Get to know Dezhou
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- Administrative area
- Prefecture-level city · 地级市
- Part of
- Shandong
- Chinese name
- 德州市
- Local areas
- 11 local areas
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 10,361.00 km²
- Population · 2019
- 5,748,500
- Administrative seat
- Decheng District
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Tourism
Dezhou's biggest historical attraction is the tomb of Sultan Paduka Pahala of Sulu (Philippines), who died in Dezhou on his return journey from a visit to the Yongle Emperor in 1417. The tomb is well preserved and has been declared a national heritage site. Descendants of the sultan's Muslim followers still live in Dezhou today, and are classified as the Hui minority.
One of Dezhou's county Lingxian used to be a big county in China in history, when it was called Pingyuan County. Now part of the ancient city wall of Tang Dynasty still exists in the south of the region. Before the Three Kingdoms formed, one of the three emperors Liu Bei used to be the chief of the county, together with his fellows Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. In addition, it is the hometown of Dongfang Shuo, the most well-known adviser during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. In the Tang Dynasty, a major figure of Chinese calligraphy, Yan Zhenqing, once took office as the administrator of the county. Today, a memorial hall for the two historic figures is built in the People's Park of Lingxian, where a lot of materials of Dongfang Shuo and stone inscriptions of Yan Zhenqing are preserved.
Culture
As a city along the Grand Canal since ancient times, Dezhou's culture has developed alongside canal shipping and railways. As a traditional agricultural region, many of Dezhou's delicacies are deeply connected to the history and legends of the Qing Dynasty, such as the famous Dezhou Braised Chicken, Golden Silk Jujubes, and Daliu Noodles.
Golden Silk Jujubes are the most famous agricultural product in Laoling, Dezhou, and an important carrier of agricultural culture.
Explore Dezhou
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Dezhou
The burial mound of the Tomb of King Sulu, Dezhou · 苏禄王墓封土，德州市 Source-recorded photograph date: 2019-12-20 15:47:55.Tomb of King Sulu苏禄王墓
The Tomb of the King of Sulu stands in Beiying village north of central Dezhou. It commemorates the eastern Sulu ruler who died here in 1417 while returning from a diplomatic visit to China.
Read the place guide →
Dezhou Museum facade and forecourt · 德州市博物馆 Photograph date recorded by the source: 7 July 2024, 12:46:42.Dezhou Museum德州市博物馆
Dezhou Museum traces the area from Dawenkou and Longshan cultures into later urban history. Its collections include a Western Zhou jade object carved with paired phoenixes and a bronze firearm dated to the tenth year of the Ming…
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Yuwangting Museum · 禹王亭博物馆Yuwangting Museum禹王亭博物馆
The Yuwangting Museum (禹王亭博物馆) stands north-west of the urban area of Yucheng, in Dezhou, Shandong, west of the Tuhai River, and is a temple-style park built around Juqiushan, an ancient earthen mound associated with Yu the Great.
Read the place guide →Local life & food
Dezhou local specialties
德州市特色美食 · 10 specialties to discover
Dezhou five-spice chicken 德州扒鸡AI illustration · AI 示意图
The meat separates readily, with a savory spice aroma and soft skin rather than a crisp roast finish.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Baodian Donkey Meat 保店驴肉AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Baodian Donkey Meat (保店驴肉) takes its name from Baodian (保店) in Ningjin County (宁津县), Dezhou (德州). It uses Dezhou black donkey meat and is also known locally as five-spice donkey meat.
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Wucheng Griddled Meat Pie 武城旋饼AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Wucheng Griddled Meat Pie (武城旋饼) is a thin-skinned pie packed with meat and baked over a wood fire on a bed of broken tiles, a traditional food of Wucheng County (武城县) in Dezhou (德州), Shandong.
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Xiajin Cloth-Bag Stuffed Chicken 夏津布袋鸡AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Xiajin Cloth-Bag Stuffed Chicken (夏津布袋鸡) takes its name from the pouch formed by a whole deboned chicken. The skin stays intact, making a container for filling.
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Leling Golden-Silk Jujube Cake 乐陵金丝小枣糕AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Leling Golden-Silk Jujube Cake (乐陵金丝小枣糕) is listed among the local specialties of Dezhou, Shandong. The name includes 枣 (jujubes). The term 糕 points to cakes.
Read the dish guide →
Yucheng Braised Chicken 禹城扒鸡AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Yucheng Braised Chicken (禹城扒鸡) is a whole chicken, trussed and simmered with five spices until the meat comes away from the bone, from Yucheng (禹城) in Dezhou (德州), Shandong.
Read the dish guide →
Pingyuan Tofu in Spicy Broth 平原老豆腐Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Pingyuan Tofu in Spicy Broth (平原老豆腐) is a breakfast dish of soft bean curd served with a seasoned broth, from Pingyuan County (平原县) in Dezhou (德州), Shandong.
Read the dish guide →
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Ningjin Daliu Noodles 宁津大柳面AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Ningjin Daliu Noodles (宁津大柳面) are very fine hand-rolled, hand-cut wheat noodles from Ningjin County (宁津县) in Dezhou (德州), Shandong.
Read the dish guide →All dish names · 全部菜名 (10)
- Dezhou five-spice chicken · 德州扒鸡
- Baodian Donkey Meat · 保店驴肉
- Wucheng Griddled Meat Pie · 武城旋饼
- Xiajin Cloth-Bag Stuffed Chicken · 夏津布袋鸡
- Leling Golden-Silk Jujube Cake · 乐陵金丝小枣糕
- Yucheng Braised Chicken · 禹城扒鸡
- Pingyuan Tofu in Spicy Broth · 平原老豆腐
- Ningjin Daliu Noodles · 宁津大柳面
- Lingcheng Shentou Toon Shoots with Tofu · 陵城神头香椿拌豆腐
- Qingyun Large-Leaf Coriander Stuffed Pancakes · 庆云大叶香菜馅饼
More dishes from across Shandong are in the Shandong food guide.
Counties & districts in Dezhou
11 areas belong directly to Dezhou.
11 areas
Decheng District 德城区
Decheng is a district and the seat of the city of Dezhou, in the northwest of Shandong province, China, bordering Hebei province to the north.
Explore the area →DistrictLingcheng District 陵城区
Lingcheng District, formerly Ling County or Lingxian, is a district of the city of Dezhou, Shandong province, China.
Explore the area →CountyNingjin County 宁津县
Ningjin County (simplified Chinese: 宁津县; traditional Chinese: 寧津縣; pinyin: Níngjīn Xiàn) is a county in the northwest of Shandong province, People's Republic of China, bordering Hebei province to the north.
Explore the area →CountyQingyun County 庆云县
Qingyun County (simplified Chinese: 庆云县; traditional Chinese: 慶雲縣; pinyin: Qìngyún Xiàn) is a county of north-northwest Shandong province, People's Republic of China, bordering Hebei province to the north.
Explore the area →Show fewer areas
Linyi County 临邑县
Linyi County is a county in the northwest of Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is administered by the prefecture-level city of Dezhou.
Explore the area →CountyQihe County 齐河县
Qihe County (simplified Chinese: 齐河县; traditional Chinese: 齊河縣; pinyin: Qíhé Xiàn) is a county in the northwest of Shandong province, People's Republic of China.
Explore the area →CountyPingyuan County 平原县
Pingyuan County (simplified Chinese: 平原县; traditional Chinese: 平原縣; pinyin: Píngyuán Xiàn) is a county in the northwest of Shandong province, People's Republic of China.
Explore the area →CountyXiajin County 夏津县
Xiajin County is a county in the northwest of Shandong Province, China, bordering Hebei to the west. It is the westernmost county-level division of the prefecture-level city of Dezhou.
Explore the area →CountyWucheng County 武城县
Wucheng County (simplified Chinese: 武城县; traditional Chinese: 武城縣; pinyin: Wǔchéng Xiàn) is a county in the northwest of Shandong province, People's Republic of China, bordering Hebei province to the…
Explore the area →County-level cityLaoling 乐陵市
Laoling (simplified Chinese: 乐陵; traditional Chinese: 樂陵; pinyin: Làolíng), often mispronounced as Leling, is a county-level city in the northwest of Shandong province, China, bordering Hebei province to the…
Explore the area →County-level cityYucheng 禹城市
Yucheng is a county-level city located in the northwest of Shandong province, China. It is administered by the prefecture-level city of Dezhou.
Explore the area →No areas match this name.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Search for 德州市 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Tomb of King Sulu and Dezhou Museum are about 6 km apart in a straight line. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Shandong →More in Shandong
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Background text adapted from Dezhou — Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text has been shortened and reorganized; source revision 1365278992.
Photo: Tomb of King Sulu · Suginami · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Dezhou Museum · Cartonfox · Cartonfox — Dezhou_Museum_2024.jpg — CC0 · CC0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Yuwangting Museum · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.