[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Heze, China's biggest producer of the peony flower, and "the hometown of Chinese opera, Chinese martial arts and calligraphy and painting", is one of the most famous historical and cultural resorts in China with more than 100 places of interest such as Sun Bin Tourist Town, Site of Fang Mountain. 

Situated in the south-west of Shandong province, Heze occupies two districts and seven counties with a population of 8,622,600. 

The Yellow River enters it from Lankao county, Henan province, one of three provinces (Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui) it borders, and flows through its four counties and districts, named Dongming, Peony, Tancheng and Yuncheng respectively.

[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

It is located at the lower reach of the Yellow River and belongs to the Huanghe plain, a part of the new settlement basin of North China Plain, (except for the hilly Juye County), covering an area of 12,239 square kilometers. 

Topographically, Heze features plains and low mountains. It has the continental climate of a warm temperate zone, with abundant sunshine and rainfall. 

Its annual temperate averages 14℃ and the annual average precipitation is 655 mm. In addition to having a good climate and rich natural resources, the city has optimized the utilization of its resources and provides a better environment for its citizens.