Dezhou

Dezhou, historically known as Ande, lies in the northwest of Shandong Province on the fertile Yellow River floodplain. Celebrated as the “Gateway to Nine Provinces” and the “Portal to the Imperial Capital”, it flourished as a vital hub along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This is the land where Dong Zhongshu, the great Han dynasty scholar, once taught Confucian classics, and where the legendary story of Hou Yi shooting the suns echoes through time. The city treasures a multicultural heritage—from the Tomb of the Sultan of Sulu, a testament to ancient maritime friendship, to exquisite Dezhou Black Pottery, inheriting 4,000 years of Longshan culture. Today, Dezhou seamlessly merges its historical soul with modern energy, known as “China’s Solar Valley”, embodying both ancient virtue and sustainable future.