Rizhao (), alternatively romanized as Jihchao, is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Shandong province, China. It is situated on the coastline along the Yellow Sea, and features a major seaport, the Port of Rizhao. It borders Qingdao to the northeast, Weifang to the north, Linyi to the west and southwest, and faces Korea and Japan across the Yellow Sea to the east.
The name of the city literally means "sunshine".[Worldwatch Institute. (2007). State of the World : Our Urban Future. ] The city is known for its sustainability, and it mandates solar-water heaters in all new buildings. Rizhao city was recognized by the United Nations as one of the most habitable cities in the world in 2009.
The city population stands at 2,968,365 people as of the 2020 Chinese census, of whom 1,172,205 live in the urban area of Donggang District. Compared with the 2,801,013 people in 2010 Chinese census, there has been a total increase of 167,352 people in the past decade, an increase of 5.97%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.58%.
History
Rizhao is located at the place where the ancient
Dawenkou culture and the
Longshan culture flourished. Rizhao belonged to the
Dongyi people during the
Xia dynasty and
Shang dynasty dynasties (2070-1046 BC), and to Ju and Yue States in the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC) and the Warring States period (476-221 BC). It became a part of Langye Commandery in the
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC). Rizhao was named
Haiqu County () during the
Western Han (206 BC-25 AD) and
Xihai County under the
Eastern Han (25-220 AD). The
fangsheng pond of Haiqu's early Buddhist community is the earliest attested.
During the Tang dynasty, together with Ju County, Rizhao belonged to Mi Prefecture of Henan Prefecture. In the 10th century, Rizhao city and county was established, with the name meaning "(the first to get) sunshine". In 1940 it came under the control of the Chinese Communist Party. After being a county and since 1985 a city under the administration of Linyi, Rizhao became a prefecture-level city within Shandong province in 1989.
The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago has done field survey archaeological work in Rizhao over the years.
Climate
Rizhao has a temperate, four-season,
monsoon-influenced climate that lies in the transition between the humid subtropical (Köppen
Cwa) and humid continental (Köppen
Dwa) regimes. Winter is cool to cold and windy, but generally dry, with a January average of . Summer is generally hot and humid, but sweltering days are rare, with an August average of . Due to its proximity to the coast and being on a peninsula, it experiences a one-month delayed spring compared to much of the province. Conversely, fall is milder than inland areas in Shandong. The annual mean temperature is . On average, there are 2,530 hours of bright sunshine annually, and the relative humidity is 70–74 %.
Administration
The prefecture-level city of Rizhao administers four county-level divisions, including two districts and two counties.
Landmarks and tourist attractions
The Zaishui Art Museum on an artificial lake was completed in 2023, along with a promenade and café by the Spanish firm
SelgasCano. In addition to the museum, Jun'
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The following locations have a 4-star rating according to Chinese classification for scenic spots (旅游景区质量等级)
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Wulian Mountain (五莲山风景区)
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Fulai Mountain (浮来山风景区)
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Daqing Mountain (大青山风景区)
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Wanpingkou Beach (万平口风景区)
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Rizhao Beach National Park (日照海滨国家森林公园)
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Longmengu (龙门崮风景区)
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Liujiawan Park (刘家湾赶海园)
Sustainable development
The city now mandates the incorporation of
in all new buildings, and oversees the construction process to ensure the panels are correctly installed.
[Levinson, Matthew and Chen, Jing, 2008-05-01. "China — the rise of the green city", ScienceAlert Australia and New Zealand, retrieved on 2008-08-23] The effort to install solar water heaters began in 1992.
Transportation
Rizhao features a major seaport (Port of Rizhao), located approximately north of
Shanghai, southwest of
Qingdao, and north of
Lianyungang. The seaport serves as a site for loading and unloading iron ore and coal. Other products passing through the harbor include cement, nickel, bauxite, and the like.
[[2] http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/613350/china_company_report_rizhao_port_co_ltd] In 2011 the Port of Rizhao, together with the cities of Qingdao, Weihai and Yantai in
Shandong, signed a strategic alliance with
Busan, the largest port of the Republic of Korea. The alliance aims at building a shipping and logistics center in Northeast Asia.
The new iron ore port of
Lanqiao is located close to it as is the Lanshan port region.
Rizhao Shanzihe Airport (IATA: RIZ) is an airport serving the city of Rizhao. The airport received approval from the State Council and the Central Military Commission in October 2013. It is located in the town of (后村镇), Donggang District. It was opened on 22 December 2015.
The city is served by two railway stations, Rizhao railway station for local trains and Rizhao West railway station for both local and high-speed services.
Education
Universities and colleges
Since becoming a city, Rizhao has seen a significant growth in the number of universities and colleges,
-
Qufu Normal University ()
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Jining Medical University ()
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Rizhao Polytechnic ()
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Shandong Foreign Languages Vocational College ()
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Shandong Maritime Vocational College ()
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Shandong Sport College ()
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Shandong Water Polytechnic(山东水利学院)
== Image gallery ==
International relations
Rizhao twin towns and sister cities are:
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Türkmenabat, Türkmenistan (2014)
Citations
Bibliography
External links
