Weifang

Weifang (simplified Chinese: 潍坊; traditional Chinese: 濰坊; pinyin: Wéifāng) is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, in the People's Republic of China. It is next to cities like Dongying, Zibo, and Qingdao. The city also looks out over the Laizhou Bay.

Weifang has many beautiful natural and historic places, such as Shihu Garden and Fangong Pavilion from the Song dynasty. The city has important fossil sites, including dinosaur fossils, and well-known painted New Year woodcuts from Yangjiabu. Travel to Weifang is easy thanks to Weifang Airport, which connects the city to many places across China.

Administration

The city of Weifang is made up of 12 smaller areas. These include four districts: Kuiwen, Weicheng, Hanting, and Fangzi; six county-level cities: Qingzhou, Zhucheng, Shouguang, Anqiu, Gaomi, and Changyi; and two counties: Linqu and Changle. These areas help to organize the city’s streets and towns. Most people there are from the Han group, with some from other groups like the Hui and Manchu.

Geography

Big cities near Weifang include Jinan, Zibo, Yantai, and Qingdao. Weifang is higher up in the south and lower in the north. The south has gentle hills with many trees and plants. The middle has flat land made by rivers. The north is near the coast with wide sandy beaches. Important rivers, like the Wei River and Bailang River, flow through the area.

Climate

Weifang has four seasons and the weather changes with the wind. Summers are warm and humid, while winters are cold and dry. Temperatures range from about -3 °C in January to 26 °C in July, with an average of around 13 °C. Most rain comes between June and September, especially in July and August. The city gets a lot of sunshine, about 2,500 hours each year, but it is a bit cloudier in summer.

Economy

Weifang has big factories like Weichai for diesel engines and Shengrui Transmission for making parts. The village of Yangjiabu is famous for its beautiful wood prints and kites.

In the 1980s, people found lots of sapphire in Changle County. These sapphires are dark blue or almost black because of the iron in them.

In August 1995, the Weifang Binhai Economic & Technological Development Area (BEDA) was created. It has large areas for factories.

Weifang is a busy shopping place in Shandong Province. Fangzi Taihua City opened in 2021 and has lots of space for shops and parking.

Some important companies in Weifang are Weichai Power, Shandong Weifang Runfeng Chemical, and the Bank of Weifang.

Military

Weifang is home to the 26th Group Army of the People's Liberation Army. This army is part of the Jinan Military Region, which helps keep the Yellow River Plain safe.

History

Weifang has a very long history. People have lived here for about 7,000 years.

Archaeologists have found many places where people lived long ago in this area. Some important discoveries include the first Beixin cultural items found in a village in Qingzhou, and a big ancient castle from the Longshan culture in Yaoguanzhuang, Weicheng District.

During ancient times like the Xia and Shang dynasties, small countries existed here. Later, during the Zhou dynasty, a king created a new country in this area.

In the Neolithic Age, the people here were called the "Dongyi people". They created a rich culture that helped shape early Chinese civilization.

During the Eastern Zhou dynasty, Weifang was close to the Bohai Sea, which gave it natural resources like fish and salt. During the Qin dynasty, counties were set up, and Weifang became part of several of them. In 106 BC, an important government office was placed in the area.

Later, Weifang became an important place for Buddhism.

In more recent times, important events happened here.

Culture

Kite flying

Weifang has a long tradition of kite flying, especially in spring. In the 1930s, the city began holding kite festivals. In 1984, the first international kite festival took place, with people from many countries joining in. Today, Weifang holds the Weifang International Kite Festival every April.

Painting

One famous art form in Weifang is Yangjiabu painting. This folk art began in the Ming dynasty and became very popular during the Qing dynasty. People use these paintings, called Annual Boards, during the Spring Festival to bring good luck. The paintings show flowers, beautiful people, and stories from myths.

Papercutting

Papercutting is an old art in the Gaomi area of Weifang. The designs often show stories, flowers, birds, and magical symbols.

Chinese New Year picture made of painted ash

Gaomi also has a special type of folk art called ash New Year paintings. These began in the Ming dynasty and grew during the Qing dynasty.

Cuisine

Weifang has three famous dishes:

• Ji-Ya Hele: This dish comes from Shanxi. It is made with chicken and duck soup and special noodles.
• Rou Huo Shao (Meat Pie): This is Weifang's most famous food. The meat pie is roasted and filled with pork, green onions, eggs, and dried shrimp.
• Chao Tian Guo: This local specialty was created during the Qing dynasty. It is made with thin pancakes, meatballs, pig offal, tofu, and soy soup.

Education

Weifang has many places for learning. There are 9 universities and colleges in the city. Some important ones are Shandong University of Science and Technology Weifang Campus, Weifang College, and Weifang Medical College.

The Weifang Campus of Shandong University of Science and Technology is the main university. It started in 1951 and teaches subjects like engineering, science, management, and medicine.

Weifang also has other colleges for students to study different fields. In December 2023, Weifang Medical University changed its name to Shandong Second Medical University.

Notable people

See also: Category:People from Weifang

Weifang has been home to many famous people throughout history.

Some well-known individuals from Weifang include:

• Zheng Xuan (127–200), a scholar from the Eastern Han dynasty
• Liu Yong (1719–1805), an important government official from the Qing dynasty
• Mo Yan (born 1955), a famous writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2012
• Wang Xiaoyun (born 1966), an expert in mathematics and computer science
• Sun Feifei (born 1989), a fashion model
• Emperor Shun from ancient times
• Yan Ying (c. 578–500 BC), a politician from long ago
• Jia Sixie, an expert in farming from the Northern Wei dynasty who wrote an important book about agriculture called 'Qi Min Yao Shu'

Other notable people who have lived or worked in Weifang include Kong Rong, Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, Su Dongpo, Zheng Banqiao, Wang Jinmei, Chen Shaomin, and Zang Kejia.

Demographics

In 2020, Weifang had about 9.4 million people living there.

The number of people grew a little from 2010 to 2020. There were a few more boys than girls.