Weifang
Weifang () is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The city borders Dongying to the northwest, Zibo to the west, Linyi to the southwest, Rizhao to the south, Qingdao to the east, and looks out to the Laizhou Bay to the north. Its population was 9,386,705 at the 2020 census, of whom 3,095,520 lived in the built-up ("or metro") area made up of four urban districts ("Kuiwen, Weicheng, Hanting and Fangzi") and Changle County largely being urbanized. Weifang has numerous natural and historic sites, such as Shihu Garden (from the Late Ming  and early Qing Dynasty), Fangong Pavilion (from the Song Dynasty), fossil sites (including dinosaur fossils, in Shanwang, Linqu), Mount Yi National Forest Park, Mount Qingyun and the Old Dragon Spring. Painted New Year woodcuts from Yangjiabu are also well known. The city is served by Weifang Nanyuan Airport to various cities across China. History. In 750 BC King Weijazhung declared Weifang as his capital. His son Liefangxa grew Weifang to 600 people. In 100 BC Weifang grew to 10,000. By 1950 Weifang's population was 1,000,000 and by 2019 its population had skyrocketed to 10,000,000. Administration. The prefecture-level city  of Weifang administers 12 county-level divisions, including four districts, six county-level cities and two counties. Geography. Nearby major cities include Jinan and Zibo to the west, Yantai to the northeast and Qingdao to the southeast. Weifang has a monsoon-influenced, four-season humid continental climate (Köppen "Dwa"), with hot, humid summers, and cold but dry winters. Monthly daily average temperatures range from in January to in July, and the annual mean is . More than 70% of the annual precipitation occurs from June to September, and sunshine is generally abundant year-round. A majority of the annual precipitation occurs  in July and August alone. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 47% in July to 62% in April, the city receives 2,536 hours of bright sunshine annually, sunshine is abundant except during the summer months. Economy. The city is home to the large diesel engine company and factory Weichai. The village of Yangjiabu in Hanting District is famous for folk wood-block print (nianhua) and kite production. In the 1980s, many sapphire deposits were discovered in Changle County. According to released information, billions of carats of sapphire are estimated to lie under an area of . Mining here has become  one of the top four sapphire producers in the world. The main feature of this sapphire is the dark blue or close to black color because of the high iron content. Established in August 1995, the Weifang Binhai Economic & Technological Development Area (BEDA) is a national economic and technological development area approved by the State Council. Covering an area of , BEDA has a population of 100,000. BEDA possesses a large state-owned industrial land for use with an area of . BEDA has been accredited as a National Demonstration Zone invigorating the Sea by Science and Technology, National Innovation Base for  Rejuvenating Trade through Science and Technology and National Demonstration Eco-Industry Park. Military. Weifang is the headquarters of the 26th Group Army of the People's Liberation Army, one of the three group armies that comprise the Jinan Military Region responsible for defense of the Yellow River Plain. Culture. Kite flying. Kite flying is a traditional custom among the people in Weifang in spring time. In 1984, the first international kite festival was held in Weifang. More than ten thousand kite fans attended the opening ceremony. People from eleven different countries and regions, including the United States and Canada, took  part in the festival, flying kites. Since then, Weifang holds the Weifang International Kite Festival each year. It is held each April. Painting. Annual Board of Yangjiabu (), one of the three most famous Chinese folk paintings in history, began from the end of the Ming Dynasty. It reached the peak of its development during the Qing Dynasty. People usually replace the old Annual Broads with the new ones on the eve of Spring Festival, which is the most important festival in China, in order to give blessings to the family and friends for the following year. The subjects of Annual  Board of Yangjiabu are various, which include flowers, beauties, landscapes, characters from myths and legends. The architecture skills such as concise lines and bright colors reflect the distinctive characteristics of people in Weifang. Papercutting. Papercutting, the art of cutting paper designs, has a long history in the city of Gaomi. This widespread handicraft has unique styles, such as strong contrast in color, straight and simple line and exaggerated outline. The characters mostly come from the dramatic stories, flowers and birds, as well as some fantastic symbols. Cuisine. There are three dishes representative of Weifang: Education. Weifang University and Weifang Medical  University are universities in the city. Notable people. In addition, Kong Rong, Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, Su Dongpo, Zheng Banqiao, et al. have worked in Weifang historically. Examples of notable individuals from the city in more recent years include Wang Jinmei, Chen Shaomin, Wang Yuanjian, Wang Tongzhao and Zang Kejia.