Why is Shijiazhuang called Shijiazhuang?

Shijiazhuang City is located in the south-central part of Hebei Province, leaning against the Taihang Mountains to the west and the vast North China Plain to the east, south and north. It is the intersection of the Beijing-Guangzhou, Shijiazhuang-Taiwan Railway and Shijiazhuang-Dezhou Railway. Shijiazhuang City currently governs 6 districts (Qiaodong, Chang'an, Qiaoxi, Xinhua, Yuhua, Jingxingkuang), 5 cities (Luquan, Xinji, Gaocheng, Jinzhou, Xinle) and 12 counties (Jingxing, Luancheng, Zhengding, Xingtang, Lingshou, Shenze, Gaoyi, Wuji, Zanhuang, Yuanshi, Zhaoxian, Pingshan) is the seat of the People's Government of Hebei Province and the center of politics, economy, culture and education in the province. Shijiazhuang City has convenient transportation and extends in all directions. It is known as the "throat of Yan-Jin". It has the main road in and out of Shanxi to the west, Shandong to the east, Hubei and Henan to the south, and Beijing and Tianjin to the north. \x0d\\x0d\The name of Shijiazhuang City comes from Shijiazhuang Village. A hundred years ago, Shijiazhuang was a small village in Huolu County (now Luquan City), covering an area of ??less than half a square kilometer, with only a hundred households and more than 600 people. Since 1902, with the construction of the Beijing-Guangzhou, Shijiazhuang-Taizhou and Shidezhou Railways, it has gradually developed into a modern city. Shijiazhuang City now covers an area of ??14,164 square kilometers and has a population of more than 9 million, making it "the largest city in the world". \x0d\\x0d\The name of Shijiazhuang village first appeared in the Ming Dynasty. Now in the monument rebuilt in Pilu Temple in Beijing in the 14th year of Jiajing reign of Ming Dynasty (AD 1534), the name of Shijiazhuang village is included. "Huolu County Chronicles" published in the fourth year of Guangxu Period in the Qing Dynasty records: "Shijiazhuang has a county of thirty-five miles, six streets, six temples, and four wells and springs." The location and scope of Shijiazhuang Village at that time was west of Beida Street in the southeast of today's Xinhua District, north of Daqiao Road, south of Beihou Street, and north and east of Yujia Hutong. There are many legends about how Shijiazhuang got its name. Some say it got its name because of the surname "Shi", some say it got its name from "Shijiazhuang", and some say it got its name because there were many stonemasons in the village, but none of them know. Historical records require further verification. \x0d\The key reason why Shijiazhuang developed from a small village into a big city was the determination of the intersection of the Beijing-Hankong (today's Beijing-Guangzhou) Railway and the Zhengtai (today's Shitai) Railway. In April 1897, Sheng Xuanhuai, the Tianjin Customs Road and Minister of Railway Supervision, was appointed by the Qing government to build the Lugou Bridge-Hankou Railway. At the same time, Shanxi Governor Hu Pinzhi planned to build the Zhengtai Railway. After several surveys and weighing the pros and cons, it was decided to select the intersection of the two railways at Liulinpu on the south bank of the Hutuo River in the south of Zhengding Prefecture. Therefore, Shanxi people call the Zhengtai Railway the "Liu-Tai Railway". In 1901, under the coercion of the Eight-Power Allied Forces, the Qing Dynasty agreed to extend the northern end of the Lu-Han Railway to Zhengyangmen in Beijing, and it was renamed the Beijing-Hankou Railway from then on. In 1902, the Beijing-Hankow Railway was connected to the east of Shijiazhuang Village and a station was built. Because the village of Shijiazhuang was small and poorly known at that time, the station was named Zhengtou, a large town seven miles away. The setting up of this station played a historic decisive role in the development of Shijiazhuang. In order to reduce expenses, the starting point of the eastern end of the Zhengtai Railway was moved south from Liulinpu to Zhentou Station (today's Shijiazhuang Station). The construction of the Zhengtai-Taiwan Railway started in 1904 and was completed and opened to traffic in 1907. Since then, Shijiazhuang has become the intersection of the Beijing-Hankong and Zhengtai Railways and a material transshipment hub between Shanxi and Hebei. It has effectively promoted the economic development of Shijiazhuang and become the forerunner of the rise of the city. \x0d\Shimen City is the predecessor of Shijiazhuang City. Before talking about Shimen City, it is necessary to talk about the situation of Ximen. "Xiumen" is pronounced Qiu men in the local dialect. Xiumen is located in the middle of Jinqiao East District, bounded by Zhongshan East Road to the north, Sizhong Road to the south, the eastern sections of Nan and Bei Renzi Street to the west, and Jianshe Street to the east. Xiumen was originally a village in Huolu County. According to villagers, around 1939, an ancient brick was unearthed in the southeast of Xiaozhan Village, with the words "Zhao Family, Xiumen Township, Shiyi County" engraved on it in the seventh year of the Sui Dynasty. It can be seen that this village already existed in the Sui Dynasty. The Jiajing version of "Huolu County Chronicle" also has the name "Xiumen Township". Xiumen was originally a large market town, with market days on the fourth and ninth day of the lunar calendar. There were shops on the East and West streets, and the names of some streets and alleys still leave traces of the market. Today's South, North, and Middle Flower Market Streets were the Cotton Market in those days. This market lasted until liberation and gradually disappeared. \x0d\Due to the opening of the Beijing-Hankong and Zhengtai Railways and the establishment of the railway station, Shijiazhuang's industry and commerce developed rapidly. In early 1925, the Shijiazhuang Chamber of Commerce demanded that Shijiazhuang become an autonomous city. On June 24 of the same year, with the approval of the provisional administration of the Republic of China, Shijiazhuang City was prepared to be established, with Shijiazhuang as its area.

Due to insufficient population and other reasons, the provisional administration issued an order on August 29 to merge Xiumen and Licun, change the name to Shimen City with the first and last characters of Shijiazhuang and Xiumen, and establish a municipal office at the same time. The name "Shimen" originated from this. In 1928, the Nationalist Government issued an order to abolish municipal offices across the country, and the Shimen City under preparation was put on hold. On January 15, 1938, with the approval of the Provisional Executive Committee of the Republic of China, the pseudo "Shimen Municipal Office Preparatory Office" was established, directly under the leadership of the puppet Hebei Provincial Office. In 1939, the puppet Hebei Provincial Office reported to the Administrative Committee of the puppet North China Provisional Government: "Shimen is an important local area, located at the center of the Beijing-Hankou Railway and the starting point of Zhengtai Road. It has concentrated products, a concentration of industry and commerce, a population of less than 300,000, and special political and economic characteristics. Under such circumstances, we plan to request permission to establish a city." On October 7 of the same year, Wang Kemin issued the "Administrative Committee Directive" to approve the establishment of Shimen as a city, and drafted the detailed rules for the Municipal Office in accordance with the "Ordinary City Organization Outline". On November 13, the Pseudo-Shimen Municipal Office held a celebration meeting for its establishment. At that time, the administrative divisions of Shimen City were: \x0d\Northeast to the Northern Song Dynasty and Jianling; west to Damacun, Daguo Village, Xiwang Village, Xitan Village, and Xigangtou; south to Wulizhuang, Tatan Village, Tazhong, Dongwang Village; north to Da'anshe, Zhaolingpu, Dongjiazhuang, West Ancient City, and East Ancient City. After Japan surrendered in 1945, it was still called Shimen City during the Kuomintang rule. \x0d\On November 12, 1947, the Chinese People's Liberation Army liberated Shimen. On December 26, the "Shijiazhuang Municipal Government Notice" stated: "Shimen City will be changed to Shijiazhuang City from now on." On January 29, 1968, the capital of Hebei Province was moved from Baoding to Shijiazhuang. On March 11, 1978, Shijiazhuang City was changed to a provincial municipality. In 1987, Shijiazhuang City was listed as a city open to the outside world. These are all favorable conditions for the development of Shijiazhuang, but the foundation for the rise of Shijiazhuang as a big city is the construction of the Shijiazhuang Railway Station, which is the intersection of three railways. \x0d\Shijiazhuang City is located in the south-central part of Hebei Province, leaning on the Taihang Mountains to the west and the vast North China Plain to the east, south and north. It is the intersection of the Beijing-Guangzhou, Shijiazhuang-Taizhou Railway and Shijiazhuang-Dezhou Railway. Shijiazhuang City currently governs 6 districts (Qiaodong, Chang'an, Qiaoxi, Xinhua, Yuhua, Jingxingkuang), 5 cities (Luquan, Xinji, Gaocheng, Jinzhou, Xinle) and 12 counties (Jingxing, Luancheng, Zhengding, Xingtang, Lingshou, Shenze, Gaoyi, Wuji, Zanhuang, Yuanshi, Zhaoxian, Pingshan) is the seat of the People's Government of Hebei Province and the center of politics, economy, culture and education in the province. Shijiazhuang City has convenient transportation and extends in all directions. It is known as the "throat of Yan-Jin". It has the main road in and out of Shanxi to the west, Shandong to the east, Hubei and Henan to the south, and Beijing and Tianjin to the north. \x0d\\x0d\The name of Shijiazhuang City comes from Shijiazhuang Village. A hundred years ago, Shijiazhuang was a small village in Huolu County (now Luquan City), covering an area of ??less than half a square kilometer, with only a hundred households and more than 600 people. Since 1902, with the construction of the Beijing-Guangzhou, Shijiazhuang-Taizhou and Shidezhou Railways, it has gradually developed into a modern city. Shijiazhuang City now covers an area of ??14,164 square kilometers and has a population of more than 9 million, making it "the largest city in the world". \x0d\\x0d\The name of Shijiazhuang village first appeared in the Ming Dynasty. Now in the monument rebuilt in Pilu Temple in Beijing in the 14th year of Jiajing reign of Ming Dynasty (1534 AD), the name of Shijiazhuang village is included. The "Huolu County Chronicle" published in the fourth year of Guangxu Period in the Qing Dynasty records: "Shijiazhuang has a county of thirty-five miles, six streets, six temples, and four wells and springs." The location and scope of Shijiazhuang Village at that time were west of Beida Street in the southeast of today's Xinhua District, north of Daqiao Road, south of Beihou Street, and north and east of Yujia Hutong. There are many legends about how Shijiazhuang got its name. Some say it got its name because of the surname "Shi", some say it got its name from "Shijiazhuang", and some say it got its name because there were many stonemasons in the village, but none of them know. Historical records require further verification. \x0d\The key reason why Shijiazhuang developed from a small village to a big city was the determination of the intersection between the Beijing-Hankong (today's Beijing-Guangzhou) Railway and the Zhengtai-Taiwan (today's Shijiazhuang-Taiwan) Railway. In April 1897, Sheng Xuanhuai, the Tianjin Customs Road and Minister of Railway Supervision, was appointed by the Qing government to build the Lugou Bridge-Hankou Railway. At the same time, Shanxi Governor Hu Pinzhi planned to build the Zhengtai-Taiwan Railway. After several surveys and weighing the pros and cons, it was decided to select the intersection of the two railways at Liulinpu on the south bank of the Hutuo River in the south of Zhengding Prefecture. Therefore, Shanxi people call the Zhengtai Railway the "Liu-Tai Railway".

In 1901, under the coercion of the Eight-Power Allied Forces, the Qing Dynasty agreed to extend the northern end of the Lu-Han Railway to Zhengyangmen in Beijing, and it was renamed the Beijing-Hankou Railway from then on. In 1902, the Beijing-Hankow Railway was connected to the east of Shijiazhuang Village and a station was built. Because the village of Shijiazhuang was small and poorly known at that time, the station was named Zhengtou, a large town seven miles away. The setting up of this station played a historic decisive role in the development of Shijiazhuang. In order to reduce expenses, the starting point of the eastern end of the Zhengtai Railway was moved south from Liulinpu to Zhentou Station (today's Shijiazhuang Station). The construction of the Zhengtai-Taiwan Railway started in 1904 and was completed and opened to traffic in 1907. Since then, Shijiazhuang has become the intersection of the Beijing-Hankong and Zhengtai Railways and a material transshipment hub between Shanxi and Hebei. It has effectively promoted the economic development of Shijiazhuang and become the forerunner of the rise of the city. \x0d\Shimen City is the predecessor of Shijiazhuang City. Before talking about Shimen City, it is necessary to talk about the situation of Ximen. "Xiumen" is pronounced Qiu men in the local dialect. Xiumen is located in the middle of Jinqiao East District, bounded by Zhongshan East Road to the north, Sizhong Road to the south, the eastern sections of Nan and Bei Renzi Street to the west, and Jianshe Street to the east. Xiumen was originally a village in Huolu County. According to villagers, around 1939, an ancient brick was unearthed in the southeast of Xiaozhan Village, with the words "Zhao Family, Xiumen Township, Shiyi County" engraved on it in the seventh year of the Sui Dynasty. It can be seen that this village already existed in the Sui Dynasty. The Jiajing version of "Huolu County Chronicle" also has the name "Xiumen Township". Xiumen was originally a large market town, with market days on the fourth and ninth day of the lunar calendar. There were shops on the East and West streets, and the names of some streets and alleys still leave traces of the market. Today's South, North, and Middle Flower Market Streets were the Cotton Market in those days. This market lasted until liberation and gradually disappeared. \x0d\Due to the opening of the Beijing-Hankong and Zhengtai Railways and the establishment of the railway station, Shijiazhuang's industry and commerce developed rapidly. In early 1925, the Shijiazhuang Chamber of Commerce demanded that Shijiazhuang become an autonomous city. On June 24 of the same year, with the approval of the provisional administration of the Republic of China, Shijiazhuang City was prepared to be established, with Shijiazhuang as its area. Due to insufficient population and other reasons, the provisional administration issued an order on August 29 to merge Xiumen and Lucun, change the name to Shimen City with the first and last characters of Shijiazhuang and Xiumen, and establish a municipal office. The name "Shimen" originated from this. In 1928, the Nationalist Government issued an order to abolish municipal offices across the country, and the Shimen City under preparation was put on hold. On January 15, 1938, with the approval of the Provisional Executive Committee of the Republic of China, the pseudo "Shimen Municipal Office Preparatory Office" was established, directly under the leadership of the puppet Hebei Provincial Office. In 1939, the puppet Hebei Provincial Office reported to the Administrative Committee of the puppet North China Provisional Government: "Shimen is an important local area, located at the center of the Beijing-Hankou Railway and the starting point of Zhengtai Road. It has concentrated products, a concentration of industry and commerce, and a population of less than 300,000. It has special political and economic characteristics. Under such circumstances, we plan to request permission to establish a city." On October 7 of the same year, Wang Kemin issued the "Administrative Committee Directive" to approve the establishment of Shimen as a city, and drafted the detailed rules for the Municipal Office in accordance with the "Ordinary City Organization Outline". On November 13, the Pseudo-Shimen Municipal Office held a celebration meeting for its establishment. At that time, the administrative divisions of Shimen City were: \x0d\Northeast to the Northern Song Dynasty and Jianling; west to Damacun, Daguo Village, Xiwang Village, Xitan Village, and Xigangtou; south to Wulizhuang, Tatan Village, Tazhong, Dongwang Village; north to Da'anshe, Zhaolingpu, Dongjiazhuang, West Ancient City, and East Ancient City. After Japan surrendered in 1945, it was still called Shimen City during the Kuomintang rule. \x0d\On November 12, 1947, the Chinese People's Liberation Army liberated Shimen. On December 26, the "Shijiazhuang Municipal Government Notice" stated: "Shimen City will be changed to Shijiazhuang City from now on." On January 29, 1968, the capital of Hebei Province was moved from Baoding to Shijiazhuang. On March 11, 1978, Shijiazhuang City was changed to a provincial municipality. In 1987, Shijiazhuang City was listed as a city open to the outside world. These are all favorable conditions for the development of Shijiazhuang, but the foundation for the rise of Shijiazhuang as a big city was the construction of the Shijiazhuang Railway Station, which is the intersection of three railways.