Geographic Location

Shijiazhuang City is the provincial capital of Hebei, the political, economic, sci-tech, financial, cultural and information center of the whole province and one of the cities approved by the State Council for implementing coastal and financial opening up policies. The city lies in the south central Hebei Province and the circum-Bohai Sea economic zone, adjacent to Hengshui in the east, Xingtai in the south, Shanxi Province in the west and Baoding in the north; the city is located in the latitude 37°27′～38°47′ N (error ±1′) and the longitude 113°30′～115°20′ E (error ±1′) in the southwest of Beijing, 283 kilometers from Beijing main urban area. Shijiazhuang City has the territory of 148.02 kilometers from north to south at most and 175.38 kilometers from east to west. In 2017, some counties (cities and districts) under Shijiazhuang City have made a revision on their prefecture area and by statistics, Shijiazhuang City has a total area of 13,504 square kilometers (not including 960 square kilometers of Xinji, a city under direct administration of Hebei Province), in which 8 organic districts having an area of 2,220 square kilometers.

Shijiazhuang City is situated in the south central Hebei Province and the circum-Bohai Sea economic zone, adjacent to Hengshui in the east, Xingtai in the south, Yangquan (Shanxi Province) in the west and Baoding in the north with nearly equal distance from Beijing, Tianjin, Jinan, Taiyuan and Zhengzhou, having natural advantage as a transportation hub. In railway transportation, Beijing-Guangzhou railway, Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan railway, Shijiazhuang-Dezhou railway and Shuozhou-Huanghua railway converge at Shijiazhuang City, in which Beijing-Guangzhou railway is a traffic artery connecting China and foreign regions and Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan railway is a main passage for Shanxi coal transportation. With Beijing-Shijiazhuang, Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan and Shijiazhuang-Jinan high-speed trains being open to traffic, a one-hour high-speed railway economic circle has been formed. In road transportation, Beijing-Shijiazhuang, Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan, Shijiazhuang-Huanghua and Shijiazhuang-Anyang highways, national routes 107, 207, 307 and 308, 2 provincial roads and 42 county roads crisscrossed in Shijiazhuang with a total traffic mileage of 6,379 kilometers. In air transportation, Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport has 117 passenger air routes and 4 cargo air routes, a diverting and alternate airport for Beijing Capital International Airport.

 Population

Shijiazhuang City is the provincial capital of Hebei, the political, economic, sci-tech, financial, cultural and information center of the whole province and one of the cities approved by the State Council for implementing coastal and financial opening up policies. The city is in the southwest of Beijing, the capital city of China, and 283 kilometers from Beijing. Up to the end of 2017, Shijiazhuang City covers a total area of 13,504 square kilometers (not including 960 square kilometers of Xinji, a city under direct administration of Hebei Province) and has a total permanent resident population of 10,879,900, with the urbanization rate of 61.64% for the permanent population and 45.8% for the registered population.

Historical revolution

The domain under Shijiazhuang has a long history. It is recorded in “Yu Gong” (a geographic book in ancient China) that Shijiazhuang is under Jizhou in Xia dynasty. In the Spring and Autumn period, Xianyu Kingdom (capital set in Xinchengpu,Zhengding now), Gu Kingdom (capital set in the west of Jinzhou now) and Fei Kingdom (capital set in Nanchengzi Village, the west of Gaocheng District now) are existed in Shijiazhuang domain. In the Warring States period, Xianyu clan establishes Zhongshan Kingdom (capital set in Beixiasanji, Pingshan now). The First Emperor of Qin dynasty unifies China, the system of prefectures and counties are carried out and Shijiazhuang is under Julujun (local government seat in Julu County now). In the 3rd year of the reign of Emperor Gaozu of the Western Han Dynasty (204 BC), Hengshanjun is established (local government seat in the northwest of Yuanshi County now). In the early years of the reign of Emperor Wen of Han, Hengshanjun is renamed Changshanjun for the taboo on using the personal name of Emperor Wen, Liu Heng. In the 11th year of the reign of Emperor Gaozu of the Western Han Dynasty (196 BC), Dongyuanxian (local government seat in Donggucheng, Shijiazhuang now) is renamed Zhendingxian and Zhending Kingdom (capital set in Donggucheng now) is established in Yuanding 4th year of the reign of Emperor Wu of Han (113 BC). In the Three Kingdoms period, Shijiazhuang is in Wei Kingdom, respectively under Changshanjun, Anpingjun, Zhao Kingdom, Julujun and Zhongshan Kingdom. In the Western Jin Dynasty, Shijiazhuang is respectively under Changshanjun, Jizhou (local government seat be shifted from the northwest of Yuanshi County to Donggucheng now in the Western Jin Dynasty, then from Donggucheng to Zhengding Town now in the Eastern Jin Dynasty), Zhongshan Kingdom, Julujun, Zhao Kingdom and Boling Kingdom. In Sui Dynasty, Shijiazhuang is respectively under Hengshanjun (later renamed Hengzhou with local government seat in Zhending, now Zhengding Town), Zhaojun (local government seat in Pingji, now Zhaozhou Town), Xindujun (local government seat in Jizhou City now) and Gaoyangjun (local government seat in Dingzhou City now). In the Five Dynasties period, Shijiazhuang is under the commissioner, Chengde Army, Hebei which governs Zhenzhou (local government seat in Zhengding Town now), Zhaozhou (local government seat in Zhaozhou Town now), Dingzhou (local government seat in Dingzhou City now) and Qizhou (local government seat in Wuji Town now). In Song Dynasty, Shijiazhuang is under Hebei west part (local government seat in Zhengding Town now). In Yuan Dynasty, Shijiazhuang is under Zhendinglu (local government seat in Zhengding Town now), Baodinglu (local government seat in Baoding City now), Guangpinglu (local government seat Yongnian County now), etc. In Ming Dynasty, Shijiazhuang is under Zhengdingfu (local government seat in Zhengding Town now) and Baodingfu (local government seat in Qingyuan County now). In Qing Dynasty, Shijiazhuang is under Zhendingfu (local government seat in Zhengding Town now and renamed Zhengdingfu in Yongzheng 1st year of Qing Dynasty), Baodingfu (local government seat in Qingyuan County now), Zhaozhou (local government seat in Zhaozhou Town now) and Dingzhou (local government seat first in Qizhou and then shifted in Yongzheng 12th year to Dingzhou City now). R.C. 1st year (1912), Republic of China is founded and the system in Qing Dynasty is adopted. R.C. 3rd year (1914), Fu is abolished and Dao is established. June 24, R.C. 14th year (1925), Zhili Province is ordered by Provisional Government of Republic of China to establish Shijiazhuang City of municipality level. August 29, by order (No. 1273) of Provisional Government of Republic of China, Shijiazhuang and Shimen are merged and renamed Shimen and Shimen Municipal Government is established to prepare to build municipality. R.C. 17th year (1928), Nanjing National Government orders to abolish the Municipal Government nationwide and the municipality. So far, the Municipality building suspends. January 15, R.C. 27th year (1938), Shimen Municipal Government Preparatory Office is established. October 7, R.C. 28th year (1939), approved by Administrative Council, Provisional Government, Republic of China, Shimen City is established. November 12, R.C. 36th year (1947), Shimen is liberated and renamed Shijiazhuang on December 26. September 26, R.C. 37th year (1948), Shijiazhuang City is directly under North China People’s Government. January 24, R.C. 38th year (1949), Yangquan City is put under the administration of Shijiazhuang City (on August 19, back to Shanxi Province). August 1, Shijiazhuang City is put under Hebei Provincial People’s Government and under provincial administration. In 1949, Shijiazhuang Special Prefecture is established, governing 14 counties and 1 town. On April 28, 1958, Shijiazhuang is shifted from provincially administered city to prefectural administered city. On May 3, 1960, the State Council authorizes to abolish Shijiazhuang Special Prefecture and established Shijiazhuang City. In May 1961, the State Council authorizes to reestablish Shijiazhuang Special Prefecture, governing Shijiazhuang City and 25 counties. In June 1962, the State Council authorized to establish Hengshui Special Prefecture and 8 counties originally under Shijiazhuang Special Prefecture are put under Hengshui Special Prefecture. Then Shijiazhuang Special Prefecture governs Shijiazhuang City and 17 counties. November 21, 1967, Shijiazhuang Prefectural Revolutionary Committee is established and special prefecture is changed to prefecture. On December 20, 1967, Shijiazhuang Municipal Revolutionary Committee is established. On January 29, 1968, Hebei provincial capital is moved to Shijiazhuang. March 11, 1978, Shijiazhuang City is put directly under Hebei Province. In July 1978, Shijiazhuang Prefectural Revolutionary Committee is abolished and Shijiazhuang Prefectural Administrative Office is established. On August 12, 1982, Shijiazhuang Municipal Revolutionary Committee is abolished and Shijiazhuang Municipal People’s Government is reestablished. On June 20, 1993, Shijiazhuang Municipal Revolutionary Committee and Shijiazhuang Municipal People’s Government are merged into a new Shijiazhuang Municipal People’s Government.

Science, Education, Culture and Public Health

Shijiazhuang City is “National Advanced City of Science and Education”, with strong technical force, 84 provincial and ministerial-level scientific research institutions, 14 city-level scientific research institutions and 70 universities and moderate specialty school in the city. The research in the field of radar navigation of the CETC54 represents the national level. Shijiazhuang has built a large number of cultural and sports facilities in recent years such as Hebei Art Center, Hebei Museum, Yutong International Stadiums, Zhengding National Table Tennis Training Base, satisfying the increasing spiritual and cultural needs of people from all walks of life. The biennial International Wuqiao Acrobatic Art Festival has been held here for eight times successfully, becoming an important international acrobatic art festival gathering the elites of Chinese and foreign acrobatic art.

Business Trade and Finance

Shijiazhuang City is an important commodity distribution center in the country and an important trading port in the north, and it is also one of the national trade and exhibition centers. Large commercial enterprises such as Beiguo Commercial Building and Dongfang City Plaza Shopping Center provide customers with comfortable shopping space. The two major markets of Xinhua and Nansantiao are important distribution centers and transit trading centers for cloth, clothing and small commodities in North China. Both markets get into the list of top 10 markets in the country. Xinji Leather Mall is the country’s largest leather trading market.  

Shijiazhuang’s financial enterprises continue to improve their service functions, widening service areas, increasing service types, and giving full play to the leading role as the main channel and main force in economic construction, a good situation of "financial prosperity creating prosperity in all sectors" has formed partially.

Industrial Foundation

With complete industrial departments, Shijiazhuang City is an industrial center in the country and has formed a comprehensive industrial structure with a reasonable layout based on textile, medicine, electronics, machinery, chemicals, building materials and light industry. As “Chinese Medicine Capital”, its overall strength of pharmaceutical industry ranks first in China. The antibiotics produced by North China Pharmaceutical Group ranks first in China and second in the world. It’s a textile industry base of China. Changshan Textile Group, through promoting modern enterprise system to improve the comprehensive strength of enterprise, has exported the product to Asia, Europe and North America.