Hengshui (Chinese: 衡水) is a prefecture-level city in southern Hebei province, People's Republic of China, bordering Shandong to the southeast,It borders Shijiazhuang City to the west, Xingtai City to the south, and Baoding City and Cangzhou City to the north. As of the 2020 census its population was 4,212,933 inhabitants, out of whom 805,000 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of Taocheng urban district.[2] It is on the Beijing–Kowloon railway.

Hengshui
衡水市
From top, left to right: Downtown Taocheng District; Hengshui Lake; View from Hengshui Middle School; Hengshui Railway Station
Nickname(s): 
Peach City (桃城), Lake City (水市湖城)
Map
Location of Hengshui City jurisdiction in Hebei
Location of Hengshui City jurisdiction in Hebei
Hengshui is located in Hebei
Hengshui
Hengshui
Location of the city centre in Hebei
Hengshui is located in Northern China
Hengshui
Hengshui
Hengshui (Northern China)
Hengshui is located in China
Hengshui
Hengshui
Hengshui (China)
Coordinates (Hengshui municipal government): 37°44′20″N 115°40′08″E / 37.739°N 115.669°E / 37.739; 115.669
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceHebei
Settled1265
EstablishedMay 31, 1996
Municipal seatTaocheng District
Area
8,836.95 km2 (3,411.97 sq mi)
 • Urban608.8 km2 (235.1 sq mi)
 • Metro
608.8 km2 (235.1 sq mi)
Population
 (2020 census)[2]
4,212,933
 • Density480/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
 • Urban805,000
 • Urban density1,300/km2 (3,400/sq mi)
 • Metro
805,000
 • Metro density1,300/km2 (3,400/sq mi)
GDP[3]
 • Prefecture-level cityCN¥ 155 billion
US$ 22.5 billion
 • Per capitaCN¥ 27,543
US$ 4,422
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
ISO 3166 codeCN-HE-11
License Plate Prefix2022
Hengshui
Simplified Chinese衡水
Literal meaning"horizontal river"
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHéngshuǐ

Hengshui has a long history and profound cultural heritage. During the Three Kingdoms period, Yuan Shao once stationed millions of troops in Jizhou to compete with Cao Cao. Dong Zhongshu, a great philosopher of the Western Han Dynasty and a great master of the Confucian school, was born in Hengshui Jing County. Hengshui now has two national-level cultural relics protection units: the Jingxian Fengshi Tombs and the Relic Pagoda, plus the Houzhong Han Tomb, Shuangzhong Han Tomb, Xiyuantou Han Tomb in Jizhou, the Qinglin Temple Pagoda in the old city, and the Taocheng District There are 19 provincial key cultural relics protection units including Baoyun Temple Pagoda.[4]

Administrative divisions

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Map
# Name Hanzi Hanyu Pinyin Population (2010 census) Area (km2) Density (/km2)
1 Taocheng District 桃城区 Táochéng Qū 522,147 602.5 867
2 Jizhou District 冀州区 Jìzhōu Qū 362,013 918 394
3 Shenzhou City 深州市 Shēnzhōu Shì 566,087 1,244 455
4 Zaoqiang County 枣强县 Zǎoqiáng Xiàn 391,469 903 437
5 Wuyi County 武邑县 Wǔyì Xiàn 315,693 830 380
6 Wuqiang County 武强县 Wǔqiáng Xiàn 214,549 442 485
7 Raoyang County 饶阳县 Ráoyáng Xiàn 280,498 573 490
8 Anping County 安平县 Ānpíng Xiàn 328,512 493 666
9 Gucheng County 故城县 Gùchéng Xiàn 487,025 941 518
10 Jing County 景县 Jǐng Xiàn 528,693 1,183 447
11 Fucheng County 阜城县 Fùchéng Xiàn 341,087 698 489

Hengshui City has 2 municipal districts, Taocheng District and Jizhou District, 1 county-level city Shenzhou City, 8 counties Zaoqiang County, Wuyi County, Wuqiang County, Raoyang County, Anping County, Gucheng County, Jingshui County County, Fucheng County.[5]

Education

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Hengshui High School and Hengshui University[6] are located in Hengshui.

Hebei Hengshui Middle School, referred to as "Hengzhong", was founded in 1951 and is located in Hengshui City, Hebei Province. It is one of the three key high schools directly under the Hengshui Municipal People's Government.[7]

Hengshui University is located in Hengshui City, Hebei Province. It is a full-time general higher education institution approved by the Ministry of Education.

The school was formerly the Sixth Normal School of Zhili, which was founded in 1923. In 1949, it was restructured into Hebei Jixian Normal School. In 1960, it was moved to Hengshui and renamed Hebei Hengshui Normal School. In 1978, with the approval of the State Council, Hengshui Normal College was established on the basis of Hengshui Normal School. On May 17, 2004, it was upgraded to Hengshui College. In 2016, the school became a provincial master’s program construction unit in Hebei Province.[8]

Sights

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Water Lake Scenic Area

Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve is adjacent to Hengshui City to the north and Jizhou City to the south, with a total area of ​​268 square kilometers.

Its biodiversity is very rich, with inland freshwater wetland ecosystems and national Class I and II birds as the main protection objects. Noble cranes, beautiful swans, nimble gulls, and light egrets dance and play leisurely. Hengshui Lake is a wonderland on earth and a paradise for birds.[9]

Luli Ancient Town is located on the bank of Hengshui Lake. It is built with the theme of Han culture and relies on the wetland scenery of Hengshui Lake. Inheriting the national spirit of advocating morality, courtesy and self-improvement, taking "Lv Li" as the cultural symbol and promoting the traditional Chinese culture as the core content. It is China’s first and only experiential study tour ancient town with the theme of traditional Chinese etiquette and filial piety culture that integrates “food, clothing, accommodation, transportation, learning, travel, shopping, and entertainment”. Luli Ancient Town is located on the east side of National Highway 106, Weitun Town, Binhu New District, Hengshui City, with a total area of ​​4,150 acres and a total investment of 2.5 billion yuan.[10]


The Harrison International Peace Hospital is located in Hengshui. This comprehensive teaching and research hospital was named after Dr. Tillson Harrison, a martyr to the Chinese revolution. Dr. Harrison, a Canadian, died in 1947 while transporting medical equipment and supplies. Some of this equipment is on display in an exhibition room in the hospital. The hospital uses both traditional Chinese medicine and modern western diagnostic and therapeutic technology.[11][citation needed]

The city is renowned as the centre for inside painting, mainly of small snuff bottles. Zhang Rucai was born in Hebei Province and since 1972, he started to learn the art of inside painting. In April 1996, he was conferred the title Master of Chinese Folk Arts & Crafts by UNESCO. The city has a fascinating museum and exhibition of the art of the inside painter - many complex paintings done on the inside of small snuff bottles as well as special larger pieces of glassware.[12]

There is a Buddhist Temple on the outskirts of the city and a bridge in the old part of the city - one of the few remnants of the old town.

Geography and climate

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Hengshui has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSk), with hot, humid summers due to the East Asian Monsoon and brief, though very cold and dry winters, owing to the prevailing dry north-westerly winds that reflect the influence of the vast Siberian anticyclone.

Precipitation totals 496.9 mm annually with more than three quarters falling during the summer half. Extreme temperatures range from -20.6°C to 42.8°C for the 1981-2010 period. Relative humidity is highest in the summer and lowest in the spring, preceding the monsoonal period. Due to the very dry winter conditions, snowfall is not common, though occurs almost every year, usually in small amounts.

 
A meteorological station in a Stevenson screen in Hebei province, China
Climate data for Hengshui (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 16.8
(62.2)
23.3
(73.9)
31.5
(88.7)
34.6
(94.3)
40.6
(105.1)
40.6
(105.1)
42.8
(109.0)
38.3
(100.9)
37.2
(99.0)
32.2
(90.0)
26.2
(79.2)
18.6
(65.5)
42.8
(109.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 3.4
(38.1)
7.7
(45.9)
14.7
(58.5)
21.9
(71.4)
27.7
(81.9)
32.3
(90.1)
32.4
(90.3)
30.7
(87.3)
27.2
(81.0)
21.0
(69.8)
11.9
(53.4)
4.9
(40.8)
19.7
(67.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) −2.3
(27.9)
1.4
(34.5)
8.1
(46.6)
15.3
(59.5)
21.4
(70.5)
26.1
(79.0)
27.5
(81.5)
25.9
(78.6)
21.2
(70.2)
14.5
(58.1)
6.0
(42.8)
−0.5
(31.1)
13.7
(56.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −6.5
(20.3)
−3.2
(26.2)
2.8
(37.0)
9.6
(49.3)
15.5
(59.9)
20.5
(68.9)
23.2
(73.8)
22.0
(71.6)
16.6
(61.9)
9.5
(49.1)
1.6
(34.9)
−4.3
(24.3)
8.9
(48.1)
Record low °C (°F) −18.3
(−0.9)
−15.5
(4.1)
−9.0
(15.8)
−1.7
(28.9)
4.5
(40.1)
10.2
(50.4)
16.8
(62.2)
13.4
(56.1)
6.7
(44.1)
−2.2
(28.0)
−16.4
(2.5)
−20.6
(−5.1)
−20.6
(−5.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 1.6
(0.06)
5.8
(0.23)
7.8
(0.31)
24.9
(0.98)
38.2
(1.50)
62.7
(2.47)
151.3
(5.96)
109.1
(4.30)
41.0
(1.61)
26.5
(1.04)
14.9
(0.59)
2.8
(0.11)
486.6
(19.16)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 1.5 2.7 2.2 4.9 5.8 7.6 10.6 9.2 6.1 4.4 3.4 2.1 60.5
Average snowy days 2.8 3.3 1.1 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.2 2.5 11.1
Average relative humidity (%) 59 55 50 54 57 58 74 78 71 65 65 62 62
Mean monthly sunshine hours 157.4 171.4 225.4 240.5 267.0 238.2 200.5 208.5 204.0 197.1 161.2 152.7 2,423.9
Percent possible sunshine 51 56 60 61 61 54 45 50 55 57 54 52 55
Source: China Meteorological Administration[13][14]
 
Hengshui City Hall, 2007

Air pollution

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According to a survey made by "Global voices China" in February 2013, 7 cities in Hebei including Xingtai, Shijiazhuang, Baoding, Handan, Langfang, Hengshui and Tangshan, are among China's 10 most polluted cities.[15]

Religion

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Hengshui is the seat of the Catholic Diocese of Hengshui.

Gourmet food

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Julu sausage is a very famous specialty food in Julu Village, Heyan Town, Taocheng District, Hengshui. This kind of delicacy has a long history and has been loved by local people for many years. First, it tastes good and is of high quality. Second, it uses Chinese medicinal materials that are beneficial to the human body as seasonings. Third, it is suitable for all seasons and you will never tire of eating it.

Wuyi Kouwan is a very famous special delicacy in Wuyi County, Hengshui. The dunwan mentioned here is not a dish but a table of steamed bowls. It consists of 8 local "clean bowls", including Dongpo meat, lean meat, fat meat, elbow meat, rice noodles, mixed meat, and meatballs. , pork ribs form a bowl and mat, and the dishes are fat or lean, meat or vegetarian, fat but not greasy, plain and delicious, and are deeply loved by the masses.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, ed. (2019). China Urban Construction Statistical Yearbook 2017. Beijing: China Statistics Press. p. 46. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b "China: Hébĕi (Prefectures, Cities, Districts and Counties) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map". Archived from the original on 2015-01-02. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  3. ^ https://www.citypopulation.de/en/china/hebei/admin/} [bare URL]
  4. ^ "衡水简介". www.cnr.cn. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  5. ^ "衡水:目前国家严控撤县建市设区,我市近期未启动此项工作_中国政库_澎湃新闻-The Paper". m.thepaper.cn. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  6. ^ "Hensghui High school". Archived from the original on 2007-08-03. Retrieved 2007-09-29.
  7. ^ "衡水第一中学更名背后:"公参民"逐步退出历史舞台_中国网". edu.china.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  8. ^ "衡水公办大学有哪些,衡水所有公办大学名单(3所)_高考指南网". www.liweihuo.com. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  9. ^ "衡水旅游最值得去的23个地方,不去你就亏大啦!". www.visitbeijing.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  10. ^ "河北省衡水市十大旅游景点". www.bytravel.cn. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  11. ^ "哈励逊国际和平医院-医院主页-丁香园". y.dxy.cn. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  12. ^ [1] Archived 2011-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ 中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  14. ^ "Experience Template" 中国气象数据网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  15. ^ Bildner, Eli (February 27, 2013). "Interactive Maps of China's Most–and Least–Polluted Places". Global Voices China. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  16. ^ sina_mobile (2020-07-27). "衡水有名的6种特色美食,每一种都风味独特,看看你都吃过几种?". k.sina.cn. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
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