Hengshui (衡水)

1. Introduction

Hengshui City is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Hebei Province, People's Republic of China. It is located in the southeastern part of Hebei Province and derives its name from its proximity to the Hengzhang River. The city borders Xingtai City to the south, Shijiazhuang City to the west, Baoding City to the north, and Cangzhou City as well as Dezhou City in Shandong Province to the east. Situated in the central part of the North China Plain, the terrain is low-lying and flat. The rivers belong to the Hai River system, with the main ones being the Fuyang River and the Hutuo River. The municipal People's Government is located at No. 369, Yucai South Street, Taocheng District.

Hengshui is located within the Jingnan District of the "1+9+3" plan of the Bohai Rim Economic Circle and the Capital Economic Circle. It is the second-largest transportation hub city in Hebei Province, after the provincial capital Shijiazhuang, with a highly developed railway network. Eight railways or planned railways—including the Beijing–Kowloon Railway, Shijiazhuang–Dezhou Railway, Handan–Huanghua Railway, Hengshui–Huanghua Railway, Shuozhou–Huanghua Railway, Qingdao–Taiyuan Passenger Dedicated Line, Beijing–Kowloon High-Speed Railway, and Shijiazhuang–Jinan Intercity High-Speed Railway—pass through Hengshui, forming a comprehensive and nationwide transportation network. It has been referred to by the socio-economist Fei Xiaotong as the "Golden Crossroads."

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2. History

Hengshui City historically belonged to Jizhou. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, thirteen inspectorates were established. The jurisdiction of the Jizhou Inspectorate roughly covered the central and southern parts of present-day Hebei Province, the western tip of Shandong Province, and the northern tip of Henan Province. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, its administrative seat was located in Gaoyi County (north of present-day Baixiang County, Hebei). During the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling, it was moved to Ye County (southwest of present-day Linzhang County, Hebei). In the Wei Kingdom of the Three Kingdoms period, it was relocated to Xindu County (present-day Jizhou City, Hebei). During the Jin Dynasty, it was moved to Fangzi County (southwest of present-day Gaoyi County, Hebei).

During the Sui Dynasty, the southern part belonged to Jizhou, while the northern part belonged to Shenzhou. In the early Song Dynasty, Jizhou was part of the Hebei East Circuit, and Shenzhou was part of the Hebei West Circuit. In the early Yuan Dynasty, the administrative seat of Guanzhou was moved to the county town (present-day Jing County town) and was renamed Jingzhou in 1265. From then until the Ming and Qing dynasties, the area was successively under the jurisdiction of the Central Secretariat, the Capital Region, and Zhili Province, with the territory still divided among Jizhou, Shenzhou, and Jingzhou.

In January 1982, Hengshui Town was upgraded to Hengshui City. In September 1993, Ji County was restructured into Jizhou City. In July 1994, Shen County was restructured into Shenzhou City. On May 31, 1996, the Hengshui Prefecture was abolished and replaced by the prefecture-level Hengshui City, while the original county-level Hengshui City was abolished and replaced by Taocheng District.

3. Geography

Hengshui City is located between 115°10′–116°34′ east longitude and 37°03′–38°23′ north latitude, situated in the Haihe Plain and the Fuyang River basin. The Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve is the city's largest freshwater lake.

3.1 Topography and Landforms

Hengshui City is located in the Hebei Alluvial Plain. The terrain slopes gently from southwest to northeast, with elevations ranging from 12 to 30 meters. The ground slope gradient is between 1/8000 and 1/10000 east of the Fuyang River, and 1/4000 west of it. The area has numerous rivers. Due to river flooding and course changes, sediments are distributed in an interwoven pattern, forming many gentle mounds, slightly sloping flatlands, and low-lying areas. Hengshui Lake within the city is the second-largest natural depression in the North China Plain after Baiyangdian. It has a water storage area of 75 square kilometers, a catchment area of 120 square kilometers, a designed water level of 21 meters, and a maximum storage capacity of 200 million cubic meters.

3.2 River Systems

The major rivers flowing through Hengshui are the Zhulong River, Hutuo River, Fuyang River, New Fuyang River, Fudong Drainage River, Suolu River–Laoyan River, Qingliang River, Jiangjiang River, and Wei Canal–South Canal, totaling nine rivers belonging to four river systems within the Haihe River basin. Among them, the Zhulong River belongs to the Daqing River system; the Hutuo River, Fuyang River, and New Fuyang River belong to the Ziya River system; the Fudong Drainage River belongs to the South Major Drainage River system; the Suolu River–Laoyan River, Qingliang River, and Jiangjiang River belong to the South Major Drainage River system; and the Wei Canal–South Canal belongs to the Zhangwei–South Canal system.

3.3 Climate Characteristics

Hengshui has a temperate monsoon climate. Its climate is characterized by four distinct seasons with significant differences in temperature and humidity. In summer, influenced by the southerly airflow at the edge of the Pacific subtropical high, the weather is humid, muggy, and precipitation is concentrated. In winter, influenced by the northwestern monsoon, the climate is dry and cold with scarce rain and snow. Spring is dry with little rain, windy, and temperatures rise rapidly. Autumn often features clear and crisp weather, though periods of continuous rainy weather sometimes occur. Agricultural climate resources are relatively abundant, but natural disasters such as drought, hail, floods, low temperatures, and strong winds occur frequently, often impacting agricultural production to some extent. | Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual | |-----------------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------| | Avg. High °C | 3.2 | 7.2 | 13.7 | 21.8 | 27.4 | 31.9 | 32.0 | 30.5 | 26.9 | 21.0 | 11.8 | 4.9 | 19.4 | | Avg. High °F | 37.8 | 45.0 | 56.7 | 71.2 | 81.3 | 89.4 | 89.6 | 86.9 | 80.4 | 69.8 | 53.2 | 40.8 | 66.8 | | Daily Mean °C | -2.7 | 0.9 | 7.2 | 15.1 | 20.9 | 25.7 | 27.1 | 25.6 | 20.9 | 14.3 | 5.6 | -0.7 | 13.3 | | Daily Mean °F | 27.1 | 33.6 | 45.0 | 59.2 | 69.6 | 78.3 | 80.8 | 78.1 | 69.6 | 57.7 | 42.1 | 30.7 | 56.0 | | Avg. Low °C | -7.1 | -3.9 | 1.9 | 9.2 | 14.9 | 20.0 | 22.8 | 21.5 | 16.1 | 9.2 | 0.9 | -4.8 | 8.4 | | Avg. Low °F | 19.2 | 25.0 | 35.4 | 48.6 | 58.8 | 68.0 | 73.0 | 70.7 | 61.0 | 48.6 | 33.6 | 23.4 | 47.1 | | Avg. Precip. mm | 2.0 | 5.4 | 11.4 | 18.5 | 37.4 | 71.3 | 147.1 | 116.4 | 46.1 | 27.1 | 11.1 | 3.1 | 496.9 | | Avg. Precip. in | 0.08 | 0.21 | 0.45 | 0.73 | 1.47 | 2.81 | 5.79 | 4.58 | 1.81 | 1.07 | 0.44 | 0.12 | 19.56 | | Avg. Rel. Hum. (%) | 60 | 55 | 53 | 54 | 59 | 60 | 75 | 79 | 72 | 66 | 66 | 64 | 64 |

3.4 Biological Resources

Crops: Major grain crops include wheat, corn, millet, sorghum, sweet potatoes, broomcorn millet, rice, and buckwheat. Major cash crops include cotton, peanuts, sesame, sunflowers, edible fungi, and tobacco. Major vegetables and fruits include Chinese cabbage, spinach, celery, eggplant, tomatoes, green beans, white radish, chili peppers, fennel, scallions, garlic, chives, bamboo shoots, winter melon, Chinese squash, watermelon, pumpkin, zucchini, muskmelon, cucumber, and potatoes.

Livestock: Mainly include pigs, sheep, cattle, donkeys, mules, horses, rabbits, camels, and deer. Wild animals that have been domesticated and raised include foxes, minks, and raccoon dogs. Poultry mainly include chickens, ducks, and geese. In recent years, introduced wild birds now farmed in Hengshui include pheasants, turkeys, guinea fowl, partridges, quails, and ornamental birds.

Aquatic Products: Mainly include tilapia, river crabs, soft-shelled turtles, high-quality crucian carp, silver pomfret, white sharks, snakehead fish, catfish, channel catfish, freshwater shrimp, eels, loaches, and mussels.### 3.5 Land Resources The terrain of Hengshui City slopes from southwest to northeast, with significant variations across the plain. Elevation differences mostly range from 30 cm to 50 cm, sometimes reaching about 1 meter, forming distinct geomorphic types such as ridges, slopes, and depressions. Gentle ridges are natural levees left by ancient river channels, generally distributed in belts along these channels, standing 1 to 3.5 meters higher than the surrounding ground. Such gentle ridge landforms are very common in Raoyang and Anping counties. Gently sloping flatlands, the most widespread type, serve as transitional geomorphic units between gentle ridges and depressions. Depressions are also numerous, with 46 large depressions each covering over 10,000 mu. Among them, the Qianqing Depression, located within the boundaries of Jizhou City and Taocheng District, is the largest in the city, with a total area of 75 square kilometers.

According to the second soil survey, Hengshui City has 3 soil orders, 4 soil groups, 7 subgroups, 26 soil genera, and 111 soil species. The most extensive soil group is the Fluvo-aquic soil. The area of Fluvo-aquic soil subgroups in the city is 434,000 hectares, accounting for 62.10% of the total land area. They are widely distributed across counties, cities, and districts, serving as the main soil type for agricultural land. These soils have deep layers and variable textures, predominantly light loam, with some sandy and clayey types. While mineral nutrients are relatively abundant, they are deficient in organic matter, available nitrogen, and phosphorus. They are susceptible to threats from drought, waterlogging, and salinization, and have historically been used primarily for crop cultivation. The area of Degleyed Fluvo-aquic soil is 143,300 hectares, accounting for 20.4% of the city's total land area, widely distributed on the gentle ridges of ancient river channel natural levees and high flatlands. This soil type has good groundwater quality and is free from threats of flooding, waterlogging, and salinization. Areas with good irrigation conditions are often high-yield zones for grain and cotton.

According to the 2006 Hebei Province Land Survey Statistical Yearbook, the city's total land area is 13.257 million mu. This includes 8.563 million mu of cultivated land, accounting for 64.6% of the total. Within the cultivated land, there are 2.967 million mu of dry land, 5.503 million mu of irrigated land, and 0.093 million mu of vegetable plots, constituting 34.7%, 64.3%, and 1.0% of the total cultivated area respectively. Garden land covers 0.800 million mu (7.7% of total land); forest land covers 0.189 million mu (1.8%); grassland covers 0.012 million mu (0.1%); land for residential, industrial, and mining purposes covers 1.813 million mu (13.7%); transportation land covers 0.103 million mu (0.8%); and unused land covers 0.473 million mu (3.6%).

3.6 Mineral Resources

The mineral resources currently identified in Hengshui City include four types: petroleum, geothermal energy, mineral water, and clay resources for brick and tile making. Oil and gas resources are mainly distributed in Shenzhou City, Raoyang County, and Wuqiang County. Eleven counties, cities, and districts show signs of geothermal anomalies. Geothermal resources have been developed and utilized in Taocheng District and Shenzhou City. Clay resources for brick and tile making are widely distributed throughout the city and have been extensively mined. The development and utilization of these resources have played a positive role in the city's economic development.

3.7 Oil and Gas Resources

The currently identified oil and gas resources are mainly distributed in the area of Shenzhou City, Raoyang County, and Wuqiang County, including the Shennan, Shenxi, and Liuchu oil fields. The distribution area is about 91 square kilometers, with identified petroleum reserves of over 30 million tons and a daily crude oil production of about 1,500 tons. The reservoir types are buried-hill reservoirs and Tertiary reservoirs. In 1996, the Xicun oil area was explored at the border of Raoyang County and Shenzhou City, with reserves of about 6 million tons.

3.8 Geothermal Resources

As a new energy source, the unique stratigraphic structure of Hengshui City provides favorable thermal storage conditions for the formation of geothermal resources. The city's average geothermal gradient is 3.16°C/100m, slightly higher than the regional background gradient (3°C/100m). Vertically, it can be divided into three thermal storage layers. The first is the Neogene low-to-medium temperature hot water, with extraction depths of 300-1200 meters, temperatures of 23-50°C, relatively low salinity, and large water volume. The second is the Paleogene high-salinity hot water, with extraction depths above 1000-1500 meters and temperatures reaching 50-80°C. Due to current limitations in comprehensive utilization conditions, it is temporarily unsuitable for development. The third is the high-temperature hot water in the buried-hill bedrock and the Neogene high-temperature hot water in the depression areas. The bedrock high-temperature hot water is buried deeper than 1500-2500 meters, with temperatures above 60°C, relatively low salinity, large water volume, and high water head, showing promising development prospects.

According to the Hengshui Geothermal Field Survey Report, the low-to-medium temperature geothermal field in Taocheng District, Hengshui City, covers an estimated area of 556 square kilometers. The average temperature at 2000 meters depth is 68-80°C. The volume of hot water reserves is 51868×10⁶ cubic meters, with extractable reserves of 1471.45×10⁶ cubic meters. The extractable thermal energy is 523.497×10¹⁶ J (equivalent to 12552385167×10⁶ kcal), and the effectively utilizable resource heat is equivalent to about 100 million tons of standard coal. It is classified as a medium-scale geothermal field.

3.9 Water Resources

Precipitation: In 2003, the total precipitation in Hengshui City was 5.66 billion cubic meters, with an average precipitation of 642.1 mm. This was 119.6 mm more than the multi-year average (522.5 mm) and 301.4 mm more than the previous year's precipitation (340.7 mm), making it the first high-water year in recent years. Overall, the precipitation in Hengshui City in 2003 was uneven both in regional distribution and intra-annual allocation, which is a main characteristic of the city's precipitation.

3.9.1 Surface Water

• Locally Generated Water: In 2003, the average runoff depth for the city was 14.4 mm, with locally generated runoff of 126.606 million cubic meters, only 75.4% of the multi-year average runoff depth (19.1 mm).
• Inflow and Outflow: In 2003, the total inflow was 1.37 billion cubic meters. The Qingliang River had the largest inflow at 874 million cubic meters (mainly water transferred from the Yellow River to Tianjin), followed by the Wei Canal with an inflow of 435 million cubic meters. The total outflow was 1.23 billion cubic meters, with the Qingliang River having the largest outflow at 725 million cubic meters, followed by the Wei Canal at 431 million cubic meters. The net difference between inflow and outflow for all rivers in the city was 139 million cubic meters, of which 35.17 million cubic meters were stored in Hengshui Lake. In 2003, the total water diversion from the Shijin Canal was 92 million cubic meters, 20.0% less than the previous year's diversion (115 million cubic meters).

3.9.2 Groundwater Resources

Groundwater Resource Volume: In 2003, the city's groundwater resource volume was 592 million cubic meters. Adding the volumes of slightly saline water with salinity of 2-3 g/L and 3-5 g/L, the total groundwater volume was 1.217 billion cubic meters.

3.9.3 Water Resource Utilization

In 2003, the city's total water usage was 1.54 billion cubic meters, 100 million cubic meters less than the previous year's total usage. Groundwater utilization accounted for 1.37 billion cubic meters (89.0% of total usage); surface water utilization was 140 million cubic meters (9.1%); and transferred water from outside sources was 30 million cubic meters (1.9%). Within groundwater utilization, deep groundwater extraction was 821 million cubic meters, and shallow groundwater extraction (including slightly saline water) was 549 million cubic meters.

4. Administrative Divisions

Hengshui City currently administers 2 municipal districts, 8 counties, and manages 1 county-level city on behalf of the province.

• Municipal Districts: Taocheng District, Jizhou District
• County-level City: Shenzhou City
• Counties: Zaoqiang County, Wuyi County, Wuqiang County, Raoyang County, Anping County, Gucheng County, Jing County, Fucheng County

Additionally, Hengshui City has established the following economic functional zones: Hengshui Binhu New Area and Hengshui High-tech Industrial Development Zone.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |-------------------|---------------------|----------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|--------------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------| | 131100 | Hengshui City | Héngshuǐ Shì | 8,836.78 | 4,212,933 | Taocheng District | 053000 | 4 | 79 | 35 | | 131102 | Taocheng District | Táochéng Qū | 602.47 | 753,317 | Zhonghua Street Subdistrict | 053000 | 4 | 3 | | | 131103 | Jizhou District | Jìzhōu Qū | 917.17 | 384,625 | Jizhou Town | 053200 | 7 | | | | 131121 | Zaoqiang County | Zǎoqiáng Xiàn | 904.58 | 365,640 | Zaoqiang Town | 053100 | 9 | 2 | | | 131122 | Wuyi County | Wǔyì Xiàn | 832.02 | 265,962 | Wuyi Town | 053400 | 7 | | | | 131123 | Wuqiang County | Wǔqiáng Xiàn | 442.88 | 176,672 | Wuqiang Town | 053300 | 4 | | | | 131124 | Raoyang County | Ráoyáng Xiàn | 572.29 | 254,613 | Raoyang Town | 053900 | 5 | | | | 131125 | Anping County | Ānpíng Xiàn | 495.46 | 327,496 | Anping Town | 053600 | 5 | 3 | | | 131126 | Gucheng County | Gùchéng Xiàn | 941.34 | 444,493 | Zhengkou Town | 253800 | 11 | 2 | | | 131127 | Jing County | Jǐng Xiàn | 1,188.11 | 463,949 | Jingzhou Town | 053500 | 11 | 5 | | | 131128 | Fucheng County | Fùchéng Xiàn | 695.26 | 293,877 | Fucheng Town | 053700 | 6 | | | | 131182 | Shenzhou City | Shēnzhōu Shì | 1,245.20 | 482,289 | Shenzhou Town | 053800 | 11 | | |

5. Economy

5.1 Agriculture

Abundant in wheat, corn, sorghum, cotton, peanuts, soybeans, apples, pears, honey peaches, and jujubes.

5.2 Industry

Primarily consists of machinery, chemicals, textiles, power generation, winemaking, building materials, and New Year paintings.

6. Comprehensive Transportation Hub

• Conventional Rail: 5 conventional rail lines: Beijing–Kowloon Railway, Shijiazhuang–Dezhou Railway, Handan–Huanghua Railway (under construction), Hengshui Branch of Shuozhou–Huanghua Railway (13th Five-Year Plan), and Hengshui–Puyang–Kaifeng–Zhoukou–Huangchuan Railway (13th Five-Year Plan).
• Passenger-Dedicated Lines (High-Speed Rail): 2 high-speed rail lines: Shijiazhuang–Jinan Passenger-Dedicated Line and Beijing–Hengshui Section of the Beijing–Kowloon High-Speed Rail (12th Five-Year Plan).
• Intercity Passenger-Dedicated Lines (Intercity High-Speed Rail): 3 intercity high-speed rail lines: Shijiazhuang–Hengshui–Cangzhou–Huanghua Intercity Railway (under construction), Dezhou–Hengshui–Baoding Intercity Railway (13th Five-Year Plan), and Handan–Hengshui Intercity Railway (Southeastern Hebei 13th Five-Year Plan).
• Metro Planning (4 Lines):
  • Line 1: Conventional Rail Hengshui Station Metro Station ~ High-Speed Rail Hengshui North Station Metro Station ~ Damasen Metro Station.
  • Line 2: Conventional Rail Hengshui Station Metro Station ~ Hengshui High School Metro Station ~ Conventional Rail Hengshui East Station Metro Station.
  • Line 3: Conventional Rail Hengshui Station Metro Station ~ Binhu New District Metro Station ~ Conventional Rail Jizhou Station Metro Station.
  • Line 4: Conventional Rail Hengshui Station Metro Station ~ Municipal Government Metro Station ~ Zhaojiaquan Metro Station.
• Expressways: 6 expressways: G1811 Huangshi Expressway, S072 Hengde Expressway, G45 Daguang Expressway, Hengshui–Xiyang Expressway (under construction), Xingtai–Hengshui Expressway (under construction), and Renqiu–Fucheng–Jingxian–Dezhou–Jinan Expressway (13th Five-Year Plan).
• National Highways: 4 national highways: National Highway 106 (planned for upgrading and expansion), National Highway 307 (planned for upgrading and expansion), National Highway 240, and National Highway 339.
• Provincial Highways: 12 provincial highways: Provincial Highway 040, 302, 324, 383, 385, 391, 392, 393, 231, 233, 281, and 282.
• Bus Routes (Currently 35 urban bus routes):
  • Routes 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, and 26 all start from Conventional Rail Hengshui Station (Bus Terminal) and connect to various parts of the city.
  • Route 11 is a long-distance bus route that does not operate within the city. To take Route 11, transfer at Xiaoxinji Station via Routes 1, 9, or 19.
  • Route 16 starts from Zhangtuanma and ends at Hengshui High School Intersection (Hengshui Science and Technology School).
  • Intercity bus routes:
    • Hengshui–Jizhou (National Highway 106): Route 101
    • Hengshui–Wuyi: Route 102
    • Hengshui–Zaoqiang: Route 103
    • Hengshui–Qingliangdian: Route 104
    • Hengshui–Zhengheyan (Zhonghu Avenue): Route 105
    • Hengshui–Shenzhou: Route 106
    • Hengshui–Anping: Route 107
    • Hengshui–Raoyang: Route 108
    • Hengshui–Wuqiang: Route 109
    • Hengshui–Fucheng: Route 110
    • Hengshui–Jingxian: Route 111
    • Hengshui–Nangong: Route 201
    • Hengshui–Dezhou: Route 202
• Airport (1): Hengshui International Airport (under renovation and expansion, originally Gucheng Military Airport).
• Railway Stations (4):
  • Conventional Rail Hengshui Station (Beijing–Kowloon Conventional Rail, Shijiazhuang–Dezhou Conventional Rail, Hengshui–Huangchuan Conventional Rail – dedicated passenger conventional rail station).
  • Conventional Rail Hengshui East Station (Handan–Huanghua Conventional Rail – dedicated passenger and freight conventional rail station, under construction).
  • High-Speed Rail Hengshui North Station (Shijiazhuang–Hengshui–Cangzhou–Tianjin Intercity High-Speed Rail, Beijing–Kowloon High-Speed Rail, Qingdao–Taiyuan High-Speed Rail – dedicated passenger high-speed rail station, under construction).
  • Conventional Rail Hengshui West Station (Hengshui–Huangchuan Conventional Rail, Beijing–Kowloon Conventional Rail, Shijiazhuang–Dezhou Conventional Rail, Hengshui Branch of Shuozhou–Huanghua Conventional Rail – dedicated freight conventional rail station, under construction).
  • High-Speed Rail Hengshui South Station (under construction).
• Long-Distance Bus Stations (4):
  • Main Bus Station (near Conventional Rail Hengshui Station, serving destinations nationwide and westward routes such as Shanxi).
  • East Bus Station (Taocheng District Hedong Subdistrict, serving eastward routes such as Shandong).
  • North Bus Station (near High-Speed Rail Hengshui North Station, planning stage, serving destinations nationwide and northward routes such as Beijing and Tianjin).
  • South Bus Station (near Binhu New District Metro Station, planning stage, serving southward routes such as Henan).
• Inland Water Transport Terminal (1): Hengshui Lake Transfer Terminal.

7. Education

Higher Vocational Education

• Hengshui University
• Hengshui Polytechnic College

Secondary Education

• Hengshui High School
• Hengshui No. 2 High School
• Jizhou High School
• Wuyi High School

Education Park

• Hengshui Science and Engineering School
• Hengshui Health School
• Hengshui Railway Electrification School

8. Population

By the end of 2022, the city's total permanent resident population was 4.1665 million. Among them, the urban permanent resident population was 2.3474 million, an increase of 10,700 from the end of the previous year; this accounted for 56.34% of the total population (the urbanization rate of permanent residents), an increase of 0.53 percentage points from the end of the previous year.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 4,212,933. Compared with the 4,340,773 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was a total decrease of 127,840 people over the ten years, a decline of 2.95%, with an average annual growth rate of -0.3%. Among them, the male population was 2,125,607, accounting for 50.45% of the total population; the female population was 2,087,326, accounting for 49.55% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 101.83. The population aged 0–14 was 817,557, accounting for 19.41% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 2,475,722, accounting for 58.76% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 919,654, accounting for 21.83% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 669,889, accounting for 15.9% of the total population. The population residing in urban areas was 2,306,235, accounting for 54.74% of the total population; the population residing in rural areas was 1,906,698, accounting for 45.26% of the total population.

The four northern counties and cities of Hengshui—Shenzhou City, Wuqiang County, Raoyang County, and Anping County—are collectively referred to as "Shen-Wu-Rao-An" due to their similar languages and interconnected cultures.

8.1. Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic population was 4,199,867, accounting for 99.69%; the combined population of various ethnic minorities was 13,066, accounting for 0.31%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han ethnic population decreased by 136,223, a decline of 3.14%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.2 percentage points; the combined population of various ethnic minorities increased by 8,383, a growth of 179.01%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.2 percentage points.

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9. Culture

9.1 Scenic Spots

Anji Bridge (Taocheng District) Baoyun Pagoda (Taocheng District) Hengshui Lake (Taocheng District, Jizhou District) Jingzhou Pagoda (Jing County) Tomb of Zhou Yafu (Jing County) Qinglin Temple Pagoda (Gucheng County) Shenzhou Yingyi Public Granary (Shenzhou City)

9.2 Cultural Relics and Historic Sites

9.2.1 National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units

• Feng Clan Tombs
• Kaifu Temple Sarira Stupa
• Lujiazhuang Mural Tomb
• Northern Qi Gao Clan Tombs
• Baoyun Pagoda
• Qinglin Temple Pagoda
• Ancient City Site of Jizhou
• Hengshui Anji Bridge
• Shenzhou Yingyi Public Granary

9.2.2 Zhulin Temple Site

Located 300 meters northeast of Beiguan Village. Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a mountain north of Jizhou City where mirages often appeared. Pavilions and towers could be faintly seen suspended in the air, "with the first rays of the sun and faint rosy clouds, water and clouds reflecting each other," resembling a fairyland. It was said to be Zimei Mountain, one of the three immortal mountains. During the Ming Dynasty, the Jizhou magistrate often ordered people to draw pictures of this mirage to preserve it. During the Jiajing period, a Jizhou official gathered skilled craftsmen and, based on the mirage, built Zhulin Temple northeast of the city. The temple was extremely popular for a time but was later destroyed due to flooding and other reasons. In the late Qing Dynasty, local people invested their own funds to rebuild Zhulin Temple on the site, but it was also destroyed long ago. The site was originally surrounded by water on three sides, with a narrow passage connecting it to the shore on the south side. After the Hengshui Lake water storage project, the passage was submerged, and the site became an island in the lake. In 1993, Beiguan Village built a hall on the ancient site. The original bronze Buddha statue from the ancient temple was preserved in the Jixian Cultural Center but was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Now, only the Zhulin Temple Stele remains, collected by the Jizhou City Cultural Relics Institute.

9.2.3 Ancient Stone Inscriptions

9.2.3.1 Zhulin Temple Stele

Originally located at the Zhulin Temple site northeast of Beiguan Village in Jizhou Town, it is now collected by the Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Institute. The stele is 1.16 meters long, 0.6 meters wide, and 0.22 meters thick, with only half of it having legible characters. According to old records, the stele was inscribed in the 17th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. The text reads: "Ji is an ancient prefectural city, with many famous temples inside and outside. To the east is Taining, to the west is Kaiyuan, to the south is Nanchan, but the most prosperous is considered to be this Zhulin Temple." This stele is a national third-class cultural relic.

9.2.3.2 Nantan Ji Stele

Originally located 300 meters southeast of Nanweichi Village in Xiaozhai Township, it is now collected by the Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Institute. This stele is made of bluestone, measuring 1.06 meters long, 0.55 meters wide, and 0.1 meters thick. The text was composed by Fan Li from Licheng and engraved by Tan Jie in regular script. The inscription records the flood situation in the sixth year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty: "The Hutuo and Fuyang rivers converged and overflowed, then flowed eastward here, gathering into a deep pool. Thereafter, as various waters frequently surrounded it, this pool became even deeper." The inscription also mentions that "villagers say there are divine creatures residing within." Most of this stele is well-preserved.

9.2.3.3 Sanyou Bai Stele

The Sanyou Bai Stele was originally located in the old city's Confucian Temple and is now preserved in Jizhou Middle School. According to the "Jizhou Annals" from the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty: "The cypress leans to the right side of the hall, with one trunk dividing into three, exceptionally ancient and majestic. It is unknown when it was planted. The prefect Chen Su named it 'Sanyou' (Three Friends) and had an inscription carved on stone. The engraving was shallow and has become illegible over time." In the 12th year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1655 AD), Jizhou Prefect Chen Jiahui wrote "Record of the Sanyou Cypress," stating: "Does the marquis wish for the auspiciousness of the cypress? The planting era of the cypress is unknown. Former Marquis Danxian, Lord Chen, found this tree remarkable, so he had a stone inscribed to record it, titled 'Sanyou Bai,' and called it an 'auspicious cypress.'" This cypress was destroyed by war, but the "Sanyou Bai" stele still exists today. The front side is engraved with the three large characters "Sanyou Bai" in running script, and the back side is engraved with the regular script inscription "Record of the Sanyou Bai Stele." The inscription is clear. The stele is seven chi two cun high, two chi seven cun wide, and seven cun four fen thick.

9.2.4 Ancient Stone Carvings

9.2.4.1 Large Stone Mill

The stone mill was originally at the Beiguan Zhulin Temple. It consists of two millstones, each 43 cm thick, with a diameter of 164 cm and a mill eye diameter of 23 cm. Legend has it that when Yuan Shao ruled Jizhou, a fairy named Li Sanniang in Jizhou City used this water-powered mill to grind flour in the lake outside the city on even-numbered days. On odd-numbered days, she would ride a divine ox under the cover of night to deliver flour to the common people. Research suggests this mill is a Han Dynasty water-powered mill. It is now preserved at the Art of War City.

9.2.4.2 Stone Well Curb

Originally located 300 meters east of Liujianian Village in Jizhou Town. Research indicates this stone carving is a wellhead made during the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty. The outer part of the stone well curb is square, while the inner part is circular. Two sides are blank, and two sides have inscriptions. The characters are engraved vertically starting from the right. Each side has 30 lines, with 14 characters per full line, totaling about 720 characters. Besides the title and engraving date, it consists of a preface, poetic eulogy, and the names of the well owner and donors. The stone appears to be the mouth of a public welfare well. The inscription of the "Eulogy for the Public Welfare Well" is engraved in intaglio regular script. The stone carving has now been moved to the Erpu Zhulin Temple in Jizhou Town and is relatively well-preserved. It is a national third-class cultural relic.

9.2.4.3 Stone Statue of Immortal Lady Bian

Located in the courtyard of the original site of the Old City Cultural Center. It is a Ming Dynasty stone carving, with a broken and chipped head. The statue is 175 cm high, 48 cm wide, and 45 cm thick. The face is dignified and kind, with long hair. The chest reveals armor. She sits steadily, with both hands resting on her knees. The right hand tightly grips a sword, while the left palm faces upward with the index finger pointing downward. The right foot steps on a turtle and a dragon. The sculpture is lifelike with a strong three-dimensional sense.

9.2.5 Ancient Tombs

9.2.5.1 South Gate Ancient Tomb

Located 20 meters east of the south gate of the old city. According to old records: "Inside the south gate, on the left, is the Zhang Er Shrine, established during the Jianlong period of the Song Dynasty. It was destroyed by war at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, but the site remains. Below it is the tomb of Zhang Er." Zhang Er was a prince and marquis in the early Western Han Dynasty, enfeoffed in Jizhou. In March 1982, the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics conducted an excavation. The tomb is a multi-chamber brick tomb, with both the burial chamber and passageway built with glazed bricks. It had been severely damaged, and only fragments of pottery remained in the chamber. According to expert analysis, this tomb dates to the late Eastern Han Dynasty and is not the tomb of Zhang Er.

9.2.5.2 Xiyuantou Tomb

Located 1 km west of the old city. The burial mound is 5 meters high, 40 meters long east-west, 31 meters long north-south, covering an area of 1240 square meters. According to old records: "Northeast of Xiyuantou Village is the epitaph of Wu Zeshiqing of the Yuan Dynasty's Bohai Commandery. South of Sunzhengli Village are the Laoniang Tomb and the tombstone of Yuan Dynasty's Mr. Donglu, Feng Fu." Locals commonly refer to this tomb as Yuan Shao's "Four Daughters' Tomb." In 1968, someone dug out a brick wall at the southwest corner of the mound but was stopped by relevant authorities, who then reburied the brick wall. In the first half of 1981, there was further digging activity, but the damage was not severe, and the mound remains largely intact. It is now a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit.

9.2.5.3 Front Mound

Located seven li north of the old city of Jizhou. The burial mound is 10 meters high, covering an area of 380 square meters. Shortly after the founding of the People's Republic, someone dug a hole into the Front Mound and discovered a brick burial chamber inside. The tomb bricks came in three types: 20 jin, 24 jin, and 40 jin. The passageway was 6 chi high and over 4 chi wide, winding and not straight, with many chambers inside. It was later filled with earth. Originally, there was a Bodhisattva temple on the mound, containing an iron bell inscribed with the words "Renovated in the third year of Daoguang." During the Cultural Revolution, the temple was demolished. In 1969, the tomb suffered further man-made damage. Unearthed artifacts included gold-threaded jade burial suit fragments, bronze ware, pottery, etc., identified as Han Dynasty relics. Although partially damaged, a portion remains well-preserved. It is now a county-level cultural relics protection unit.

9.2.5.4 Rear Mound

Located two li north of the Front Mound. The mound is 14 meters high, 60 meters long both east-west and north-south, covering an area of 3600 square meters. The underground artifacts have not yet been damaged. Analysis suggests it may be a Han Dynasty tomb. The burial mound of the Rear Mound is much larger than that of the Front Mound, and its buried artifacts should be more abundant. This mound is now a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit.

Many cultural relics have been discovered within the nature reserve. Among those entrusted to the Hengshui City Cultural Relics Custody Institute for safekeeping are: 4 national second-class cultural relics, all from the Han Dynasty; 9 national third-class cultural relics, including 2 from the Han Dynasty, 1 from the Tang Dynasty, 3 from the Jin Dynasty, 1 from the Ming Dynasty; and 2 artifacts whose age has not yet been determined. The cultural relics preserved by the Jizhou City Cultural Relics Protection Institute include: 239 Han Dynasty artifacts (fragments), 1 Jin Dynasty artifact, and 5 artifacts of undetermined age. The most precious among them are the Han Dynasty gold-threaded jade burial suit fragments. Entrusted by the Cultural Relics Protection Institute, the Jizhou City Tourism Bureau also preserves many cultural relics, including remnants from various dynasties after the Yangshao and Banpo cultures. The quantity is considerable, but as they have not been appraised by cultural relics departments, the specific ages of these artifacts have not yet been determined.

10. Sister Cities

Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada (English: Tillsonburg, Ontario), October 27, 1998 Tutitlán, Mexico, June 14, 2002

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Named after its proximity to the Hengzhang River.

Taocheng District

Taocheng District

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White wax

Peach blossom, lotus flower