Heze

Heze lies in the far southwest corner of Shandong on the Central Plains, at the historic meeting point of Shandong, Henan, Hebei and Jiangsu. It is celebrated across China as the City of Peonies, home to the vast Caozhou Peony Garden and the world's largest concentration of tree-peony cultivation, which fills the city with color and visitors each April. Once known as Caozhou, the area is steeped in the lore of the novel Water Margin, and towns such as Yuncheng preserve outlaw-hero themed sites. Heze also has a deep tradition of folk martial arts, wrestling and opera. Peony products, agriculture and chemicals anchor its economy, one of Shandong's most populous. Heze Mudan Airport and new high-speed rail links have recently opened up the long-isolated region.