Shijiazhuang

Capital of Hebei province, China, at the foot of the Taihang Mountains; population (2000) 1,935,600. It is a major railway junction and agricultural distribution point. Industrialization, and accompanying population growth, took place rapidly in the later 20th century. Industries include coal-mining, printing, light engineering, and the manufacture of cotton textiles, chemicals, petrochemicals, fertilizers, and electronic goods.

Shijiazhuang was a small settlement, 160 km/100 mi east of Taiyuan, until it was reached by railway in 1905. It is now an important road and rail hub on the main national routes, and a commercial centre. Industrialization began after 1949 with the introduction of textile production and food-processing. In the 1960s light engineering and chemical manufactures were introduced, and in the 1980s petrochemical and electronics industries. Local coalmines provide the city with power.