Shijiazhuang (石家庄)

1. Introduction

Shijiazhuang City, abbreviated as Shi, is the capital of Hebei Province, People's Republic of China, located in the central-southern part of Hebei Province. The city borders Baoding City to the north, Hengshui City to the east, Xingtai City to the south, and faces Yangquan City, Xinzhou City, and Jinzhong City of Shanxi Province to the west. Situated at the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains, in the northwestern part of the North China Plain, the terrain is higher in the west and lower in the east. The western part consists of mountainous and hilly areas of the Taihang Mountains, while the eastern part is an alluvial plain. The rivers within the city belong to the Haihe River basin, falling under the Daqing River and Ziya River systems, with major rivers including the Hutuo River, Huai River, Ci River, and Wen River. The Municipal People's Government is located at No. 216, Zhongshan East Road, Chang'an District.

Shijiazhuang is an important central city in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, a key city in the Beijing-Tianjin-Shijiazhuang high-tech industrial belt, and lies within the Bohai Rim Economic Circle. It is one of the nation's significant modern service industry and bio-industry bases, as well as the political, economic, cultural, and foreign exchange center of Hebei Province. Shijiazhuang is a modern city that developed with the opening of modern railways, located at the intersection of the Beijing-Guangzhou, Shijiazhuang-Dezhou, and Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan railways, as well as the Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan, Beijing-Guangzhou, and Shijiazhuang-Jinan high-speed rail lines, making it an important railway hub. Shijiazhuang is also the location of the Army Command of the Central Theater Command.

nix

2. History

2.1 Archaeology

The Shijiazhuang region boasts a long and rich human history. The Paleolithic site at Dongyuan Village in Jingxing County, dating back approximately 300,000 years, along with the primitive human cave site at Mihuishui in Pingshan County, provide ample evidence that ancient humans inhabited the Shijiazhuang area at least by the middle Paleolithic period.

Over 160 Neolithic human activity sites have been discovered within the city's territory. At the Yangshao culture site in Nanyangzhuang Village, Zhengding County (now part of Chang'an District, Shijiazhuang), dating back about 6,000 years, a large number of pottery items and the oldest known archaeological evidence of human silkworm rearing were unearthed. The Baifokou cultural site within the city, dating back 6,000-7,000 years, is a human settlement site discovered in the plain area of the city.

The Shang Dynasty cultural site at Taixi Village in Gaocheng County is one of the nation's important Shang Dynasty sites, where artifacts such as bronze ware from around 1000 BC were discovered. A Shang Dynasty cultural site dating back approximately 4,000-3,600 years was found in Beihuzhuang Village, Luquan City. In Sanji Township, Pingshan County, tombs of the Zhongshan Kingdom royalty were discovered, yielding a batch of precious artifacts. Among them, the "Bronze Stand with Four Dragons and Four Phoenixes Inlaid with Gold and Silver" is the first physical example of a table stand from the pre-Qin period discovered in China.

2.2 Pre-Qin Period

This region was the activity area of the Xianyu people during the Western Zhou Dynasty and later fell within the territories of the Zhongshan and Zhao states. Lingshou within the city's territory was the capital of the Zhongshan Kingdom. Along with the Zhao King City in Handan and Yanxiadu in Yi County, it is one of the three ancient capitals from the Warring States period within Hebei Province.

2.3 Qin and Han Dynasties

After Emperor Qin Shi Huang conquered the Zhao state, he established Hengshan Commandery, but its scope was relatively small, not including the Hengshan mountains to the north. Its administrative seat was in Dongyuan County (east of present-day Shijiazhuang).

During the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu continued the administration of Hengshan Commandery. During Empress Lü's reign, Hengshan Commandery was enfeoffed as the Kingdom of Hengshan to Liu Buyi, Prince of Hengshan. However, just seven years later, after the veteran marquises exterminated the Lü clan, the third Prince of Hengshan, Liu Chao, was killed following a military mutiny, and the kingdom was abolished, reverting to a commandery. Simultaneously, to avoid the personal name taboo of the newly enthroned Emperor Wen of Han, Liu Heng, the name was changed to Changshan Commandery, and its territory was expanded, stretching north to the Hengshan mountains and south to the area of Fengshan Changgu. In the fourth year of the Yuanding era (113 BC) of Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Ping, son of Liu Shun, the Xianwang (Virtuous King) of Changshan, was enfeoffed as the Prince of Zhending. Zhending County, the administrative seat of Changshan Commandery, and several nearby counties were separated to form the Principality of Zhending.

In the second year of the Jianwu era (26 AD) of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Guangwu enfeoffed Liu De, son of the Western Han Prince of Zhending Liu Yang, as the Prince of Zhending. In the thirteenth year of the Jianwu era (37 AD), Prince of Zhending Liu De was demoted to Marquis of Zhending, and the Principality of Zhending was merged into Changshan Commandery.

2.4 Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties Period

During the Three Kingdoms period, the southwestern part of Changshan Commandery was separated to form Leping Commandery. Yuanshi County was placed under the jurisdiction of the Zhao Kingdom, further reducing Changshan's territory. The commandery seat was moved back to Zhending County from the early Han period (present-day Zhengding County). The Western Jin Dynasty continued this administration, reducing the number of subordinate counties to eight, though the Hengshan mountains were still within its territory, northwest of Shangquyang County.

During the Sixteen Kingdoms and Northern Dynasties periods, the commandery seat was generally maintained, belonging to Dingzhou. The Northern Zhou Dynasty renamed it Hengzhou. Parts belonged to Zhaozhou. The Northern Wei established Yinzhou, which was renamed during the Northern Qi.

2.5 Sui and Tang Dynasties

After the Sui Dynasty unified China, it was again called Hengshan Commandery, governing eight counties, with its seat still at Zhending. After the Tang Dynasty was established, commanderies were changed to prefectures, and it was called Hengzhou. In the first year of the Tianbao era (742 AD) of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, prefectures were changed back to commanderies, reverting to Changshan Commandery. Emperor Suzong of Tang abolished the commandery system again, and it was once more called Hengzhou. Later, to avoid the personal name taboo of Emperor Muzong of Tang, it was changed to Zhenzhou.

After the An Lushan Rebellion, Zhenzhou became the seat of the regional military governor (Jiedushi) of the semi-independent Chengde Army.

2.6 Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms to Song and Jin Periods

On the 29th day of the ninth month, 922, the Jin army commander Li Cunxun (Fu Cunxun) captured Zhenzhou. The local rulers Zhang Chujin, Zhang Chuqiu, his brother Zhang Chuqi, and the wife of Zhang Wenli (unknown if she was Zhang Chujin's mother) were captured and sent to Li Cunxu. At the request of the people of Zhao, they were executed and their bodies minced into paste. Zhang Wenli's corpse was torn apart by chariots in the market. The Zhao state perished. The Later Tang Dynasty changed Zhenzhou's administration and once established it as the Northern Capital. Subsequently, its status changed frequently. The Later Jin Dynasty changed it to Hengzhou; the Later Han Dynasty changed it back to Zhenzhou, then elevated it to Zhending Prefecture; the Later Zhou Dynasty changed it back to Zhenzhou. During the Northern Song Dynasty, its jurisdiction changed slightly. In the eighth year of the Qingli era (1048), it was elevated to Zhending Prefecture, with its seat at Zhending County (present-day Zhengding County). Its jurisdiction roughly corresponds to the area between present-day Jingxing, Yuanshi, Luancheng, Gaocheng, Xinle, Xingtang, and Fuping in Hebei Province. It served as the seat of the Zhendingfu Circuit. During the Northern Song and Jin dynasties, it was the seat of the Hebei West Circuit.

In 1126, the Jin army captured Zhending Prefecture. The prefect, Li Miao, was captured and died refusing to submit.

2.7 Yuan Dynasty

The earliest recorded mention of the name "Shijiazhuang" appears on the "Stele Record of the Construction of Longquan Temple in Huolu County, Zhending Prefecture, Great Yuan" from the fourth year of the Dade era (1300) of the Yuan Dynasty. The back of this stele bears the inscription "Affairs of Xiningzhou Military Prefecture and Acting Huolu County, Great Yuan" and lists, in geographical order, the names of donors for the reconstruction of Longquan Temple and a roster of village names. It records over 90 villages including Yincun, Wulizhuang, Xitancun, Jianling, Yitang, Tazhong, Suncun, Kongzhai, Zhangying, Nanjianliang, Liuying, Licun, Dongsanjiao, Xisanjiao, Beilicun, Fancun, Xiumen, Shijiazhuang (the character for 'zhuang' in the stele inscription is written in simplified form), Yancun, Shiqiao, etc.

Note: At least by the Yuan Dynasty, Shijiazhuang was already an important village in this region.

This finding is not yet widely accepted. Some viewpoints suggest that Shijiazhuang originated as a military garrison and official estate of the Zhending Guard, settled by garrison soldiers and their descendants with surnames like Ma, Yu, Gu, Zhao, and Yin. Among the founders of this village, the officer with the surname Shi held the highest status, hence the name Shijiazhuang (Shi Family Village). The Shi lineage died out, but the village name remained. Another related view holds that there were ten major surnames among the garrison soldiers, so the village was initially named "Shijiazhuang" (Ten Family Village), which gradually evolved into "Shijiazhuang."

The Zhending Route in this region was a famous city south of Dadu (the Yuan capital). Wu Peifen once left relevant records about it. The Yuan Dynasty work Heshuo Fanggu Ji (Records of Visiting Ancient Sites North of the Yellow River) by Gēluólù Nàixián also recorded: "Generally speaking, Zhending is extremely prosperous and splendid. This is because our dynasty made a pact with the Song to jointly destroy the Jin. After Caicheng was captured, the land was given to the Song, but the people were all relocated here by our dynasty. Therefore, many people from Bianliang and Zhengzhou reside in Zhending, hence it retains the lingering customs of an old capital." It was also an important birthplace of Yuan zaju drama. The famous Yuan qu playwright Bai Pu created works here.

2.8 Ming and Qing Dynasties

In the first year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, the Zhending Route was restored to a prefecture. Its eastern territory expanded to include present-day Dingzhou, Shenzhou, and Nangong cities.

The place name "Shijiazhuang" is mentioned again on the "Stele Record of Rebuilding Pilu Temple" from the fourteenth year of the Jiajing era (1535) of the Ming Dynasty.

It was not until the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, after the military garrison system was abolished, that Shijiazhuang became a village in Huolu County, Zhending Prefecture. The Qing-era Guangxu edition of the Huolu County Gazetteer records: "Shijiazhuang, thirty-five li southeast of the county seat, has six streets, six temples, and four wells/springs."

In the first year of the Yongzheng era (1723) of the Qing Dynasty, to avoid the personal name taboo of the Yongzheng Emperor, Zhending Prefecture was changed to Zhengding Prefecture.

3. Geography

Shijiazhuang is located in the south-central part of Hebei Province, in the northwestern part of the North China Plain. It belongs to the Bohai Rim Economic Zone and serves as the southern vertex of the Beijing-Baoding-Shijiazhuang development axis within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration. It lies between 37°27′–38°47′ north latitude and 113°30′–115°20′ east longitude. To the east, it borders Hengshui; to the south, it adjoins Xingtai; to the west, it borders Shanxi Province; and to the north, it connects with Baoding. The maximum north-south distance is approximately 148.018 kilometers, and the maximum east-west width is about 175.383 kilometers. The total area is 14,060.14 square kilometers (excluding Xinji). The city center is about 263 kilometers from the center of Beijing and approximately 276 kilometers from the Bohai Sea.

Shijiazhuang is situated at the junction of the Taihang Mountains and the North China Plain, a topographic feature that contributes to its relatively high summer temperatures. The terrain from west to east consists of medium mountains, low mountains, hills, basins, and plains. The description "resting its head on the Taihang Mountains, stepping on the Bohai Bay, with a vast plain in between" aptly characterizes Shijiazhuang's geographical location. The thousand-mile-long Taihang Mountains have eight east-west transportation routes known as the "Eight Passes of Taihang." The fifth pass, with Niangzi Pass as the provincial boundary, connects Shijiazhuang with Taiyuan City in Shanxi Province. The Hutuo River, originating in the hinterland of the Taihang Mountains, enters the North China Plain through this passage, and the eastern plain was formed by the alluvial deposits of the Hutuo River. The Taihang Mountain area lies in the western part of the city, including all of Jingxing County and Jingxing Mining District, as well as the mountainous parts of Pingshan, Zanhuang, Xingtang, Lingshou, Luquan, and Yuanshi districts/counties/cities, covering about 50% of the city's total area. The eastern part is primarily the alluvial-proluvial plain of the Hutuo River, including all of Xinle, Wuji, Shenze, Xinji, Jinzhou, Gaocheng, Gaoyi, Zhaoxian, Luancheng, Zhengding, and the Shijiazhuang urban area, as well as the plain parts of Pingshan, Zanhuang, Xingtang, Lingshou, Luquan, and Yuanshi districts/counties/cities.

The slope from western Pingshan to the Shijiazhuang urban area ranges from 1/1400 to 1/1200, while the slope from Shijiazhuang to eastern Yangji ranges from 1/1200 to 1/1400. The region's tectonic setting lies at the junction between the Shanxi Platform and the Bohai Depression. The terrain is significantly higher in the west and lower in the east, featuring complex landforms. The western Taihang Mountain area has an elevation of around 1,000 meters, with overlapping mountains and lofty terrain. The central and eastern parts belong to the North China Plain. Tuoliang, the highest peak located in Pingshan, stands at 2,281 meters above sea level, making it the fifth-highest peak in Hebei Province and the highest point in Shijiazhuang. The eastern plain, formed by piedmont alluvial-proluvial processes from the Taihang Mountains, generally has an elevation of 30–100 meters. The lowest point in the region is Beipang Village in Yangji, with an elevation of 28 meters. Within the Second Ring Road of Shijiazhuang's urban area, the terrain is higher in the northwest and lower in the southeast, with elevations of 81.5 meters at the northwestern corner and 64.3 meters at the southeastern corner.

4. Administrative Divisions

Shijiazhuang City currently administers 8 municipal districts, 11 counties, and oversees 3 county-level cities on behalf of the province.

Municipal Districts: Chang'an District, Qiaoxi District, Xinhua District, Jingxing Mining District, Yuhua District, Gaocheng District, Luquan District, Luancheng District

County-level Cities: Xinji City, Jinzhou City, Xinle City (Note: Xinji City has become a pilot for direct provincial administration, and its data is not included in Shijiazhuang City's statistics.)

Counties: Jingxing County, Zhengding County, Xingtang County, Lingshou County, Gaoyi County, Shenze County, Zanhuang County, Wuji County, Pingshan County, Yuanshi County, Zhaoxian County

Shijiazhuang City also has the following administrative management zones: National-level Shijiazhuang Economic and Technological Development Zone, National-level Shijiazhuang High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Hebei Shijiazhuang Circular Chemical Industry Park, and Zhengding New Area.

5. Economy

5.1 Foundation

With the construction of two railways in the early 20th century, enterprises such as the Zheng-Tai General Machinery Plant (now CRRC Shijiazhuang Co., Ltd.) and the Jingxing Coking Plant were successively established in Shijiazhuang. The mining, transportation, and processing of coal were significant reasons for the early prosperity of Shijiazhuang. In 1922, Hubei businessman Xu Rongting established the Daxing Cotton Mill, Shijiazhuang's first national enterprise and the earliest and largest textile enterprise in North China. By 1928, dozens of factories had been built around the railways, promoting the construction of Shijiazhuang's infrastructure. The CRRC Shijiazhuang Vehicle Plant in Shijiazhuang is the largest multi-railway boxcar maintenance and railway refrigeration unit manufacturing base in China.

Shijiazhuang's current economic development positioning is to serve as an important commercial port in North China, China's "Medicine Capital," a textile base, and a modern agricultural base. Shijiazhuang is a nationally renowned commodity distribution center, hosting two of China's top ten wholesale markets: Nansantiao Wholesale Market and Xinhua Wholesale Market. Additionally, Shijiazhuang is also a nationally famous "Medicine Capital," with a well-developed biopharmaceutical industry. North China Pharmaceutical Group is the largest antibiotic producer in Asia, and other notable pharmaceutical companies include North China Pharmaceutical, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, and Shineway Pharmaceutical. Furthermore, the textile industry has been a dominant sector in Shijiazhuang since 1949, making it one of China's important cotton textile industrial bases.

In 2010, among 27 provincial capitals surveyed, Shijiazhuang ranked 20th in terms of per capita GDP. A media statistical report showed that in 2012, 22 provincial capitals and four municipalities directly under the central government—26 cities in total—released their average wages for urban employees in 2011. Shijiazhuang ranked 25th, only higher than Chengdu.

5.2 Agriculture

Shijiazhuang's main crops include high-quality corn, wheat, cotton, pears, dates, and walnuts. With a wide variety and large planting area, it is a major grain and cotton production area in Hebei Province and has developed into one of the green agricultural bases in northern China. It is one of China's main production areas for grain, vegetables, meat, eggs, and fruits, with a high level of agricultural intensification and industrialization. Its production scale ranks first among China's 36 key cities, and it has been designated by the state as a high-quality wheat production base, often referred to as the "Granary of Northern China."

5.3 Industry

Shijiazhuang is one of China's largest pharmaceutical industrial bases and an important textile base. It is among the first batch of bio-industry bases confirmed by the state and is a major industrial city in Hebei Province. During the First Five-Year Plan period, the state invested heavily in building large cotton textile mills and pharmaceutical factories in Shijiazhuang, laying the foundation for its industry. In fact, large state-owned enterprises such as North China Pharmaceutical and Shijiazhuang Cotton Mill have had a lasting impact on Shijiazhuang's population and urban planning since the planned economy era, which continues to this day.

Like other areas of the North China Plain, Shijiazhuang suffers from more severe environmental pollution compared to other regions in China due to its concentration of heavy industries. Wuji County along the Hutuo River once discharged large amounts of wastewater from the leather industry into the river, leading to the emergence of several "cancer villages" nearby. In March 2013, the "North China Plain Groundwater Pollution Prevention and Control Work Plan," jointly issued by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Land and Resources, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and Ministry of Water Resources, pointed out that Shijiazhuang's groundwater is contaminated with heavy metals and organic compounds. Heavy metal pollution mainly comes from lead and mercury at the Xiashigou domestic waste landfill, while organic pollution primarily originates from the Xiashigou domestic waste landfill and the Yuanshi sewage pit, with pollutants including benzene, carbon tetrachloride, and trichloroethylene. Environmental pollution in Shijiazhuang peaked around 2013 and gained widespread domestic and international attention during the severe smog event in central and eastern China that year. Since then, with large-scale rectification and shutdowns of polluting enterprises, the region's environment and air quality have significantly improved. However, Shijiazhuang still ranks low in air quality comparisons among Chinese cities.

5.4 Commerce

The Donggou-Xinbai commercial district along Zhongshan Road and Zhonghua Street and the Beiguo commercial district are traditional prosperous commercial areas in Shijiazhuang. Both Nansantiao Small Commodity Market and Xinhua Wholesale Market are among China's top ten wholesale markets. Due to its geographical location and transportation advantages, Shijiazhuang is an important logistics base in northern China.

After the 2010s, the area along Huai'an Road in the south, represented by the Wanda-Huaite commercial district, has gradually become another important commercial zone in the city.

6. Transportation

6.1 Intercity Transportation

There are six main passenger transport hubs within Shijiazhuang city, each dispatching long-distance coaches to corresponding directions (the main passenger station has no fixed direction and primarily operates mid-to-high-end coaches on expressways).

6.2 Aviation

The main aviation hub is Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport, located northeast of Shijiazhuang city, 32 kilometers from the urban area. It is an international port airport approved by the State Council. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport was one of the main alternate airports for Beijing Capital International Airport. It serves 34 cities with 43 routes and approximately 800 flights per week, basically covering the provincial capitals of the People's Republic of China and other important economic and tourist cities. Annual passenger throughput has grown rapidly in recent years, reaching nearly 3 million in 2010. The airport is currently undergoing renovation and expansion, which upon completion will enable it to handle an annual passenger throughput of 20 million.

6.3 Expressways

Northbound: G4 Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway and G5 Beijing-Kunming Expressway, leading to Baoding City and Beijing. Southbound: G4 Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway passes through Xingtai City and Handan City into Henan Province. Westbound: Connects to G20 Qingdao-Yinchuan Expressway, leading to Taiyuan City in Shanxi Province. Eastbound: G1811 Huangshi Expressway leads to Cangzhou City and Huanghua Port. Southeastbound: G20 Qingdao-Yinchuan Expressway passes through Hengshui City, enters Shandong Province, and after passing through cities like Jinan, ultimately reaches Qingdao City. Northwestbound: S071 Xibaipo Expressway connects Shijiazhuang urban area to Xibaipo in Pingshan County.

6.4 Railway

Since modern times, it has been an important railway transportation hub in North China. Shijiazhuang Station is one of the three major marshalling yards in the country. With the construction of several passenger-dedicated lines, it will achieve travel times of approximately one hour to cities like Beijing, Jinan, Zhengzhou, and Taiyuan.

Completed Railways: Beijing-Guangzhou Railway: Northbound passes through Baoding City to Beijing; southbound passes through Zhengzhou City, Wuhan City, Changsha City, and other cities before reaching Guangzhou City in Guangdong Province. Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan Railway: Westbound to Taiyuan City in Shanxi Province. Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan Passenger Dedicated Line: Westbound to Taiyuan City in Shanxi Province. Shijiazhuang-Dezhou Railway: Eastbound via Hengshui City to Dezhou City in Shandong Province. Shuozhou-Huanghua Railway: A major channel for transporting coal from Shanxi, eastbound to Huanghua City in Cangzhou. Beijing-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway: Northbound to Baoding City and Beijing; southbound to Zhengzhou City, Wuhan City, and Guangzhou City. Shijiazhuang-Jinan Passenger Dedicated Line: Eastbound to Jinan City and Qingdao City in Shandong Province.

Planned Railways: Xiong'an-Shijiazhuang Intercity Railway: Northbound to Xiong'an New Area and Beijing. Shijiazhuang-Handan Intercity Railway: Southbound to Handan City. Shijiazhuang-Hengshui-Cangzhou-Huanghua Port Intercity Railway: Eastbound to Hengshui, Cangzhou, and Huanghua Port.

6.5 Urban Roads

Roads within the urban area generally run east-west or north-south. Roads running east-west are named "某某 Road," while those running north-south are named "某某 Street."

Ring Roads: First Ring Road (composed of Heping Road, Tiyu Avenue, Huaian Road, and Zhonghua Avenue), Second Ring Road, Third Ring Road. Major East-West Arteries: Heping Road, Zhongshan Road, Yuhua Road, Huaian Road. Major North-South Arteries: Youyi Avenue, Zhonghua Avenue, Ping'an Avenue, Jianshe Avenue, Tiyu Avenue, Jianhua Avenue, Zhaiying Avenue, Tangu Avenue.

6.6 Public Buses

Shijiazhuang public buses are managed and operated by the Shijiazhuang Public Transport Corporation. As of the end of 2015, there were 4,403 operational vehicles, including 3,611 natural gas buses and 1,935 air-conditioned buses, operating on 229 routes.

The standard bus fare in the urban area is generally 1 yuan (Route 117 is 2 yuan). Air conditioning (cooling or heating) is typically operational from June to September and from November 15 to March 15 of the following year, with an additional 1 yuan added to the base fare during these periods.

There are four types of bus IC cards: A, B, C, and D. Cards A, B, and C require a 20 yuan deposit. Card D has a 5 yuan issuance fee, with a 7 yuan fee for reissuance (Card D is 5 yuan). Card A can be used on any route. Cards B, C, D, and the "Love Card" can only be used on specific routes (most urban 1-yuan buses, Route 117, and the urban sections of buses to Zhengding/Luquan).

6.7 Rail Transit

The Shijiazhuang rail transit plan originally consisted of 6 lines (however, the Shijiazhuang City 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 mention 11 lines). Metro Line 1 and Phase I of Line 3 began trial operation on June 26, 2017. Phase II of Line 1 began trial operation on June 26, 2019. The northern section of Phase II of Metro Line 3 began trial operation on January 21, 2020. On August 26, 2020, Phase I of Shijiazhuang Metro Line 2 began operation. On April 6, 2021, the eastern section of Phase I and Phase II of Shijiazhuang Metro Line 3 were completed and opened to traffic.

Metro Line 1 runs from Xiwang Station in the west to Fuze Station in the east. Line 2 runs from Liuxinzhuang Station in the north to Jiahua Road Station in the south. Line 3 runs from Xisanzhuang Station in the north to Lexiang Station in the east.

7. Education

7.1 Higher Education Institutions

There are 50 higher education institutions, including 19 undergraduate colleges, 25 vocational colleges, and an additional 6 military academies. Some of the universities include:

• Hebei Normal University
• Hebei Medical University
• Hebei University of Science and Technology
• Hebei University of Economics and Business
• Hebei GEO University
• Shijiazhuang Tiedao University

7.2 Secondary Schools

There are 487 regular secondary schools with 568,000 enrolled students, and 201 secondary vocational schools with 274,000 enrolled students. Some of the secondary schools include:

• Shijiazhuang No. 18 Middle School (Provincial Exemplary High School)
• Shijiazhuang No. 1 Middle School
• Shijiazhuang No. 2 Middle School (Hebei Experimental Middle School)
• Shijiazhuang No. 42 Middle School (Hebei International School)

7.3 Primary Schools

There are 1,825 primary schools with 647,000 enrolled students, and 546 kindergartens with 175,000 enrolled children. Some of the primary schools include:

• Shijiazhuang Weiming Road Primary School
• Shijiazhuang Shuiyuan Street Primary School
• Shijiazhuang Dongli Primary School

8. Population

The population growth of modern Shijiazhuang primarily stemmed from migrants from other regions. In 1947, Shijiazhuang became the first medium-to-large-sized city captured by the Chinese Communist Party from the Chinese Nationalist Party. The total urban population when the Chinese Communist Party took over Shijiazhuang was 120,000. By the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the urban population had increased to over 270,000, a growth of 150,000 people—more than doubling—in nearly two years. In 1953, at the start of China's First Five-Year Plan, the urban population of Shijiazhuang grew to 320,000. By 1960, the city's urban population had reached 650,000. In 1968, following the relocation of the capital of Hebei Province from Baoding to Shijiazhuang due to the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution, the urban population of Shijiazhuang experienced another significant increase. By 1980, the urban population had surpassed the 1 million mark, making it a major city with a population of over one million. As of the end of 2017, the urban population of Shijiazhuang exceeded 4.5 million.

According to the 2020 Seventh National Population Census, the city's resident population was 11,235,086. Compared with the 10,163,788 people from the Sixth National Population Census, this represents an increase of 1,071,298 people over ten years, a growth rate of 10.54%, with an average annual growth rate of 1.01%. Among them, the male population was 5,634,151, accounting for 50.15% of the total population; the female population was 5,600,935, accounting for 49.85% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 100.59. The population aged 0–14 was 2,168,697, accounting for 19.3% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 6,991,115, accounting for 62.23% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 2,075,274, accounting for 18.47% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 1,444,856, accounting for 12.86% of the total population. The population living in urban areas was 7,884,379, accounting for 70.18% of the total population; the population living in rural areas was 3,350,707, accounting for 29.82% of the total population.

By the end of 2022, the total resident population of Shijiazhuang City was 11.2235 million, an increase of 18,800 people from the end of the previous year. Among them, the urban resident population was 8.0179 million, an increase of 52,700 people from the end of the previous year; the proportion of the urban population to the total population (urbanization rate of the resident population) was 71.44%, an increase of 0.35 percentage points from the end of the previous year.

8.1. Ethnic Groups

In the 2020 resident population of the city, the Han ethnic population was 11,091,889, accounting for 98.73%; the population of various ethnic minorities was 143,197, accounting for 1.27%. Compared with the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the Han population increased by 1,019,865 people, a growth of 10.13%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.37 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities increased by 51,433 people, a growth of 56.05%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.37 percentage points.

nix

9. Culture

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Shijiazhuang area was known as Zhengding Prefecture. Zhengding, historically called Changshan and Zhending, is an ancient city with a history of over a thousand years and is recognized as a National Historical and Cultural City. It borders the Song Dynasty Imperial Tombs in Baoding to the north and the Tang Dynasty Imperial Tombs in Longyao to the south. Historically, along with Baoding and Beijing, it was known as one of the "Three Major Towns of the North." The city is home to eight national key cultural relics protection units, ranking second among county-level cities nationwide, only behind Dengfeng City in Henan Province. The city boasts a wealth of ancient architecture, collectively referred to as "Nine Towers, Four Pagodas, Eight Great Temples, and Twenty-Four Golden Memorial Archways." The "Nine Towers" include Yanghe Tower, the Bell Tower of Kaiyuan Temple, the Scripture Depository Tower of Chongyin Temple, the Bell and Drum Tower on Fuqian Street, the Dabei Pavilion of Longxing Temple, the Imperial Library Tower, Jiqing Pavilion, Cishi Pavilion, and the Zhuanlunzang Tower. Among these, the Bell Tower houses an ancient Tang Dynasty bell weighing 11 tons, which has remained intact for over a millennium. The "Four Pagodas" include the Chengleng Pagoda of Linji Temple, the Sumeru Pagoda of Kaiyuan Temple, the Lingxiao Pagoda of Tianning Temple, and the Hua Pagoda of Guanghui Temple, all of which are Buddhist stupas. The "Eight Great Temples" include Kaiyuan Temple, Guanghui Temple, Linji Temple, Tianning Temple, Longxing Temple, Chongyin Temple, Hongji Temple, and Sheli Temple.

The Gaocheng Palace Lanterns from the Gaocheng area originated in the Eastern Han Dynasty, dating back approximately 2,000 years. They are particularly renowned for the "Red Gauze Lanterns" and were included in the Hebei Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2006.

Xinji City is designated by the National Ministry of Culture as the "Hometown of Modern Folk Paintings," where farmer paintings are highly popular.

Shijiazhuang City has 27 art performance troupes and 22 art performance venues. It also boasts 25 cultural centers and mass art centers, 21 public libraries with a collection of 2.8 million books, a radio coverage rate of 99.2%, and a television coverage rate of 99.1% (as of 2004).

10. Sister Cities

• Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan (April 19, 1981)
• Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (May 31, 1985)
• Des Moines, United States (August 8, 1985)
• Parma, Italy (September 22, 1987)
• Corby, United Kingdom (October 5, 1994)
• Cheonan, South Korea (August 26, 1997)
• Querétaro, Mexico (September 2, 1997)
• Falkenberg, Sweden (August 6, 2002)
• Nam Định, Vietnam (December 27, 2004)[72]
• Sister City of Xinle City: Ayagawa Town, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan (May 23, 1995)
• Sister City of Xinji City: Soravola, Italy (August 19, 1997)

nix

nix

nix

nix

Chang'an District

Chang'an District

nix

Sophora japonica

Rose