Get to know Shan County
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- Administrative area
- County · 县
- Part of
- Heze
- Chinese name
- 单县
- Local areas
- County guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 1,670.00 km²
- Population · 2019
- 1,097,600
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Carved archways
The Hundred Lions Archway, built in 1778, takes its name from a hundred lions carved in different poses on its supporting pillars. The Hundred Longevity Archway dates to 1765 and displays a hundred versions of the character shou (寿), meaning longevity. Both stand on Paifang Street (牌坊街); their stonework combines carving in the round, openwork, relief and incised lines.
Courtyards and folk life
The Zhu Family Courtyards (朱家楼院) began in 1526. Two courtyards survive from a much larger residential complex. In 2011, the surviving buildings were fitted out as Shan County Folk Museum (单县民俗博物馆), using photographs, objects and figures to show traditional customs and everyday life in southwestern Shandong.
Sources for this guide
单县 - 菏泽史志网 · Heze Local History Research Institute
假期不约！五一我要去单县牌坊古城_科教社会_山东新闻_新闻_齐鲁网 · Qilu Net / Shandong Broadcasting
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-26.
Explore Shan County
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Shan County 单县
Plan your visit
Getting there
Shan County is about 75 km in a straight line from central Heze. Search for 单县 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →More in Heze
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.