Rizhao

Rizhao is located at the place where the ancient Dawenkou culture and the Longshan culture flourished. Rizhao belonged to the Dongyi people during the Xia and Shang dynasties (2070-1046 BC), and to Ju and Yue States in the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC) and the Warring States period (476-221 BC). It became a part of Langye Commandery in the Qin dynasty (221-206 BC). Rizhao was named Haiqu County () during the Western Han (206 BC-25 AD) and Xihai County under the Eastern Han (25-220 AD). The fangsheng pond of Haiqu's early Buddhist community is the earliest attested. During the Tang dynasty, together with Ju County, Rizhao belonged to Mi Prefecture of Henan Prefecture. In 1087, during the Northern Song dynasty, Rizhao Town was established under Ju County, originating the name meaning "(the place that first receives the) sunshine" due to its eastern coastal location. Rizhao County was set up in 1184 during the Jin dynasty. In 1940, it came under the control of the Chinese Communist Party. After being a county and since 1985 a city under the administration of Linyi, Rizhao became a prefecture-level city within Shandong province in 1989. The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago has done field survey archaeological work in Rizhao over the years. ==Climate==

Rizhao has a temperate, four-season, monsoon-influenced climate that lies in the transition between the humid subtropical (Köppen Cwa) and humid continental (Köppen Dwa) regimes. Winter is cool to cold and windy, but generally dry, with a January average of . Summer is generally hot and humid, but sweltering days are rare, with an August average of . Due to its proximity to the coast and being on a peninsula, it experiences a one-month delayed spring compared to much of the province. Conversely, fall is milder than inland areas in Shandong. The annual mean temperature is . On average, there are 2,310 hours of bright sunshine annually, and the relative humidity is 69%. ==Administration==

The prefecture-level city of Rizhao administers four county-level divisions, including two districts and two counties. • Donggang District () • Lanshan District () • Ju County () • Wulian County () ==Landmarks and tourist attractions==

The Zaishui Art Museum on an artificial lake was completed in December 2023, along with a promenade and café by the Spanish firm SelgasCano. In addition to the museum, Jun'ya Ishigami designed a horseback-riding center, a hotel, and a 148-foot-high, concrete church. The following locations have a 4-star rating according to Chinese classification for scenic spots () • Wulian Mountain () • Daqing Mountain () • Wanpingkou Beach () • Rizhao Beach National Park () • Longmengu () • Liujiawan Park () • Tiantai Mountain Tourism Area (天台山旅游区) ==Sustainable development==

Since the early 1990s, the city has mandated the incorporation of solar water heaters in all new buildings and renovated public buildings, and oversees the construction process to ensure they are correctly installed. The effort to install solar water heaters began in 1992. By 2007, 99% of households in the central districts used solar water heaters, contributing to the city's high sustainability rankings. ==Transportation==

Rizhao features a major seaport (Port of Rizhao), located approximately north of Shanghai, southwest of Qingdao, and north of Lianyungang. The seaport serves as a site for loading and unloading iron ore and coal. Other products passing through the harbor include cement, nickel, bauxite, and the like. In 2011 the Port of Rizhao, together with the cities of Qingdao, Weihai and Yantai in Shandong, signed a strategic alliance with Busan, the largest port of the Republic of Korea. The alliance aims at building a shipping and logistics center in Northeast Asia. The iron ore port of Lanqiao, which opened in 2014, is located close to it as is the Lanshan port region. Rizhao Shanzihe Airport (IATA: RIZ) is an airport serving the city of Rizhao. The airport received approval from the State Council and the Central Military Commission in October 2013. It is located in the town of (), Donggang District. It was opened on 22 December 2015. The city is served by two railway stations, Rizhao railway station for local trains, which was rebuilt and reopened in April 2025, and Rizhao West railway station for both local and high-speed services. ==Education==

Universities and colleges Since becoming a city, Rizhao has seen a significant growth in the number of universities and colleges, • Qufu Normal University () • Jining Medical University () • Rizhao Polytechnic () • Shandong Foreign Languages Vocational College () • Shandong Sport College () • Shandong Water Conservancy Vocational College (山东水利职业学院) • Rizhao Marine Engineering Vocational College (日照航海工程职业学院) == Image gallery ==

File:Wanping kou beach.jpg|Wanpingkou Beach File:Fulai mountain.jpg|Fulaishan File:Dengta square beach.jpg|Dengta Lighthouse File:Wulian .jpg|Wulian Mountain File:日照站2022.jpg|Rizhao Railway Station File:Rizhao Railway Station.jpg|Rizhao Railway Station File:日照灯塔 - panoramio (1).jpg|Rizhao Lighthouse File:Rizhao1.jpg|Rizhao scenery File:日照市万平口海洋公园2022.jpg|Rizhao Wanpingkou Ocean Park 2022 File:Rizhao sea port.jpg|Rizhao sea port ==International relations==

Rizhao has established twin towns and sister city relationships with several international partners. As of 2025, Rizhao has also formed friendly cooperation agreements with additional localities, such as Pakhtakor District (Uzbekistan, 2023) and Kovacica (Serbia, 2025), though these may differ from formal sister city status. ==References==