports Center
The Yutong International Sports Centre Stadium (Simplified Chinese: 裕彤国际体育中心) is a multi-use stadium in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China. It is currently used mostly for football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, ...
() is a multi-use stadium, used mostly for football matches. The capacity is 38,500.
Hospitals
![NormanBethune](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/NormanBethune.jpg)
* Hebei General Hospital
* The First Hospital of Shijiazhuang City
* The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University
* Bethune International Peace Hospital , namesake after
Norman Bethune
Henry Norman Bethune (; March 4, 1890 – November 12, 1939; zh, t=亨利·諾爾曼·白求恩, p=Hēnglì Nuò'ěrmàn Báiqiú'ēn) was a Canadian thoracic surgeon, early advocate of socialized medicine, and member of the Communist Party ...
a Canadian thoracic surgeon who is honored for his humanitarian service in bringing modern medicine to rural China.
Education
Universities and colleges
*
Shijiazhuang University
*
Hebei GEO University
*
Shijiazhuang Tiedao University
*
Hebei Normal University
*
Hebei Medical University
Hebei Medical University () is a university in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China, under the provincial government. It was established in 1894, making it one of the oldest, and is an AAA graded medical school in China.
Located in Shijiazhuang, the capit ...
Twin towns and sister cities
Shijiazhuang's
twin towns and sister cities
A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties.
While there are early examples of inter ...
are:
:
Nagano Nagano may refer to:
Places
* Nagano Prefecture, a prefecture in Japan
** Nagano (city), the capital city of the same prefecture
*** Nagano 1998, the 1998 Winter Olympics
*** Nagano Olympic Stadium, a baseball stadium in Nagano
*** Nagano Universi ...
,
Nagano Prefecture
is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the ...
, Japan (April 19, 1981)
:
Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
, Saskatchewan, Canada (May 31, 1985)
:
Des Moines
Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...
,
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
, United States (August 8, 1986)
:
Edison, New Jersey, United States (Date unknown)
["Position Paper on Sister State and Sister City Relations Between Australia and China"]
Australia-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New South Wales, dated November 14, 2001. Accessed August 30, 2015.
:
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 ...
, Emilia-Romagna, Italy (September 22, 1987)
:
Corby
Corby is a town in North Northamptonshire, England, located north-east of Northampton. From 1974 to 2021, the town served as the administrative headquarters of the Borough of Corby. At the 2011 Census, the built-up area had a population of 5 ...
, England, United Kingdom (October 5, 1994)
:
Ayagawa,
Kagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kagawa Prefecture has a population of 949,358 (as of 2020) and is the smallest prefecture by geographic area at . Kagawa Prefecture borders Ehime Prefecture to the southwest and Tok ...
, Japan (May 23, 1995)
:
Solofra,
Avellino
Avellino () is a town and ''comune'', capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento. ...
, Italy (August 17, 1997)
:
Cheonan
Cheonan (; 천안시, ''Cheonan-si''), also spelled Ch'ŏnan, is a city in South Chungcheong, South Korea.
Cheonan has a population of 666,417 (2018), making it the most-populous city or county in South Chungcheong, and the third most-populous ci ...
,
South Chungcheong
South Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청남도, ''Chungcheongnam-do''), also known as Chungnam, is a province of South Korea. South Chungcheong has a population of 2,059,871 (2014) and has a geographic area of 8,204 km2 (3,168 sq mi) located i ...
, South Korea (August 26, 1997)
:
Querétaro City,
Querétaro
Querétaro (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Querétaro ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Querétaro, links=no; Otomi language, Otomi: ''Hyodi Ndämxei''), is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. I ...
, Mexico (September 2, 1997)
:
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada (July 9, 1998)
:
Falkenberg
Falkenberg is a locality and the seat of Falkenberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 27,813 inhabitants in 2019 (out of a municipal total of about 45,000). It is located at the mouth of river Ätran. The name consists of the Swedish ...
,
Halland County
Halland County ( sv, Hallands län, link=no, ) is a county ('' län'') on the western coast of Sweden. It corresponds roughly to the cultural and historical province of Halland. The capital is Halmstad.
It borders the counties of Västra Göta ...
, Sweden (August 6, 2002)
:
Nam Định
Nam Định () is a city in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam. It is the capital of Nam Định Province. The city of Nam Định is 90 km south-east of Vietnam's capital, Hanoi. From August 18–20 of each year, there is a festival he ...
,
Nam Định Province
Nam Định () ( vi, Tỉnh Nam Định) is a Provinces of Vietnam, province in the southern part of the Red River Delta region of northern Vietnam. It borders Ninh Bình , Ninh Bình province to the southwest, Hà Nam province to the northwest, T ...
, Vietnam (December 27, 2004)
:
Nagykanizsa
Nagykanizsa (; hr, Velika Kaniža/Velika Kanjiža, or just ''Kaniža/Kanjiža''; german: Großkirchen, Groß-Kanizsa; it, Canissa; sl, Velika Kaniža; tr, Kanije), known colloquially as Kanizsa, is a medium-sized city in Zala County in southw ...
,
Zala County
Zala ( hu, Zala megye, ; ; ) is an administrative county ( comitatus or ''megye'') in south-western Hungary. It is named after the Zala River. It shares borders with Croatia ( Koprivnica–Križevci and Međimurje Counties) and Slovenia ( Lend ...
, Hungary (2007)
See also
*
List of twin towns and sister cities in China
This is a list of places in China which have standing links to local communities in other countries known as "town twinning" (usually in Europe) or "sister cities" (usually in the rest of the world).
A
Anqing
* Calabasas, United States
* C ...
*
Yanzhao Evening News
References
External links
Shijiazhuang Government official website
{{Authority control
1925 establishments in China
Cities in Hebei
Provincial capitals in China
Prefecture-level divisions of Hebei