Binzhou
Encyclopedia
Binzhou is a prefecture-level city
in northern Shandong
province, People's Republic of China
. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River
with two arms extended to the southern bank, Binzhou borders the provincial capital of Jinan
to the southwest, Dezhou
to the west, Zibo
to the south, Dongying
to the east, and the province of Hebei
to the north. The city also has a short coastline bordering the Bohai Bay
.
Humans have been living in the area around Binzhou since the Neolithic era. It was called “Pugu country” in the Shang Dynasty, and was a county in the Qin Dynasty. It was first called Binzhou in era of the Five Dynasties because it borders the Bohai Sea. Nowadays, it has more than 3.7 million inhabitants. The major Industries are based on oil, chemicals and textiles.
of Binzhou administers 7 county-level divisions, including 1 district and 6 counties.
Prior to 1983, both Binzhou and neighboring Dongying
were not considered large or developed enough to be incorporated into cities. Instead, they formed a "di qu" (literally, a "region") managed by the provincial government. BinZhou used to be named Huimin Prefecture (惠民地区) before it was renamed to BinZhou Prefecture in 1984 and promoted to a prefecture-level city in 1992.
-influenced humid continental climate
(Köppen
Dwa), with four well-defined seasons. Conditions are warm and nearly rainless in spring, hot and humid in summer, crisp in autumn and cold and dry in winter. More than half of the annual precipitation occurs in July and August alone; snow occasionally falls during winter, though heavy falls are very rare.
, has historically had an agrarian economy. Binzhou is known regionally for its "dongzao" (literally, winter dates). After the Shengli Field
was discovered, most of the field was incorporated into newly created Dongying, although Binzhou maintain some oil operations. Binzhou has been diversifying its economy away from agriculture by attracting manufacturing and foreign direct investment into the city. Among Binzhou's large businesses include Weiqiao, a textile company, and Binzhou Pride, a new auto company targeting the growing low-cost market. http://www.wqfz.com/ http://pldqc.wyww.cn/
The Binzhou local government has also plowed resources into a new economic development zone on the outskirts of the new city, complete with a man-made lake. http://www.chinabinzhou.net/t09english/development/binzhou.asp
. Shortly after, the company was shuttered by Chinese authorities, who also detained its general manager.
The obvious achievement of the political reform of Binzhou is widely reported in the domestic Chinese media, as well as many overseas Chinese media, such as Zhong Guo Daily News in Southern California, or its more commonly known Chinese name among local Chinese readers, China Daily (Not to be confused China Daily
, the official English publication of Chinese government), and is termed by both domestic and overseas scholars as a good example for governments in other parts of China
to follow, and along with Chinese media, they have urged authorities to slowly but steadily expand the reform to a greater scale.
Prefecture-level city
A prefectural level city , prefectural city or prefectural level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. Prefectural level cities form the second level of the administrative...
in northern Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
province, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
with two arms extended to the southern bank, Binzhou borders the provincial capital of Jinan
Jinan
Jinan is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub...
to the southwest, Dezhou
Dezhou
Dezhou is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southeast, Liaocheng to the southwest, Binzhou to the northeast, and the province of Hebei to the north....
to the west, Zibo
Zibo
Zibo is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the west, Laiwu and Tai'an to the southwest, Linyi to the south, Weifang to the east, Dongying to the northeast, and Binzhou the north.Located in the middle part...
to the south, Dongying
Dongying
Dongying is a prefecture-level city on the northern coast of Shandong province in Eastern China. Located around the mouth of the Yellow River, Dongying borders Binzhou to the west, Zibo to the southwest, and Weifang to the south...
to the east, and the province of Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
to the north. The city also has a short coastline bordering the Bohai Bay
Bohai Bay
Bohai Bay is one of the three bays forming the Bohai Gulf, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea, in northeast China. It borders Hebei province and Tianjin Municipality...
.
Humans have been living in the area around Binzhou since the Neolithic era. It was called “Pugu country” in the Shang Dynasty, and was a county in the Qin Dynasty. It was first called Binzhou in era of the Five Dynasties because it borders the Bohai Sea. Nowadays, it has more than 3.7 million inhabitants. The major Industries are based on oil, chemicals and textiles.
Administration
The prefecture-level cityPrefecture-level city
A prefectural level city , prefectural city or prefectural level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. Prefectural level cities form the second level of the administrative...
of Binzhou administers 7 county-level divisions, including 1 district and 6 counties.
- Bincheng DistrictBincheng DistrictBincheng is a district of Binzhou in the Chinese province of Shandong.Taishan has an area of 1042 km² and around 610,000 inhabitants . It is the centre and administrative capital of Binzhou....
(滨城区) - Zouping CountyZouping CountyZouping County is a county of Shandong province, People's Republic of China, located on the northern edge of the mountainous central portion of the province. It is under the administration of Binzhou City, but is only west of downtown Zibo....
(邹平县) - Boxing CountyBoxing CountyBoxing County is a county of Binzhou, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China.-External links:*...
(博兴县) - Huimin CountyHuimin CountyHuimin County is a county of northwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Binzhou City.The population in 1999 was 620,335.-Climate:- External links :*...
(惠民县) - Yangxin CountyYangxin County, ShandongYangxin County is a county of northwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Binzhou City.The population in 1999 was 426,117.- External links :*...
(阳信县) - Zhanhua CountyZhanhua CountyZhanhua County is a county of northern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Binzhou City.The population in 1999 was 381,416.- External links :*...
(沾化县) - Wudi CountyWudi CountyWudi County is a county of northwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Binzhou City.The population in 1999 was 424,456.- External links :*...
(无棣县)
Prior to 1983, both Binzhou and neighboring Dongying
Dongying
Dongying is a prefecture-level city on the northern coast of Shandong province in Eastern China. Located around the mouth of the Yellow River, Dongying borders Binzhou to the west, Zibo to the southwest, and Weifang to the south...
were not considered large or developed enough to be incorporated into cities. Instead, they formed a "di qu" (literally, a "region") managed by the provincial government. BinZhou used to be named Huimin Prefecture (惠民地区) before it was renamed to BinZhou Prefecture in 1984 and promoted to a prefecture-level city in 1992.
Climate
Binzhou has a monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
-influenced humid continental climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dwa), with four well-defined seasons. Conditions are warm and nearly rainless in spring, hot and humid in summer, crisp in autumn and cold and dry in winter. More than half of the annual precipitation occurs in July and August alone; snow occasionally falls during winter, though heavy falls are very rare.
Notable people
- Sun TzuSun TzuSun Wu , style name Changqing , better known as Sun Tzu or Sunzi , was an ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher who is traditionally believed, and who is most likely, to have authored The Art of War, an influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy...
, Spring and Autumn era military general and strategist, author of the Art of WarThe Art of WarThe Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise that is attributed to Sun Tzu , a high ranking military general and strategist during the late Spring and Autumn period...
.
Economy
Binzhou, and neighboring DongyingDongying
Dongying is a prefecture-level city on the northern coast of Shandong province in Eastern China. Located around the mouth of the Yellow River, Dongying borders Binzhou to the west, Zibo to the southwest, and Weifang to the south...
, has historically had an agrarian economy. Binzhou is known regionally for its "dongzao" (literally, winter dates). After the Shengli Field
Shengli Field
The Shengli Oil Field is the second-largest oil field in the People's Republic of China, with daily production of approximately .It is located in the Yellow River delta, in the north of Shandong province bordering Bohai Sea...
was discovered, most of the field was incorporated into newly created Dongying, although Binzhou maintain some oil operations. Binzhou has been diversifying its economy away from agriculture by attracting manufacturing and foreign direct investment into the city. Among Binzhou's large businesses include Weiqiao, a textile company, and Binzhou Pride, a new auto company targeting the growing low-cost market. http://www.wqfz.com/ http://pldqc.wyww.cn/
The Binzhou local government has also plowed resources into a new economic development zone on the outskirts of the new city, complete with a man-made lake. http://www.chinabinzhou.net/t09english/development/binzhou.asp
Binzhou's role in pet food crisis
In April 2007, Binzhou made international headlines when Binzhou Futian Biology Technology, in Wudi County, was identified by US officials as one of two sources of contaminated wheat gluten in the 2007 pet food recalls2007 pet food recalls
The 2007 pet food recalls comprise the contamination and wide recall of many brands of cat and dog foods beginning in March 2007, and the ensuing developments involving the human food supply. The recalls in North America, Europe, and South Africa came in response to reports of renal failure in pets...
. Shortly after, the company was shuttered by Chinese authorities, who also detained its general manager.
Reform
In 2004, the Binzhou government implemented Democratic Political Discussion Day, held on the 5th of each month. Under this scheme, every village-level government on this day is required to hold "open debate" and conference for villagers (essentially a town hall). At these meetings, a monthly financial report is presented, highlighting past and planned expenditure, investment performance and such other financial information. In theory, this is supposed to open village finances to greater public scrutiny and debate. Also released at these meetings are reports on the past performance of the government and governmental officials, and future actions and decisions planned, and just like the financial reports, these are also under the public scrutiny and debate. The resulting event is a secret ballot for every villager to vote for everything discussed at these meetings and governments cannot proceed on any issues unless they are passed with a majority vote. The issues passed by popular vote would then be carried out, and at the same time, the government would also make improvement and adjustment on the policies and issues that did not pass, and then present the revisions for the public scrutiny and debate at the next meeting.Result of the political reform
Ever since the implementation of the political reform at Binzhou, the policy and performance have become transparent and obvious, corruption was checked, cadres' performance and popular support increased, and economy has steadily developed. The letters of petition from villagers to the government reduced more than 30%, and more importantly, in comparison to the era prior to the implementation of the political reform where over 90% of the petitions were criticism and complaints, over 90% of the petition after the implementation of the political reform was suggestions for improvement and requests for assistance.The obvious achievement of the political reform of Binzhou is widely reported in the domestic Chinese media, as well as many overseas Chinese media, such as Zhong Guo Daily News in Southern California, or its more commonly known Chinese name among local Chinese readers, China Daily (Not to be confused China Daily
China Daily
The China Daily is an English language daily newspaper published in the People's Republic of China.- Overview :China Daily was established in June 1981 and has the widest print circulation of any English-language newspaper in the country...
, the official English publication of Chinese government), and is termed by both domestic and overseas scholars as a good example for governments in other parts of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to follow, and along with Chinese media, they have urged authorities to slowly but steadily expand the reform to a greater scale.