Zhoucheng Subdistrict
Zhoucheng Subdistrict of Dongping County, Tai'an Prefecture, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China, is situated in the central part of Dongping County. It is bordered to the south by the towns of Shahezhan and Xinhuzhen, to the north by Dongping Subdistrict and Laohuzhen, to the east by Pengji Subdistrict, and the west by Dongping Lake. Zhoucheng Subdistrict administers 71 administrative villages, covers an area of 72 square kilometers, and has a registered population of 61,559 people. It was established in 2010, replacing the former Zhoucheng Town.
In the third year of the Northern Song dynasty's Xianping era, the original capital of Yun Prefecture, Xuchang City, was submerged, and the prefecture of Yun was moved to this location, which was then named Zhoucheng. Until 1982, when the county seat was moved from Zhoucheng to Houtun in Dongping Subdistrict, Zhoucheng served as the political, economic, and cultural center of Dongping County. It was home to various historical sites and relics, making it a significant tourist destination in Shandong Province. Additionally, Zhoucheng Subdistrict is the birthplace of Wan Li, a prominent leader in the history of the People's Republic of China.
History
From Pre-Qin to the Qing dynasty
According to ancient texts, during the Xia and Shang periods, the area that is now Zhoucheng Town belonged to Xuzhou, one of the Nine Provinces, and was known as "Qià Xiāngchéng" during the Shang dynasty. In the Spring and Autumn period, it was part of the State of Lu. During the Qin dynasty, the region around Zhoucheng Town fell under the jurisdiction of Xue Commandery. From the Han dynasty to the Tang dynasty, it was successively part of Jidong State, Dahe Commandery, Dongping State, Dongping Commandery, and Yunzhou. In the early Northern Song dynasty, the area around Zhoucheng belonged to Yunzhou. At that time, the administrative center of Yunzhou was in Xuchang City, situated in the present territory of Laohuzhen in Dongping County. However, in the third year of the Xianping era, due to a breach in the Wanglingsao of the Yellow River, Xuchang City, being at a lower elevation, suffered severe flooding. The Prefect of Yunzhou, Yao Xuan, subsequently built a new city in a higher-lying area in Wenyang Town, still referred to as Xucheng. This city became the modern-day Zhoucheng, and from then on, Zhoucheng became the new political center of Dongping. Following the fall of the Northern Song dynasty, Zhoucheng briefly served as one of the capital cities of Liu Qi. During the Jin dynasty, the Shandong Western Route was established, with its administrative center in Dongping Prefecture, where the prefectural government was located in what is now Zhoucheng. During the Yuan dynasty, Zhoucheng served as the administrative center of the Dongping Route of the Ministry of Personnel. With the opening of the Grand Canal, Dongping became an important hub for waterborne transportation, and it was referred to as a "magnificent and grand metropolis" by Marco Polo in his travel accounts.During the Ming and Qing periods, Zhoucheng served as the administrative center of Dongping Prefecture. In the late Ming dynasty, residents in Dongping Prefecture gathered and set fire to the prefectural office. In the 14th year of the Chongzhen era, a peasant army led by Li Qingshan captured the prefecture, but later, they were defeated by Ming dynasty forces. During the Qing dynasty, the Baojia system was implemented. In the current jurisdiction of Zhoucheng Subdistrict, it was divided into different Bao districts, including Xinzibao, Ruiren Bao in the east, Furen Bao in the west, Aili Bao in the south, and Yifang Bao in the north. In the late Qing dynasty and early Republic of China, Dongping County faced security issues, with peasant armies and armed bandits attacking the county town multiple times. In the first year of the Tongzhi era, Zhang Lexing's Nian army crossed the Grand Canal and besieged Zhoucheng twice but failed to capture it.
Republic of China
In 1913, Dongping Prefecture was renamed Dongping County, with the prefectural city continuing to serve as the county seat, and the Bao system was retained. In 1918, bandit Zhang Zhanyuan broke into Dongping County and, along with the mutinous garrison led by He Duoyu, looted the county. In 1926, the Hongqiang Party, composed of peasants, gathered to attack the prefectural city. In 1931, the Bao system was abolished, and district offices and townships were established. At that time, the northwestern and central areas of what is now Zhoucheng Subdistrict belonged to Dongping District 1, which included four towns and four townships. Some southeastern villages were part of the fourth, sixth, and seventh townships of Dongping District 5.In October 1937, the Chinese Communist Party established the Dongping County Work Committee. On December 25 of the same year, Japanese warplanes launched an air raid on Zhoucheng, causing more than 30 casualties. Following the air raid, Sun Yonghan, who was then the county head of Dongping, escaped to Zhoucheng. On August 17, 1938, Japanese troops and local militias from southwestern Shandong attacked Zhoucheng. The temporary Dongping County government organized over a hundred people to resist, but the defense failed, and Japanese forces subsequently occupied Zhoucheng. In 1939, the Japanese set up a garrison in Zhoucheng. In August 1940, the Dongping County Anti-Japanese Democratic Government, under CCP leadership, incorporated Zhoucheng into Dongping District 1 and established an Anti-Japanese District Office in 1943. On the night of October 18, 1943, CCP forces launched a surprise attack on Dongping County, resulting in over a hundred Japanese and Allied troops killed or injured before retreating. By 1944, most of Dongping County had become a CCP revolutionary base area. However, the area around Zhoucheng Street, where the county seat was located, remained under Japanese control. Japanese forces had positions in Zhoucheng, Gezhenyuan, Nanguan, and Menglou within the Zhoucheng Subdistrict. On May 17, 1945, the Eighth Route Army launched the Dongping Campaign to liberate Dongping. By May 18, the Eighth Route Army had captured Zhoucheng and defeated the Japanese forces by the 19th. After the CCP took control of Zhoucheng, they removed parts of the city walls.
In 1947, during the Second Chinese Civil War, both the Nationalist and CCP forces contended for control of Zhoucheng. In March 1947, the Nationalist army took Zhoucheng but fled on April 21. They briefly reclaimed Zhoucheng on August 4 but were later defeated by the Liberation Army in November. In December, the Dong'e County Homecoming Regiment captured Zhoucheng. In the same month, the Liberation Army launched an eastward campaign, recapturing Zhoucheng early the following year.
People's Republic of China
After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Zhoucheng remained under the jurisdiction of Dongping District 1. In December 1949, Chengguan District was separated from District 1. In April 1951, Chengguan District was merged back into District 1, which then included several towns: Lianhuawan, Xiliangcun, Houheyayi, Zhifang, Chenfang, Taoyuan, Nanzhen, Beizhen, Dongzhen, Xizhen, Yaowo, Liulin, and Liulou.In 1955, the four towns of Xizhen, Dongzhen, Nanzhen, and Beizhen in the vicinity of the District 1 county seat were merged into Chengguan Township. At this time, District 1 comprised nine townships. Later that year, District 1 was renamed Chengguan District. By the end of 1956, some townships were again merged, leading to the abolition of Chengguan District. Chengguan Town directly fell under county jurisdiction, while Chenfang and Liangcun townships were initially transferred to Pengji District but were soon returned.
In October 1958, during the People's Commune Movement, towns were dissolved. Chengguan Town was reorganized into Chengguan People's Commune. The eastern part of the original Chengguan District and the western part of Pengji District became Liangcun People's Commune. On December 19, 1958, the Liangcun Commune was dissolved, and its territory was divided between Chengguan Commune and Pengji Commune. In October 1959, Dongping County was abolished, and Chengguan Commune was transferred to Wenshang County. In 1960, Chengguan Commune was transferred to Liangshan County, and in 1961, it was once again transferred to Wenshang County. In 1962, Dongping County was reestablished, and Chengguan Commune returned to Dongping, remaining the county seat.
In January 1980, Chengguan Commune was renamed Zhoucheng Town. In November 1982, the county seat of Dongping County was relocated from Zhoucheng to Hutun Village in Sicheng Commune. Zhoucheng continued as the location of Zhoucheng Town. In April 1984, Zhoucheng Town was upgraded to Zhoucheng District, which included Zhoucheng Town, Sunzhifang Township, and Xiliangcun Town. In October 1985, Zhoucheng District was dissolved, and the townships of Sunzhifang and Xiliangcun were merged into Zhoucheng Town. In June 2010, Zhoucheng Town was dissolved and reorganized as Zhoucheng Street.
Environment
The Zhoucheng Subdistrict is located in the central part of Dongping County in Shandong Province, China. It is bordered by Pengji Subdistrict to the east, Dongping Lake to the west, Xinhuzhen and Shahezhan to the south, and separated Laohuzhen and Dongping Street by the Daqing River to the north. The subdistrict stretches approximately 10.6 kilometers from north to south and 12.8 kilometers from east to west, covering a total area of 72 square kilometers. The administrative center of Zhoucheng Street is located in the western part of Zhoucheng, about 25 kilometers from the urban center of Dongping County.Zhoucheng Subdistrict is situated in the alluvial plain of the Dawen River, characterized by a generally east-high, west-low, south-high, and north-low topography. The area is predominantly flat with minimal elevation changes. In the eastern part of the subdistrict, some areas have elevations exceeding 40 meters, with the highest point being 42.3 meters. Most of the subdistrict has elevations below 40 meters, with the lowest point at 39 meters and an average elevation of 38 meters. The primary topographical feature is a plain, with some marshy areas present in the western part of the Zhoucheng Subdistrict. The soil in Zhoucheng is mainly alluvial, found predominantly in the western part, and brown soil, which is more common in certain villages in the eastern part.
Zhoucheng Subdistrict is situated to the west of Dongping Lake, Shandong's second-largest freshwater lake. The subdistrict is home to several rivers, including the Daqing River, Zhifang River, Weizi River, Xiaoqing River, and Paisen River. The Daqing River is the largest river within Zhoucheng's boundaries. It enters from the Ma Zhuang area and flows from east to west along the northern edge of the subdistrict, serving as a natural boundary between Zhoucheng Subdistrict and the neighboring areas of Dongping Street and Laohu Town. The Xiaoqing River, also known as the Nansha River, flows along the southern edge of Zhoucheng. It follows the ancient channel of the Wen River and approximately divides Zhoucheng Subdistrict from Shahezhan Town. The Xiaoqing River is 30 kilometers long and about 100 meters wide, though its riverbed is no longer actively used. The Weizi River, also known as the drainage ditch, enters Zhoucheng Subdistrict from Pengji Subdistrict and flows through the southeastern part of the Zhoucheng Subdistrict. The Paisen River, an artificially excavated river, was created in 1960. It is 30 kilometers long and about 10 meters wide. It was primarily constructed to alleviate waterlogging issues in the eastern part of the Zhoucheng Subdistrict. Zhoucheng Subdistrict benefits from relatively abundant water resources. However, most of the surface water in the area is saline-alkaline and unsuitable for drinking. However, the groundwater quality is better, with an estimated usable groundwater resource of about 8.84 million cubic meters. Many residents rely on well water for drinking.
Zhoucheng Subdistrict has three types of vegetation: crop vegetation, forest vegetation, and aquatic vegetation. The crop vegetation primarily consists of crops, covering more than half of the total area of the subdistrict. Aquatic vegetation includes reeds, bulrushes, and others, primarily found along the rivers, lakes, and marshy areas within the boundaries of Zhoucheng. Forest vegetation mainly consists of poplar trees, willow trees, and pagoda trees. In terms of mineral resources, the area possesses river sand, saltpeter, and mineral water. River sand is mainly extracted from the Daqing River, and there are also deposits of brick and tile clay in the eastern part of the Zhoucheng Subdistrict. The presence of the Pengji Iron Ore Prediction Zone, which runs through the northeast part of the Zhoucheng Subdistrict, suggests the potential distribution of iron ore in that area.
Zhoucheng Subdistrict experiences a warm temperate continental monsoon climate. The average annual precipitation is 667 millimeters, with the highest rainfall in July, averaging 208 millimeters, and the lowest in January, with only 2 millimeters. The average annual temperature is 14 °C, with July being the warmest month at an average of 26 °C, and January the coldest, averaging -2 °C. Natural disasters in the area include hailstorms, droughts, floods, windstorms, frosts, and lightning strikes. Hailstorms, occurring on average once every three years, are most common in May and June.