[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Lying in the lower reaches of the Yellow River and the Lubei Plain, Binzhou is located at the hinterland of the Yellow River Delta. Bordering the Bohai Sea to the north, Dongying to the east, Zibo to the south, and Dezhou and Jinan to the west, Binzhou is Shandong's north gate. 

In 1950, the Huimin Region was established here, but it was renamed the Binzhou Region in 1992 and finally changed into Binzhou after several reforms.

[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Binzhou has a long history, which can be traced back to the Neolithic Age. It is regarded as one of the cradles of the Yellow River Civilization and the Qi Civilization. 

In the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century – 11th century BC), the kingdom of Pugu was founded there, and the county was created in the Qin Dynasty (1644-1911). 

From the Western Han Dynasty (c.11th century – 771BC) to the Republic of China, kingdoms, provinces, prefectures, circuits and other local administrative divisions were all set there. 

Binzhou itself, whose name derives from the city's position on the Bohai Sea, was established during the Five Dynasties Period (907 – 960).

Binzhou is famous for its splendid traditional folk arts, such as Lu Opera, which originated from Boxing, HuJi Assembly, clay sculpture, wood engraving of Huimin, and artistic paper-cutting; all of which are saturated with rural flavor and distinct artistic charm.

[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]