Weifang
Encyclopedia
Weifang is a prefecture-level city
in central Shandong
province, People's Republic of China
. It borders Dongying
to the northwest, Zibo
to the west, Linyi
to the southwest, Rizhao
to the south, Qingdao
to the east, and looks out to the Laizhou Bay
to the north.
(晏婴) of the Spring and Autumn Period, the Confucian scholar Zheng Xuan
of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the agriculturist Jia Simiao of the Northern Wei Dynasty were all from Weifang. Kong Rong
, Fan Zhongyan
, Ouyang Xiu
, Su Dongpo, Zheng Banqiao, et al. have worked in Weifang historically. In more recent years, revolutionists, writers and artists, such as Wang Jinmei, Chen Shaomin, Wang Yuanjian, Wang Tongzhao, Zang Kejia
are well known in China.
Weifang also has numerous historical relics and other tourist sites, such as Shihu Garden (from the Late Ming and early Qing Dynasty
), Fangong Pavilion (from the Song Dynasty
), fossil sites (including dinosaur fossil
s, in Shanwang, Linqu
), Mount Yi National Forest Park, Mount Qingyun and the Old Dragon Spring. Painted New Year woodcut
s from Yangjiabu are also well known.
of Weifang administers 12 county-level divisions, including 4 districts, 6 county-level cities
and 2 counties.
and Zibo
to the west, Yantai
to the northeast and Qingdao
to the southeast.
Weifang has a monsoon
-influenced, four-season climate, on the very borderline between humid continental and humid subtropical (Koppen
Dwa/Cwa, respectively), with hot, humid summers, and cold but dry winters. Monthly mean temperatures range from −2.9 °C in January to 26.2 °C (79.2 °F) in July.
Established in August 1995, Weifang Binhai Economic & Technological Development Area (BEDA) is a national economic and technological development area approved by the State Council. Covering an area of 677 square kilometers, BEDA has a population of 100,000. BEDA possesses a large state-owned industrial land for use with an area of 400 square kilometers. The land can be transacted conveniently which would guarantee the demand of any project construction and provide broad development space for the enterprises in the area. Continuously, BEDA has been accredited as National Demonstration Zone invigorating the Sea by Science and Technology, National Innovation Base for Rejuvenating Trade through Science and Technology and National Demonstration Eco-Industry Park.
The city is home to the large diesel engine
company and factory Weichai. The village of Yangjiabu in Hanting District is famous for folk wood-block print (nianhua) and kite production.
of the People's Liberation Army
, one of the three group armies that comprise the Jinan Military Region responsible for defense of the Yellow River Plain.
flying is a traditional custom among the people in Weifang in spring time. In 1984, the first international kite festival was held in Weifang. More than ten thousand kite fans attended the opening ceremony. People from eleven different countries and regions, including the United States and Canada, took part in the festival, flying kites. Since then, Weifang holds the Weifang International Kite Festival
each year. It is held each April.
. It reached the peak of its development during the Qing Dynasty
. People usually replace the old Annual Broads with the new ones on the eve of Spring Festival, which is the most important festival in China, in order to give blessings to the family and friends for the following year. The subjects of Annual Broad of Yangjiabu are various, which include flowers, beauties, landscapes, characters from myths and legends. The architecture skills such as concise lines and bright colors reflect the distinctive characteristics of people in Weifang.
Weifang Ji-Ya Hele is cooked with various ingredients, stewed with chicken and duck soup. To make delicious "Hele" Noodles, we need to put the "Hele" noodles into the pot. After it is fully boiled, add chicken, duck, Sliced Meatball, salted vegetables and spicy oil in the noodles. In 1997, Ji-Ya Hele was honored as a "Chinese Famous Snack" by China Cuisine Association.
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 central 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 Dongying
Dongying
Dongying is a prefecture-level city on the northern coast of Shandong province in Eastern China. Located around the mouth of the Yellow River, Dongying borders Binzhou to the west, Zibo to the southwest, and Weifang to the south...
to the northwest, Zibo
Zibo
Zibo is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the west, Laiwu and Tai'an to the southwest, Linyi to the south, Weifang to the east, Dongying to the northeast, and Binzhou the north.Located in the middle part...
to the west, Linyi
Linyi
Linyi is a prefecture-level city in the south of Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The largest prefecture-level city in Shandong both by area and total population, Linyi borders Rizhao to the east, Weifang to the northeast, Zibo to the north, Tai'an to the northwest, Jining to the...
to the southwest, Rizhao
Rizhao
Rizhao is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is situated on the coastline along the Yellow Sea, borders Qingdao to the northeast, Weifang to the north, Linyi to the west and southwest, and faces Korea and Japan across the Yellow Sea to the east...
to the south, Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
to the east, and looks out to the Laizhou Bay
Laizhou Bay
Laizhou Bay is the southern arm of the Bohai Sea , which is a large relatively shallow extension of Korea Bay behind the Liaodong Peninsula to the north, and the Shandong Peninsula to the south...
to the north.
History
Weifang is a historical city with well known figures. Emperor Shun of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period, the politician Yan YingYan Ying
Yan Ying was prime minister of the ancient Chinese state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period,"noted for his thrifty habits of life. At meals, he would not eat of two kinds of meat, neither would he allow his womenfolk to wear silk. A small shoulder of pork sufficed for his ancestral...
(晏婴) of the Spring and Autumn Period, the Confucian scholar Zheng Xuan
Zheng Xuan
Zheng Xuan , courtesy name Kangcheng , was an influential Chinese commentator and Confucian scholar of the Han Dynasty. He was born in modern Weifang, Shandong, and was a student of Ma Rong.-See also:*Three Kingdoms...
of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the agriculturist Jia Simiao of the Northern Wei Dynasty were all from Weifang. Kong Rong
Kong Rong
Kong Rong was a politician, scholar, and minor warlord of the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also a 20th generation descendant of Kong Qiu . As he was once the chancellor of Beihai Commandery , he was also known as Kong Beihai. He was defeated by Yuan Tan in 196 and escaped to...
, Fan Zhongyan
Fan Zhongyan
Fan Zhongyan , born in Wuxian , Suzhou , was a prominent politician and literary figure in Song dynasty China. He was also a strategist and educator...
, Ouyang Xiu
Ouyang Xiu
Ouyang Xiu was a Chinese statesman, historian, essayist and poet of the Song Dynasty. He is also known by his courtesy name of Yongshu, and was also self nicknamed The Old Drunkard 醉翁, or Householder of the One of Six 六一居士 in his old age...
, Su Dongpo, Zheng Banqiao, et al. have worked in Weifang historically. In more recent years, revolutionists, writers and artists, such as Wang Jinmei, Chen Shaomin, Wang Yuanjian, Wang Tongzhao, Zang Kejia
Zang Kejia
Zang Kejia was a Chinese poet.He was born in the Shandong province, Zhucheng county. Zang entered the Shandong Provincial First Normal School in 1923 and later trained at the Wuhan Branch of the Central Military and Political School....
are well known in China.
Weifang also has numerous historical relics and other tourist sites, such as Shihu Garden (from the Late Ming and early Qing Dynasty
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....
), Fangong Pavilion (from the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
), fossil sites (including dinosaur fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s, in Shanwang, Linqu
Linqu
Linqu County is a county located in the southwest of Weifang and the middle of Shandong Peninsula, Shandong Province, China. It covers an area of 1,834 square kilometers and governs 937 villages which were grouped into eight townships and two subdistricts...
), Mount Yi National Forest Park, Mount Qingyun and the Old Dragon Spring. Painted New Year woodcut
Woodcut
Woodcut—occasionally known as xylography—is a relief printing artistic technique in printmaking in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface while the non-printing parts are removed, typically with gouges...
s from Yangjiabu are also well known.
Administration
The prefecture-level cityPrefecture-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 Weifang administers 12 county-level divisions, including 4 districts, 6 county-level cities
County-level city
A county-level city is a county-level administrative division of mainland China. County-level cities are usually governed by prefecture-level divisions, but a few are governed directly by province-level divisions....
and 2 counties.
- Weicheng DistrictWeicheng District, WeifangWeicheng District is a district of Weifang, Shandong, China. Weicheng has an area of 272.3 km² and around 368,200 inhabitants .- External links :*...
(潍城区) - Kuiwen DistrictKuiwen DistrictKuiwen is a district of Weifang in the Chinese province of Shandong. Weicheng has an area of 71 km² and around 339,000 inhabitants .- External links :*...
(奎文区) - Fangzi DistrictFangzi DistrictFangzi is a district of Weifang in the Chinese province of Shandong. Weicheng has an area of 345.55 km² and around 239,500 inhabitants .- External links :*...
(坊子区) - Hanting DistrictHanting DistrictHanting is a district of Weifang in the Chinese province of Shandong.- External links :*...
(寒亭区) - QingzhouQingzhouQingzhou , formerly Yidu County , is a county-level city, which is located in the west of Weifang City, Shandong Province, China. Qingzhou is a dynamic industry city, and also grows a great number of farm products...
City (青州市) - ZhuchengZhuchengZhucheng is a county-level city in the southeast of Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Weifang City and has a population of 1.06 million.-History:Zhucheng was originally known as Langya...
City (诸城市) - ShouguangShouguangShouguang is a county level city located in Weifang Prefecture-level city, Shandong Province, China. It is a relatively large city with nearly one million people residing within the municipality and its surrounding towns and villages....
City (寿光市) - AnqiuAnqiuAnqiu is a city-prefecture of Weifang in the Chinese province of Shandong.The population in 1999 was 1,096,469.Part of the Great Wall of Qi begins here, and is listed on the People's Republic of China's list of historical artifacts....
City (安丘市) - GaomiGaomiGaomi is a county-level city of the People's Republic of China province of Shandong under Weifang . It is the hometown of writer Mo Yan, who has set some of his stories in the region....
City (高密市) - Changyi City (昌邑市)
- Changle CountyChangle CountyChangle County is under the administration of Weifang, in Shandong Province. The ancient Kingdom of Beihai was located to the west of present day Changle County....
(昌乐县) - Linqu County (临朐县)
Geography
Nearby cities include JinanJinan
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...
and Zibo
Zibo
Zibo is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the west, Laiwu and Tai'an to the southwest, Linyi to the south, Weifang to the east, Dongying to the northeast, and Binzhou the north.Located in the middle part...
to the west, Yantai
Yantai
Yantai is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. Located on the southern coast of the Bohai Sea and the eastern coast of the Laizhou Bay, Yantai borders the cities of Qingdao and Weihai to the southwest and east respectively.The largest fishing...
to the northeast and Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
to the southeast.
Weifang has a monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as 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 the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
-influenced, four-season climate, on the very borderline between humid continental and humid subtropical (Koppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dwa/Cwa, respectively), with hot, humid summers, and cold but dry winters. Monthly mean temperatures range from −2.9 °C in January to 26.2 °C (79.2 °F) in July.
Economy
Weifang Binhai Economic & Technological Development Area (BEDA).Established in August 1995, Weifang Binhai Economic & Technological Development Area (BEDA) is a national economic and technological development area approved by the State Council. Covering an area of 677 square kilometers, BEDA has a population of 100,000. BEDA possesses a large state-owned industrial land for use with an area of 400 square kilometers. The land can be transacted conveniently which would guarantee the demand of any project construction and provide broad development space for the enterprises in the area. Continuously, BEDA has been accredited as National Demonstration Zone invigorating the Sea by Science and Technology, National Innovation Base for Rejuvenating Trade through Science and Technology and National Demonstration Eco-Industry Park.
The city is home to the large diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
company and factory Weichai. The village of Yangjiabu in Hanting District is famous for folk wood-block print (nianhua) and kite production.
Military
Weifang is headquarters of the 26th Group Army26th Army (People's Republic of China)
The 26th Army was a military formation of the People's Volunteer Army of the IX Army Group during the Korean War, and was commanded by Lieutenant General Zhang Renchu....
of the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
, one of the three group armies that comprise the Jinan Military Region responsible for defense of the Yellow River Plain.
Kite flying
KiteKite
A kite is a tethered aircraft. The necessary lift that makes the kite wing fly is generated when air flows over and under the kite's wing, producing low pressure above the wing and high pressure below it. This deflection also generates horizontal drag along the direction of the wind...
flying is a traditional custom among the people in Weifang in spring time. In 1984, the first international kite festival was held in Weifang. More than ten thousand kite fans attended the opening ceremony. People from eleven different countries and regions, including the United States and Canada, took part in the festival, flying kites. Since then, Weifang holds the Weifang International Kite Festival
Weifang International Kite Festival
The Weifang International Kite Festival is an annual kite-flying festival held during April 20 to April 25 every year in Weifang, People's Republic of China....
each year. It is held each April.
Painting
Annual Broad of Yangjiabu (杨家埠木版年画), one of the three most famous Chinese folk paintings in history, began from the end of the Ming DynastyMing 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...
. It reached the peak of its development during the Qing Dynasty
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....
. People usually replace the old Annual Broads with the new ones on the eve of Spring Festival, which is the most important festival in China, in order to give blessings to the family and friends for the following year. The subjects of Annual Broad of Yangjiabu are various, which include flowers, beauties, landscapes, characters from myths and legends. The architecture skills such as concise lines and bright colors reflect the distinctive characteristics of people in Weifang.
Paper cutting
Paper cutting in Gaomi (高密剪纸) has a long history for more than four hundred years. This widely spread handicraft has unique styles, such as strong contrast in color, straight and simple line and exaggerated outline. The characters mostly come from the dramatic stories, flowers and birds, as well as some fantastic symbols.Cuisine
- Ji-Ya Hele(“鸡鸭和乐”) Weifang Ji-Ya Hele is said to have originated in Shanxi Province, China. Later on, it was brought to Weifang, Shandong Province. The name “Hele”(和乐), a kind of noodle, was developed from the word "Helou"(河漏), a noodle name once used in history.
Weifang Ji-Ya Hele is cooked with various ingredients, stewed with chicken and duck soup. To make delicious "Hele" Noodles, we need to put the "Hele" noodles into the pot. After it is fully boiled, add chicken, duck, Sliced Meatball, salted vegetables and spicy oil in the noodles. In 1997, Ji-Ya Hele was honored as a "Chinese Famous Snack" by China Cuisine Association.
Notable people
- Zheng XuanZheng XuanZheng Xuan , courtesy name Kangcheng , was an influential Chinese commentator and Confucian scholar of the Han Dynasty. He was born in modern Weifang, Shandong, and was a student of Ma Rong.-See also:*Three Kingdoms...
(127-200), Eastern Han Dynasty ConfucianConfucianismConfucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
scholar - Liu YongLiu Yong (Qing Dynasty)Liu Yong was a Chinese politician and calligrapher in the Qing Dynasty. He served in a number of high-level positions with a reputation for being incorruptible, including as the Minister of Rites and Minister of War, and is regarded by some as the "most influential calligrapher of his time".-...
(劉墉; 1719–1805), renowned Qing DynastyQing DynastyThe 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....
bureaucrat
External links
- Government website of Weifang (in Simplified Chinese)
- Official website of the Weifang International Kite Festival (in Simplified Chinese)]
- Yangjiabu Nianhua (in Simplified Chinese)
- Weifang Medical University students website (in Simplified Chinese)
- Weifang News(In Simplified Chinese)
- Weifang Information(In Simplified Chinese)
- Weifang Binhai(In Simplified Chinese)