Heze


Heze, formerly known as Caozhou, is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Shandong province, China. It is home to 8,287,693 inhabitants, of whom 1,346,717 live in the built-up area around the seat of government in Mudan District. The westernmost prefecture-level city in Shandong, it borders Jining to the east and the provinces of Henan and Anhui to the west and south respectively.

Name

In Chinese, the name of the city is sometimes miswritten as "", owing to the similarity of the characters.

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. It returned to Shandong just over three years later.
In April 1953, Heze and Jining gained counties from the former prefecture of Huxi after its abolishment.

Geography

Heze has a monsoon-influenced climate that lies between the humid subtropical and humid continental zones, 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, with the monthly 24-hour average temperature ranging from in January to 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.

Administration

The prefecture-level city of Heze administers nine county-level divisions. The municipal executive, legislature and judiciary are in Mudan District, together with CPC and Public Security bureaux.
There are two districts and seven counties:
These are further divided into 158 township-level divisions.
Map

Demographics

According to the 2010 population census, there were 8,287,693 people living in this area.

Transportation

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

Mobile, Alabama