Hedong District 河东区

Setting and landscape

The district meets Junan (莒南县) and Linshu (临沭县) counties to the east, Tancheng County (郯城县) to the south and Yinan County (沂南县) to the north. Twenty-eight rivers cross it, and it has two national wetland parks, on the Yi–Shu (沂沭河) and Tang (汤河) rivers. Hedong was one of the earlier places in Shandong to turn waterlogged lowland over to paddy rice; its rice reform of the 1960s became known across the country, and the district came to be called the "rice country north of the Yangtze".

History

The Fenghuangling site (凤凰岭遗址), about 10,000 years old, was the first microlithic site found in Shandong, and the Dafanzhuang site (大范庄遗址) has yielded eggshell pottery. Hedong held the last headquarters of the New Fourth Army (新四军), and the East China Field Army (华东野战军) was formed here; Chen Yi (陈毅), Su Yu (粟裕) and Zhang Yunyi (张云逸) all lived and fought in the area.

What to see

The Memorial of the Former East China Field Army and New Fourth Army Headquarters (华东野战军总部旧址暨新四军军部旧址纪念馆), at No. 1 Junbu Street in Jiuqu, is a national key protected site. Its grounds hold the former East China Bureau offices, the homes of Chen Yi and Zhang Yunyi, the room where Su Yu lived, and an East China Field Army memorial hall with 10,000 square metres of floor space.

Tangtou (汤头) is known for its hot spring, which the district lists as one of China's four natural grade-A springs. Inside the Tangtou resort area, Longyuan (龙园) is a 4A park themed on dragon culture, made up of an old town in Suzhou garden style with the winding Yulong River (玉龙河) running through it, a Jurassic dinosaur park and a European-style garden. The park is said to stand where Qin Shi Huang stayed twice during his five eastern tours.

Food and local products

Zhengwang pickles (郑旺酱菜) come from Zhengwang Town (郑旺镇), with their production base at Songzhuang village (宋庄村), and the craft goes back more than a century. The vegetables are bright, crisp and fragrant, with a strong soy-paste flavour that balances salt and sweetness; in Linyi they are an everyday side dish all year. In the early 1990s they were named a designated product of the Asian Games.

Getting oriented

Hedong's transport links include Linyi Qiyang Airport (临沂启阳机场), Shandong's first civil airport. Linyi East railway station (临沂东站) stands in the district, and the Lunan high-speed railway (鲁南高铁) crosses it from east to west.

Highlights

• East China Field Army and New Fourth Army Headquarters Memorial 华东野战军总部旧址暨新四军军部旧址纪念馆: National key protected site in Jiuqu Subdistrict with the homes of Chen Yi and Zhang Yunyi.
• Longyuan 龙园: 4A dragon-themed park in the Tangtou hot-spring resort area.
• Fenghuangling site 凤凰岭遗址: About 10,000 years old; the first microlithic site found in Shandong.
• Zhengwang pickles 郑旺酱菜: Soy-paste pickled vegetables made in Zhengwang Town for more than a century.