Get to know Heze
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- Administrative area
- Prefecture-level city · 地级市
- Part of
- Shandong
- Chinese name
- 菏泽市
- Local areas
- 9 local areas
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 12,256.00 km²
- Population · 2010 census
- 8,287,693
- Administrative seat
- Mudan District
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Heze was originally a natural ancient Ze, where Ji River converged and He River flowed out, connecting the two major water systems of Gu Ji River and Sishui River. It was renamed Longchi in the Tang Dynasty and Xiayue Lake in the Qing Dynasty. In the 13th year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1735), Caozhou was promoted to a prefecture and a county was established under the jurisdiction of Guo. Due to the presence of "Heshan" in the south and "Leize" in the north, it was named Heze. Heze has a long history and enjoys the reputation of being "among the best in the world". The nine lakes of Heze, Leize, Dayezhe, and Mengzhuze in the "Yu Gong" are all located within its borders. The founder of humanities, Fuxi, the emperor of Dongyi, Shaohao, the wise monarch, Shun, the warlord and war god Chiyou, the reformer Wu Qi, the military strategist Sun Bin, the agricultural scientist Fan Shengzhi, the economist Liu Yan, and the literary scholar Wen Zisheng were all born here. Liu Bang ascended to the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, Cao Cao achieved hegemony, Huang Chaoqiyi, and Song Jiangjuyi all occurred in Heze.
Culture
Heze is rich in cultural tourism resources and is known as the capital of peonies, the hometown of opera, martial arts, calligraphy and painting, and folk art. Peony cultivation began in the Sui Dynasty, flourished in the Tang Dynasty, and flourished in the Ming Dynasty. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it had become the center of peony cultivation in China. It is known as "Caozhou has the best peonies in the world, and Heze has the best peonies in the world."
Transportation
Heze has convenient transportation and has formed a transportation network consisting of four modes of transportation: railway, highway, shipping, aviation, and pipeline. The Beijing-Kowloon Railway Line and the Xinyan Line cross the territory, running through Caoxian, Dingtao, Mudan District, and Juan respectively. Cheng, Yuncheng, Dongming, Juye and other counties, there are 8 county-level railway stations; Beijing-Kowloon High-speed Railway and Shandong-Nan High-speed Railway intersect here, and highway transportation is developed. Highway: China National Highway 220; China National Highway 105; China National Highway 106; China National Highway 240; China National Highway 327 Heze Mudan Airport opened on April 2, 2021. Conventional rail services call at Heze railway station, high-speed services call at Heze East railway station.
Explore Heze
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Heze
Caozhou Peony Garden (曹州牡丹园), Heze. Photograph: "世界园艺博览园-山东曹州牡丹园".Caozhou Peony Garden曹州牡丹园
Caozhou Peony Garden brings Heze’s flower-growing tradition into a large landscaped collection of peony beds, garden structures and cultural displays. Guanhuaa Tower looks over the planting areas, while Guohua Hall connects the…
Read the place guide →Heze Museum building and forecourt · 菏泽市博物馆外观 Photograph date recorded by the source: 28 March 2025.Heze Museum菏泽市博物馆
Heze Museum’s collection connects the region’s ancient settlement mounds with later river trade. Shang-period ritual bronzes provide one focus, while Yuan blue-and-white porcelain recovered with an ancient ship introduces a very…
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Yongfeng Pagoda, a Song-dynasty Buddhist tower beside the water in Juye County · 巨野县永丰塔，宋代佛塔，塔旁临水 Source-recorded photograph date: Taken on 22 June 2023 08:52:01.Yongfeng Pagoda永丰塔
Yongfeng Pagoda (永丰塔) is a brick Buddhist tower in the south-eastern corner of the county town of Juye, in Heze, Shandong, dated to the Northern Song dynasty and protected at national level since 2013.
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AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）Jinshan Hill金山
Jinshan (金山) is a low hill on the eastern edge of Juye County, in Heze, Shandong, cut into on a huge scale in the Western Han period and later filled with temples; it is the one hill in an otherwise flat prefecture.
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Water Margin Heroes Town · 水浒好汉城Water Margin Heroes Town水浒好汉城
Shuihu Haohancheng (水浒好汉城), the Water Margin Heroes Town, is a purpose-built themed old town in the south-west of the county seat of Yuncheng, in Heze, Shandong, devoted to the novel Water Margin and to the martial arts tradition of the county.
Read the place guide →Local life & food
Heze local specialties
菏泽市特色美食 · 10 specialties to discover
Shanxian Goat Soup 单县羊肉汤Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Shanxian Goat Soup (单县羊肉汤) uses local Qingshan goats (青山羊) and is known for its milky-white broth. Laonian Shenghuo Bao (老年生活报), published by Qingdao Daily Group (青岛日报社), describes tender meat and a clear, fresh aroma.
Read the dish guide →
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Caoxian Braised Beef 曹县烧牛肉AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Caoxian Braised Beef (曹县烧牛肉) is a specialty of Cao County (曹县) in Heze (菏泽). Qilu News describes meat from one- to two-year-old yellow bulls raised in southwestern Shandong (山东), cooked with a spice mixture including star anise and baizhi (白芷).
Read the dish guide →
Yuncheng large stuffed flatbread 郓城壮馍AI illustration · AI 示意图
The crust is firm and crisp in places, enclosing softer layers flavored by the filling's juices. It is a full, substantial wheat-and-meat food rather than a light nibble.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Juye Guanzi Goat Soup 巨野罐子汤AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Juye Guanzi Goat Soup (巨野罐子汤) is a breakfast food in Juye County (巨野县), Heze (菏泽), eaten with zhuangmo (壮馍), an oil-fried flatbread, and pickles. The broth combines goat bones, head meat and offal with local sweet-potato noodles.
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Chengwu Sauce-Pickled Root Vegetable 成武酱大头AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Chengwu Sauce-Pickled Root Vegetable (成武酱大头) is a pickle of large-rooted mustard (大头菜) cured in fermented wheat paste in Chengwu County (成武县), Heze (菏泽), in southwest Shandong.
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Juancheng Zuoying Mung Bean Balls 鄄城左营绿豆丸子
Juancheng Zuoying Mung Bean Balls (鄄城左营绿豆丸子) are a mung-bean speciality from Zuoying (左营), Juancheng (鄄城).
Read the dish guide →Photo adjustments
EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Heze Mianpao Fried Dough Puffs 菏泽面泡AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Heze Mianpao Fried Dough Puffs (菏泽面泡) are a deep-fried flour snack from Heze (菏泽), Shandong, and Dazhong calls mianpao the mainstay of the Heze breakfast.
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Hanging-Oven Sesame Flatbread 吊炉烧饼Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Hanging-Oven Sesame Flatbread (吊炉烧饼) is the layered, sesame-coated baked bread of Heze (菏泽), the city in south-western Shandong known in the past as Caozhou (曹州).
Read the dish guide →
Photo adjustments
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All dish names · 全部菜名 (10)
- Shanxian Goat Soup · 单县羊肉汤
- Caoxian Braised Beef · 曹县烧牛肉
- Yuncheng large stuffed flatbread · 郓城壮馍
- Juye Guanzi Goat Soup · 巨野罐子汤
- Chengwu Sauce-Pickled Root Vegetable · 成武酱大头
- Juancheng Zuoying Mung Bean Balls · 鄄城左营绿豆丸子
- Heze Mianpao Fried Dough Puffs · 菏泽面泡
- Hanging-Oven Sesame Flatbread · 吊炉烧饼
- Pan-Fried Buns · 水煎包
- Caoxian Sesame Flatbread · 曹县烧饼
More dishes from across Shandong are in the Shandong food guide.
Counties & districts in Heze
9 areas belong directly to Heze.
9 areas
Mudan District 牡丹区
Mudan District is an urban district of Heze, Shandong province. It is the seat of Heze's prefectural government and center of its built-up or metro area, bordering Henan province to the northwest across the…
Explore the area →DistrictDingtao District 定陶区
Dingtao District is a district under the jurisdiction of Heze in Shandong province, China.
Explore the area →CountyCao County 曹县
Cao County or Caoxian (simplified Chinese: 曹县; traditional Chinese: 曹縣; pinyin: Cáo Xiàn) is a county in Heze City in southwestern Shandong Province, China. It borders Henan Province to the west.
Explore the area →CountyShan County 单县
Shan County or Shanxian (simplified Chinese: 单县; traditional Chinese: 單縣; pinyin: Shàn Xiàn) is a county in the southwest of Shandong province, China, bordering the provinces of Anhui to the southeast and…
Explore the area →Show fewer areas
Chengwu County 成武县
Chengwu County (simplified Chinese: 成武县; traditional Chinese: 成武縣; pinyin: Chéngwǔ Xiàn) is a county of southwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Heze city.
Explore the area →CountyJuye County 巨野县
Juye is a county in western Shandong province which is under the administration of Heze City. The county is 1,303 square km in area and has a population of approximately 910,000.
Explore the area →CountyYuncheng County 郓城县
Yuncheng (simplified Chinese: 郓城; traditional Chinese: 鄆城; pinyin: Yùnchéng) is a county in the southwest of Shandong province, China.
Explore the area →CountyJuancheng County 鄄城县
Juancheng County falls under the jurisdiction of Heze, in the southwest of Shandong province, China. The population is approximately 800,000.
Explore the area →CountyDongming County 东明县
Dongming County in Heze Prefecture is the westernmost county of Shandong Province in the People's Republic of China. It borders Henan Province to the west across the Yellow River.
Explore the area →No areas match this name.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Search for 菏泽市 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Caozhou Peony Garden and Heze Museum are about 5 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 Heze — Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text has been shortened and reorganized; source revision 1370685929.
Photo: Caozhou Peony Garden · 董辰兴 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; EXIF orientation normalized, proportionally resized to at most 800 pixels and converted to WebP. No generated pixels or subject changes. Cards may crop the display.
Photo: Heze Museum · Baomi · Baomi — Heze_Museum.jpg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · 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: Yongfeng Pagoda · S.Z. · 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: Water Margin Heroes Town · 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.