Shijiazhuang

Shijiazhuang or Shih-chia-chuang (shûr-jēä-jwäng), city (1994 est. pop. 1,159,400), capital of Hebei prov., China, near the Shanxi province border. A small village until the turn of the century, when it became a railroad junction, it is now at the intersection of north-south and east-west highways and railroads. It has textile, fertilizer, pharmaceutical, automotive, and paper industries.

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Shijiazhuang

 or Shih-chia-chuang

City (pop., 2003 est.: 1,971,000), capital of Hebei province, northeastern China. Located on the edge of the North China Plain at the foot of the Taihang Mountains, the site dates to pre-Han times (c. 206 BC). After it came under the Tang dynasty (7th–10th century AD), it was only a local market town. Its growth into one of China's major cities began in 1905, when the railway reached the area, stimulating trade and agriculture. Other rail connections and an extensive road network established it as a communications centre. It developed into an industrial city with administrative functions at the end of World War II. It is now one of China's major industrial, cultural, and economic centres.