Dezhou
Encyclopedia
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.
of Dezhou comprises thirteen county-level sub divisions:
to Shanghai
,which is known as Jinghu Railway
. Dezhou has always been an important transport hub since ancient times(especially after Ming Dynasty), when its reputation of "Junction of Nine Arteries"(九达天衢）and "Portal of Capital City"(神京门户）gradually developed. Except for the two railways(the other is Shide Railway leading to Shijiazhuang
), National Highway 104, NH105 and a few provincial roads cross the city as well. The Yellow River
and the Grand Canal (China) run through it.
of Sulu (Philippines), who died in Dezhou on his return journey from a visit to the Yongle Emperor
in 1417. The tomb is well preserved and has been declared a national heritage site. Descendants of the sultan's Muslim
followers still live in Dezhou today, and are classified as the Hui
minority.
One of Dezhou's county Lingxian used to be a big county in China in history, when it was called Pingyuan County. Now part of the ancient city wall of Tang Dynasty still exists in the south of the region. Before the Three Kingdoms
formed, one of the three emperors Liu Bei
used to be the chief of the county, together with his fellows Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. In addition, it is the hometown of Dong Fangshuo (东方朔), the most well-known adviser of Emperor Wu of Han
Dynasty; during Tang Dynasty, an important figure of Chinese calligraphy, Yan Zhenqing
, administrated this area. Today, memorial hall for the two historic figures is built in People's Park of Lingxian, where a lot of materials of Dong Fangshuo and stone inscriptions of Yan Zhenqing are reserved.
For tourism resources, there's also a famous temple in Qingyun County. It's called Haidao Jinshan Temple, which is believed to be one of the biggest centers of Buddhism
in Northern China. The most attractive scene is the underground aisle where the sight of hell is portrayed by using high technology.
Nowadays one of the biggest and most famous industries in Dezhou is solar energy industry, with two main corporations included-- Himin Group (皇明集团) and its partner Ecco Solar Group(亿家能集团). Dezhou increased its international reputation when it was selected to follow previous hosts, Daegu, South Korea (2004), Oxford
, UK (2006) and Adelaide
, Australia
(2008) as host of the 2010 International Solar City Congress. Himin Group has developed into the world's largest solar water heater manufacturer and is also discovering new areas such as photoelectricity.
Greenpeace China
cited Dezhou in May 2009 as an example of how renewable energy
can become a more common reality throughout the world.
Dezhou also houses the world's largest solar-powered office building, covering around 75,000 square meters.
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...
in northwestern Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
province, 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...
. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan
Jinan
Jinan is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub...
to the southeast, Liaocheng
Liaocheng
Liaocheng , also known as the Water City, is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southeast, Dezhou to the northeast, Tai'an to the south, and the province of Hebei and Henan to the west...
to the southwest, Binzhou
Binzhou
Binzhou is a prefecture-level city in northern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River with two arms extended to the southern bank, Binzhou borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southwest, Dezhou to the west, Zibo to the south,...
to the northeast, and the province of 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...
to the north.
Administration
The municipalityPrefecture-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...
of Dezhou comprises thirteen county-level sub divisions:
Districts of the city of Dezhou
- Decheng DistrictDecheng DistrictDecheng is a district of the Chinese province of Shandong. It is administered by the subprovincial town of Dezhou.It has an area of 539 km² and around 570,000 inhabitants .- External links :*...
(德城区). The government of the prefecture-level city is located in this sub division. - Dezhou Economic Development District (德州经济开发区)
- Dezhou Yunhe Economic Development District (德州运河经济开发区)
Cities
Cities (县级市 xianji shi) administered by Dezhou are:- LelingLelingLeling is a city in the province of Shandong in China. Leling has more than 100,000 inhabitants....
(乐陵市) - Yucheng (禹城市)
Counties
Counties (县 xian) administered by Dezhou are:- Lingxian (陵县)
- Pingyuan (平原县)
- XiajinXiajin CountyXiajin County is a county in Dezhou, Shandong Province. Its total size is 882 km2, and its population is roughly 500,000. Its economy is mostly agricultural, including cotton, wheat, and corn....
(夏津县) - WuchengWucheng CountyWucheng County is a county of northwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China, bordering Hebei province to the northwest. It is administered by Dezhou City.The population was 365,217 in 1999.- External links :*...
(武城县) - QiheQihe CountyQihe County is a county of northwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is administered by Dezhou City.The population was 595,473 in 1999.- External links :*...
(齐河县) - Linyi (临邑县)
- Ningjin (宁津县)
- QingyunQingyun CountyQingyun County is a county of north-northwestShandong province, People's Republic of China. It is administered by Dezhou.The population was 289,986 in 1999.- External links :*...
(庆云县)
Transport
Dezhou lies on the main rail route from 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...
to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
,which is known as Jinghu Railway
Jinghu railway
The Beijing–Shanghai Railway or Jinghu railway is a railway line in China between Beijing and Shanghai. The line has a total length of 1,462 kilometres and connects the municipalities of Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai, as well as the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu...
. Dezhou has always been an important transport hub since ancient times(especially after Ming Dynasty), when its reputation of "Junction of Nine Arteries"(九达天衢）and "Portal of Capital City"(神京门户）gradually developed. Except for the two railways(the other is Shide Railway leading to Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang is the capital and largest city of North China's Hebei province. Administratively a prefecture-level city, it is about south of Beijing...
), National Highway 104, NH105 and a few provincial roads cross the city as well. The Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
and the Grand Canal (China) run through it.
Tourism
Dezhou's biggest historical attraction is the tomb of Sultan Paduka PahalaSultan Paduka Pahala
Sultan Paduka Pahala was a Sultan of Sulu, most famous for being the first and only monarch of the Philippines to visit China.-Journey to China and Demise of the Sultan:...
of Sulu (Philippines), who died in Dezhou on his return journey from a visit to the Yongle Emperor
Yongle Emperor
The Yongle Emperor , born Zhu Di , was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China from 1402 to 1424. His Chinese era name Yongle means "Perpetual Happiness".He was the Prince of Yan , possessing a heavy military base in Beiping...
in 1417. The tomb is well preserved and has been declared a national heritage site. Descendants of the sultan's Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
followers still live in Dezhou today, and are classified as the Hui
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
minority.
One of Dezhou's county Lingxian used to be a big county in China in history, when it was called Pingyuan County. Now part of the ancient city wall of Tang Dynasty still exists in the south of the region. Before the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
formed, one of the three emperors Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
used to be the chief of the county, together with his fellows Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. In addition, it is the hometown of Dong Fangshuo (东方朔), the most well-known adviser of Emperor Wu of Han
Emperor Wu of Han
Emperor Wu of Han , , personal name Liu Che , was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty of China, ruling from 141 BC to 87 BC. Emperor Wu is best remembered for the vast territorial expansion that occurred under his reign, as well as the strong and centralized Confucian state he organized...
Dynasty; during Tang Dynasty, an important figure of Chinese calligraphy, Yan Zhenqing
Yan Zhenqing
Yan Zhenqing was a leading Chinese calligrapher and a loyal governor of the Tang Dynasty. His artistic accomplishment in Chinese calligraphy parallels the greatest master calligraphers throughout the history, and his regular script style, Yan, is often imitated.-Early life:Yan Zhenqing was born...
, administrated this area. Today, memorial hall for the two historic figures is built in People's Park of Lingxian, where a lot of materials of Dong Fangshuo and stone inscriptions of Yan Zhenqing are reserved.
For tourism resources, there's also a famous temple in Qingyun County. It's called Haidao Jinshan Temple, which is believed to be one of the biggest centers of Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
in Northern China. The most attractive scene is the underground aisle where the sight of hell is portrayed by using high technology.
Industry
A new industrial zone hailed as the "Solar Valley" is being built for experimenting with clean- energy urban projects and massive use of household utilities such as solar-powered water-heaters. The Washington Post describes Dezhou's Solar Valley as the "clean-tech version of Silicon Valley".Nowadays one of the biggest and most famous industries in Dezhou is solar energy industry, with two main corporations included-- Himin Group (皇明集团) and its partner Ecco Solar Group(亿家能集团). Dezhou increased its international reputation when it was selected to follow previous hosts, Daegu, South Korea (2004), Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, UK (2006) and Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(2008) as host of the 2010 International Solar City Congress. Himin Group has developed into the world's largest solar water heater manufacturer and is also discovering new areas such as photoelectricity.
Greenpeace China
Greenpeace China
Greenpeace East Asia is an office serving the East Asia region of the global environmental organization Greenpeace. It is one of the largest international NGOs in China.-History:Greenpeace East Asia's first China office was opened in Hong Kong in 1997...
cited Dezhou in May 2009 as an example of how renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
can become a more common reality throughout the world.
Dezhou also houses the world's largest solar-powered office building, covering around 75,000 square meters.
Education
Dezhou University is a comprehensive University which was approved by the National Education Committee in March 2000. It is the aggregation of Dezhou Teachers’ College, Dezhou Education College and Evening College Municipality, which has a 30 year history.Miscellaneous
- Dezhou is well-known for its braised chickenBraised ChickenBraised Chicken is a famous Chinese cuisine dish of Dezhou, Shandong Province, China.-Introduction:Braised chicken is a traditional dish from Dezhou, also known as “Dezhou Five-fragrant Boneless Braised Chicken”. It was developed by the Deshunzhai Restaurant in Dezhou in the era of Guangxu of the...
and watermelonWatermelonWatermelon is a vine-like flowering plant originally from southern Africa. Its fruit, which is also called watermelon, is a special kind referred to by botanists as a pepo, a berry which has a thick rind and fleshy center...
. - The name of Dezhou is the same as the abbreviation of the Chinese name for the state of TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, USA. - Pingyuan, Dezhou is the foundation place of Yihetuan (Boxer RebellionBoxer RebellionThe Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
) against the Eight Power Allied Force during 1900s.
External links
- 德州鲁北热线
- 陵县旅游
- Dezhou
- Himin Group
- Dezhou University
- Government website of Dezhou (in Simplified Chinese)