Linqing
Encyclopedia
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...
in western 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, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is located north-northwest of the prefectural capital 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...
. The city proper has about residents (January 2000), whereas Linqing County as a whole had inhabitants in 1999. The city is situated at the confluence of the Wei River
Wei River (Shandong)
The Wei River of Shandong Province is a 283km long tributary of the Hai River. Beginning in the southern foothills of the Taihang Mountains in Xinxiang County of Henan Province, the Wei River meets the Grand Canal at Linqing in northwest Shandong province and more or less parallels the Yellow...
and the Grand Canal
Grand Canal of China
The Grand Canal in China, also known as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the longest canal or artificial river in the world. Starting at Beijing, it passes through Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the city of Hangzhou...
. It is 380 kilometres (236.1 mi) from Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
on the Jingjiu railway
Jingjiu Railway
The Beijing-Jiujiang-Kowloon Railway, also known as the Beijing-Jiujiang-Kowloon Railway or Jingjiu Railway) is a railway in the China connecting Beijing West Station in Beijing to Shenzhen Station in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province...
line to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Elevation within Linqing County ranges from 29 metres (95.1 ft) to 38 metres (124.7 ft) above sea level. The area of the county is 955 km².
The annual average temperature is 12.8℃, the highest recorded temperature 41.4℃, and the lowest recorded temperature - 22.1℃. Annual mean precipitation is 590.4 millimeters. There are 205 frost-free days per year on average and the average annual sunshine is 2661 hours.
Linqing has played an important role in the history of China. In Ming
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
and Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
times it was a great center for the distribution of textiles, grain and bricks and is also famous as the place where the tiles of the Great Wall and the Forbidden City
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
were produced. Today the city's flourishing economy is based on a number of light industrial enterprises.
Aside from the Grand Canal, sights include a distinctive promontory, a stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
, a Ming-Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
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...
mosques (Linqing Northern Mosque, , Linqing Eastern Mosque), and ruins of the old customs house , Linqing City Museum (in a historical building ensemble known as the ). In particular, the Sheli Pagoda near the Grand Canal is a well-known local landmark.
Notable natives of Linqing include: Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
musician Lu Cai
Lu Cai
Lu Cai was a Ming Chinese playwright. He wrote five romances; only Romance of the Bright Pearl , Romance of homesickness and Romance of the Southwest Chamber survived..-References:...
, Ming Dynasty poet Xie Zhen
Xie Zhen
Xie Zhen is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 34th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Double-headed Serpent".-Background:...
, national hero Zhang Zizhong
Zhang Zizhong
Zhāng Zìzhōng was a Chinese general of the National Revolutionary Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Born in Linqing in Shandong province, he was the highest-ranked officer and the only Army group commander of the NRA to die in the war...
, and contemporary renowned educator Ji Xianlin
Ji Xianlin
Ji Xianlin was a Chinese Indologist, linguist, paleographer, historian, and writer who had been honored by the governments of both India and China. He was born in Qingping County, now Linqing, and died in the No. 301 Hospital, Beijing.-Biography:Ji attended Sanhejie Primary School and the No. 1...
.
Once visited by the missionary and sinologist Matteo Ricci
Matteo Ricci
Matteo Ricci, SJ was an Italian Jesuit priest, and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China Mission, as it existed in the 17th-18th centuries. His current title is Servant of God....
, Linqing has been the seat of an apostolic prefecture since 1931. The seat has been vacant since 1981.