Understand
Shijiazhuang is a young city. It was an unimportant town until the building of the Zhengtai and Jinghan railways saw it become an important regional transport hub. Captured by the PLA under the leadership of the CPC in 1947, it was the cradle of the new China, and for three years housed the headquarters of the CPC.
Nowadays it is the capital and main economic center of Hebei and a relatively important city in China. Shijiazhuang is the largest pharmarceutical base in China and is as well an important center in the textile, IT, manufacturing and chemical industries. In 2007, it was listed as one of the top 15 economic powers in China.
According to the latest census figures, Shijiazhuang has a population of 2.19 million in the city proper, with a further 7.4 million people living in its 20 affiliated counties.
It's a modern city that's in the process of building many new apartment buildings, shopping malls and just renewing it's image.
People are very friendly, it's easy to get around and it's a good place to teach English or study Chinese.
