Liaocheng
Liaocheng (), is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southeast, Dezhou to the northeast, Tai'an to the south, and the provinces of Hebei and Henan to the west. The Grand Canal flows through the city center. Its population was 5,789,863 at the 2010 census whom 1,229,768 lived in the built-up area made up of Donchangfu district, even though large parts remain rural. During the Song dynasty, the area of present-day Liaocheng included the prefectures of Bo and Ji. In 2007, the city is named China's  top ten livable cities by Chinese Cities Brand Value Report, which was released at 2007 Beijing Summit of China Cities Forum. Administration. The prefecture-level city of Liaocheng administers eight county-level divisions, including two districts, one county-level city, and five counties. These are further divided into 134 township-level divisions. History. People's Republic of China. In August 1949 Liaocheng was detached from Shandong and attached to Pingyuan. In November 1952 Pingyuan was dissolved and Liaocheng returned to Shandong. Transportation. The town is served by Liaocheng railway station. A station on the high-speed network, Liaocheng West railway  station, is under construction. Sister cities. Liaocheng is a sister city of the following cities: Furthermore, there is a partnership with the district Offenbach in Germany.