Hengshui (Chinese: 衡水) is a prefecture-level city in southern Hebei province, People's Republic of China, bordering Shandong to the southeast. As of the 2020 census its population was 4,212,933 inhabitants whom 805,000 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of Taocheng urban district.[3] 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
 • Prefecture-level city8,836.95 km2 (3,411.97 sq mi)
 • Urban608.8 km2 (235.1 sq mi)
 • Metro
608.8 km2 (235.1 sq mi)
Population
 (2020 census)
 • Prefecture-level city4,212,933
 • 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[2]
 • 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"

Administrative divisions

edit
Map
#NameHanziHanyu PinyinPopulation (2010 census)Area (km2)Density (/km2)
1Taocheng District桃城区Táochéng Qū522,147602.5867
2Jizhou District冀州区Jìzhōu Qū362,013918394
3Shenzhou City深州市Shēnzhōu Shì566,0871,244455
4Zaoqiang County枣强县Zǎoqiáng Xiàn391,469903437
5Wuyi County武邑县Wǔyì Xiàn315,693830380
6Wuqiang County武强县Wǔqiáng Xiàn214,549442485
7Raoyang County饶阳县Ráoyáng Xiàn280,498573490
8Anping County安平县Ānpíng Xiàn328,512493666
9Gucheng County故城县Gùchéng Xiàn487,025941518
10Jing County景县Jǐng Xiàn528,6931,183447
11Fucheng County阜城县Fùchéng Xiàn341,087698489

Education

edit

Hengshui High School and Hengshui University[4] are located in Hengshui.

Sights

edit

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.[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.[5]

There is a Buddhist Temple on the outskirts of the city which is well worth a visit, as is the bridge in the old part of the city - one of the few remnants of the old town.

Geography and climate

edit

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)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
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)1.52.72.24.95.87.610.69.26.14.43.42.160.5
Average snowy days2.83.31.10.20000001.22.511.1
Average relative humidity (%)59555054575874787165656262
Mean monthly sunshine hours157.4171.4225.4240.5267.0238.2200.5208.5204.0197.1161.2152.72,423.9
Percent possible sunshine51566061615445505557545255
Source: China Meteorological Administration[6][7]
Hengshui City Hall, 2007

Air pollution

edit

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.[8]

Religion

edit

Hengshui is the seat of the Catholic Diocese of Hengshui.

References

edit
  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. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  2. ^ https://www.citypopulation.de/en/china/hebei/admin/}
  3. ^ https://www.citypopulation.de/en/china/hebei/admin/
  4. ^ "Hensghui High school". Archived from the original on 2007-08-03. Retrieved 2007-09-29.
  5. ^ [1] Archived 2011-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ 中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  7. ^ 中国气象数据网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  8. ^ 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.
edit