Dezhou (德州)

1. Introduction

Dezhou City, abbreviated as De and also known as Ande, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. It is located in the northwestern part of Shandong Province. The city borders Jinan City and Binzhou City to the east, Liaocheng City to the south, Hengshui City and Xingtai City of Hebei Province to the west, and Cangzhou City of Hebei Province to the north. Situated in the alluvial plain of the lower reaches of the Yellow River, the terrain is generally flat with slight undulations. The urban area is near the border between Hebei and Shandong provinces. The Yellow River flows along its southern boundary, and other rivers within the city include the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Majia River, and Tuhai River. The People's Government of Dezhou City is located at No. 1566, Dongfeng East Road, Decheng District.

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2. History

During the Qin Dynasty, Ge County was established southeast of present-day Dezhou's urban area, under the jurisdiction of Jibei Commandery. Throughout the Han and Wei-Jin periods, Ge County belonged to Pingyuan Commandery. During the Western Han Dynasty, Ande County was established southeast of present-day Lingcheng District, also under Pingyuan Commandery. In the Northern Wei Dynasty, Ande County became the seat of Pingyuan Commandery, and Ge County was relocated to the area of present-day Lingcheng District. The Northern Qi Dynasty abolished Ge County. In the ninth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (589 AD), Dezhou was established with its seat at Ande County, located in present-day Lingcheng District. Additionally, Jiangling County was separately established north of present-day Lingcheng District. In the early years of the Daye era, Dezhou was renamed Pingyuan Commandery.

In the early Tang Dynasty, it was restored as Dezhou. In the first year of the Tianbao era (742 AD), it was again renamed Pingyuan Commandery, and in the first year of the Qianyuan era (758 AD), it was restored as Dezhou. During the Northern Song Dynasty, Jiangling County was moved to present-day Decheng District. In the third year of the reign of Emperor Xianzong of Yuan (1253 AD), Jiangling County was elevated to Lingzhou. In the second year of the Zhiyuan era (1265 AD), it was changed to Ling County, and the following year, it was restored as Lingzhou. From the Song to the Yuan Dynasty, Ande County remained the seat of Dezhou. In the first year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD), Ande County was abolished and merged into Dezhou, and Lingzhou was downgraded to Ling County. In the seventh year of the Hongwu era (1374 AD), Dezhou was moved to the former site of Ling County, which is present-day Dezhou's urban area, under the jurisdiction of Jinan Prefecture. In the thirteenth year of the Hongwu era (1380 AD), Ling County was established in present-day Lingcheng District, also under Jinan Prefecture. This arrangement continued into the Qing Dynasty.

In the second year of the Republic of China (1913 AD), Dezhou was abolished and renamed De County, under the jurisdiction of Donglin Circuit. In 1928, it came directly under Shandong Province. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Dezhou Administrative Region was established in May 1950, formed by merging the Cangnan and Luobei Administrative Regions of the Bohai Administrative District. In October 1952, En County, Wucheng County, and Xiajin County from Hebei Province were transferred back to the Dezhou Administrative Region, while Wuqiao County, Dongguang County, Nanpi County, Qingyun County, Ningjin County, and Yanshan County were transferred back to Hebei Province. Ling County was abolished and merged into De County.

In 1956, the Dezhou Administrative Region was abolished, and its subordinate counties were divided between the Huimin and Liaocheng Administrative Regions. Simultaneously, Deping County and En County were abolished. In July 1961, the Dezhou Administrative Region was restored, and in October of the same year, De County was renamed Ling County. In December 1964, Ningjin County and Qingyun County from Hebei Province were transferred to the Dezhou Administrative Region. In 1967, the Dezhou Administrative Region was renamed the Dezhou Prefecture. In December 1989, Shanghe County and Jiyang County were transferred to Jinan City. In December 1994, the Dezhou Prefecture was abolished and replaced by the prefecture-level Dezhou City, with the former county-level Dezhou City becoming Decheng District.

In 1998, the Shandong Provincial People's Government approved the establishment of the provincial-level Dezhou Economic Development Zone. In 2006, the provincial-level Dezhou Canal Economic Development Zone was established. In July 2014, the Shandong Provincial People's Government approved the renaming of Yucheng High-Tech Industrial Development Zone to Dezhou High-Tech Industrial Development Zone. In 2015, the State Council approved the upgrade of Dezhou (Yucheng) High-Tech Industrial Development Zone to a national-level high-tech industrial development zone. This was the sixth of its kind nationwide and the first national-level high-tech industrial development zone established in a county-level city in the province.

In December 2014, Ling County was abolished and replaced by Lingcheng District of Dezhou City.

3. Geography

Located in the North China Plain, in the northwest of Shandong Province, along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, it is an important medium-sized city and one of the nation's key transportation hubs on the Beijing-Shanghai Railway, Shijiazhuang-Dezhou Railway, Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, Qingdao-Taiyuan Passenger Dedicated Line, and the Dezhou-Longkou-Yantai Railway (under construction). In 2011, it ranked 71st in China's city GDP rankings and 84th on the Forbes China "Best Cities for Business in Mainland China" list in 2013. Dezhou is rich in products, abundant in cotton and watermelons, and is especially famous for "Dezhou Watermelon," "Dezhou Braised Chicken," "Leling Golden Silk Small Dates," and "Dezhou Black Donkey."

Average Meteorological Data for Dezhou City (1981-2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |--------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------| | Avg High °C (°F)| 3.4 (38.1) | 7.2 (45.0) | 13.4 (56.1) | 21.3 (70.3) | 26.9 (80.4) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.8 (89.2) | 30.6 (87.1) | 27.0 (80.6) | 21.0 (69.8) | 12.1 (53.8) | 5.1 (41.2) | 19.3 (66.7) | | Daily Mean °C (°F)| -1.8 (28.8) | 1.6 (34.9) | 7.6 (45.7) | 15.2 (59.4) | 21.0 (69.8) | 25.8 (78.4) | 27.2 (81.0) | 26.0 (78.8) | 21.5 (70.7) | 15.0 (59.0) | 6.7 (44.1) | 0.3 (32.5) | 13.8 (56.9) | | Avg Low °C (°F)| -5.6 (21.9) | -2.7 (27.1) | 2.8 (37.0) | 9.9 (49.8) | 15.6 (60.1) | 20.5 (68.9) | 23.2 (73.8) | 22.2 (72.0) | 17.0 (62.6) | 10.4 (50.7) | 2.5 (36.5) | -3.4 (25.9) | 9.4 (48.9) | | Avg Precipitation mm (inches)| 2.9 (0.11) | 6.1 (0.24) | 11.3 (0.44) | 20.4 (0.80) | 38.5 (1.52) | 68.5 (2.70) | 158.4 (6.24) | 121.3 (4.78) | 40.7 (1.60) | 29.5 (1.16) | 11.1 (0.44) | 3.4 (0.13) | 512.1 (20.16) | | Avg Relative Humidity (%)| 58 | 54 | 52 | 54 | 60 | 60 | 76 | 78 | 70 | 65 | 64 | 61 | 63 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Dezhou City currently administers 2 municipal districts and 7 counties, and manages 2 county-level cities on behalf of the province.

• Municipal Districts: Decheng District, Lingcheng District
• County-level Cities: Leling City, Yucheng City
• Counties: Ningjin County, Qingyun County, Linyi County, Qihe County, Pingyuan County, Xiajin County, Wucheng County

Additionally, Dezhou City has established the following economic development zones: Dezhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, Dezhou Canal Economic Development Zone.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |----------|----------|----------|----------------|-----------------------|----------|----------|----|----|----| | 371400 | Dezhou City | Dezhou Shi | 10,357.67 | 5,611,194 | Decheng District | 253000 | 27 | 91 | 16 | | | | 371402 | Decheng District | Decheng Qu | 538.31 | 1,005,084 | Xinhu Subdistrict | 253000 | 7 | 5 | | | | | 371403 | Lingcheng District | Lingcheng Qu | 1,212.69 | 486,794 | Linqi Subdistrict | 253500 | 2 | 10 | 1 | | | | 371422 | Ningjin County | Ningjin Xian | 833.24 | 473,314 | Jincheng Subdistrict | 253400 | 2 | 9 | 1 | | | | 371423 | Qingyun County | Qingyun Xian | 500.95 | 318,105 | Bohai Road Subdistrict | 253700 | 1 | 5 | 3 | | | | 371424 | Linyi County | Linyi Xian | 1,015.81 | 473,421 | Xingtong Subdistrict | 251500 | 3 | 8 | 1 | | | | 371425 | Qihe County | Qihe Xian | 1,411.20 | 576,375 | Yancheng Subdistrict | 251100 | 2 | 11 | 2 | | | | 371426 | Pingyuan County | Pingyuan Xian | 1,047.41 | 419,088 | Longmen Subdistrict | 253100 | 2 | 8 | 2 | | | | 371427 | Xiajin County | Xiajin Xian | 881.80 | 458,112 | Yincheng Subdistrict | 253200 | 2 | 10 | 2 | | | | 371428 | Wucheng County | Wucheng Xian | 750.84 | 353,721 | Guangyun Subdistrict | 253300 | 1 | 7 | | | | | 371481 | Leling City | Leling Shi | 1,173.06 | 559,166 | Shizhong Subdistrict | 253600 | 4 |9 | 3 | | | | | 371482 | Yucheng City | Yucheng Shi | 992.36 | 488,014 | Shizhong Subdistrict | 251200 | 1 | 9 |1 | | |

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5. Transportation

Dezhou is a key transportation hub in North China, with numerous important transportation routes passing through the city both historically and currently. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal runs through Dezhou, and today it serves as a major junction for several railways and expressways.

5.1 Railway

• Beijing-Shanghai Railway, Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, Shijiazhuang-Jinan Passenger Dedicated Line, Shijiazhuang-Dezhou Railway

5.2 Expressways

• G3 Beijing-Taipei Expressway, S072 Hengshui-Dezhou Expressway, Dezhou-Shangqiu Expressway, Beijing-Shanghai Expressway, Qingdao-Yinchuan Expressway, Dongying-Lüliang Expressway, Jinan-Liaocheng Expressway, Jinan Ring Expressway, Binzhou-Dezhou Expressway, Beijing-Dezhou Expressway, Dezhou-Yuncheng Expressway (under construction)

5.3 National Highways

• National Highway 104, National Highway 308, National Highway 309, National Highway 340, National Highway 105
• Dezhou Unicom Superstore
• Facebook Logo
• Dezhou Hotel
• Dezhou University
• Dezhou Grand Theater
• Dezhou Stadium
• Xinhu Lake
• Civic Stadium
• Canal Park
• Aodel Shopping Mall

6. Education

The educational attainment level in Dezhou City is in the middle range within Shandong Province. Schools with relatively higher education quality are mostly located within Decheng District. Dezhou University (a public undergraduate institution) is the primary higher education institution in Dezhou City. Some of the more well-known schools in Dezhou City include: Dezhou No. 1 High School, Dezhou No. 5 Middle School, Dezhou No. 9 Middle School, Laoling Experimental Middle School, Wucheng No. 2 High School, Dezhou Experimental Primary School, Dezhou University, Shandong Huayu University of Technology (a private undergraduate institution), and others.

6.1 Higher Education Institutions

• Dezhou University
• Shandong Huayu University of Technology
• Shandong Agriculture and Engineering University (Qihe Campus)
• Dezhou Vocational and Technical College
• Dezhou Vocational College of Science & Technology

7. Population

At the end of 2022, the city's permanent resident population was 5.5749 million, of which the urban population was 3.0807 million. The urbanization rate of the permanent resident population was 55.26%, an increase of 0.86 percentage points from the end of the previous year. In 2022, the birth rate was 5.17‰, the death rate was 5.94‰, and the natural growth rate was -0.77‰.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 5,611,194. Compared with the 5,568,235 people from the Sixth National Population Census, the total increase over the ten years was 42,959 people, a growth of 0.77%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.08%. Among them, the male population was 2,821,403, accounting for 50.28% of the total population; the female population was 2,789,791, accounting for 49.72% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 101.13. The population aged 0–14 was 1,092,033, accounting for 19.46% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 3,356,051, accounting for 59.81% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 1,163,110, accounting for 20.73% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 859,848, accounting for 15.32% of the total population. The urban population was 2,990,953, accounting for 53.3% of the total population; the rural population was 2,620,241, accounting for 46.7% of the total population.

According to the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the city's permanent resident population was 5.5682 million. Compared with the Fifth National Population Census, the total increase over the ten years was 274,500 people, a growth of 5.19%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.51%. Among them, males were 2.8187 million, accounting for 50.62% of the total population; females were 2.7495 million, accounting for 49.38% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 102.52. The population aged 0–14 was 926,900, accounting for 16.65%; the population aged 15–64 was 4.1468 million, accounting for 74.47%; and the population aged 65 and above was 494,500, accounting for 8.88%.

7.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han population was 5,534,830, accounting for 98.64%; the population of various ethnic minorities was 76,364, accounting for 1.36%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han population increased by 40,821, a growth of 0.74%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.03 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities increased by 2,138, a growth of 2.88%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.03 percentage points.

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8. Sister Cities

• Belgorod (since 2023)

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Decheng District

Decheng District

The Han ethnic group accounts for 98.64% of the population; ethnic minorities account for 1.36%.

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