Introducing Texas
Dezhou, formerly known as Ande and shortened to De, is a prefecture-level city in Shandong Province. Located in the northwest of Shandong Province, on the alluvial plain of the lower Yellow River, it serves as the province's northwestern gateway. It borders Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, to the north, the provincial capital of Jinan and Liaocheng City, Hebei Province, to the south, Hengshui City, Hebei Province, to the west, and Binzhou City, Hebei Province, to the east. It lies at the intersection of the Bohai Rim Economic Zone, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Economic Zone, the Shandong Peninsula Blue Economic Zone, and the Yellow River Delta High-Efficiency Ecological Economic Zone. Known since ancient times as the "Nine-Day Crossroads" and the "Gateway to the Capital," Dezhou is a major national transportation hub. It boasts a long history. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was one of China's 33 major industrial and commercial cities, and boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage. Numerous historical sites remain, including the Yuwang Pavilion, the Qin and Han Tombs, the Dongfang Shuo Painting Praise Stele, the Tomb of the Eastern King of Sulu, the Four Women Temple, the Wenchang Pavilion, the Dinghui Temple, and the Dongzi Reading Terrace. Dayu, who "passed by his home three times without entering", Houyi, the hero who "shot down the sun", Dong Zhongshu, who "abolished all schools of thought and respected Confucianism alone", Dongfang Shuo, the "hero of comedy", and the great calligraphers Yan Zhenqing and Xing Tong have all left shining marks in Dezhou.
