Shijiazhuang is the capital of Hebei Province, 280 km to Beijing in the south and 270 km to Tianjin. Shijiazhuang is a newly industrialized city. It experienced dramatic growth after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. The population of the metropolitan area has more than quadrupled in only 30 years. It is a central hub of transportation routes. The city is home to large garrison of military troops in case of need to protect Beijing. Shijiazhuang is also an important commodity collecting and distributing center. Shijiazhuang is a booming city on the ancient land.
Long History
Shijiazhuang has a splendid history since West and East Han Dynasty. The growth of Shijiazhuang into one of China’s major cities began in 1905, when the Beijing-Wuhan railway reached the area, stimulating much new trade and encouraging local farmers to grow cash crops. It is known as a city from the train. On November 12, 1947, the city was captured by Communist force. In 1948 the city, formerly known as Shímén was renamed Shijiazhuang.
Economy, Finance, Trade and Industry
Shijiazhuang has become a major industrial city in North China and is considered to be the economic center of Hebei province. The city is the largest base for the pharmaceutical industry and is also one of the most important textile industry bases. Other main sectors include machinery and chemicals, building materials, light industry and electronics.
Geographical Location and Pleasant Climate
Shijiazhuang is located in south-central Hebei, and is part of the Bohai Economic Rim. Its administrative area ranges in latitude from 37° 27' to 38° 47' N, and the longitude 113° 30' to 115° 20' E. The prefecture-level city reaches a 148 kilometers north-south extent and a 175 kilometers wide from east to west. The prefecture has borders stretching 760 kilometers long and covers an area of 15,722 square kilometers.
Shijiazhuang has a temperate, monsoon climate with four distinct seasons and an average annual temperature of 14.2C (57.56F). The city has characteristic summers and winters; in June the average monthly temperature can reach around 26.5C (79.7F), while in January it can reach a low of around -2.9C (26.78F). But the city is equipped with perfect heating applications for citizens.
Convenient Transportation
The Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport is the province’s center of air transportation. It is located about 30 kilometers northeast of the city and can accommodate all types of medium and large-sized aircraft. Presently there are 32 domestic routes arriving at and departing from Shijiazhuang, including destinations such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, Dalian, Hong Kong, and other medium and large cities. In addition, the airport services 12 international destinations including four routes to Russia. The airport is currently being expanded and will be capable of being an alternate airport to Beijing Capital International Airport.
Excellent Education
Shijiazhuang has complete education system, and it is the center of higher education in Hebei Province. A number of prestigious universities and colleges are located in Shijiazhuang city including Hebei Medical University, Hebei Normal University, etc.
Population: 10 million
Temperature: average 14.2 °C (57.56 °F)
The Zhaozhou Bridge: Created around 600 CE under the Sui dynasty, it survived numerous floods and earthquakes, and is considered nowadays as the oldest stone single arch bridge in the world.
