Liaocheng

Liaocheng is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southeast, Dezhou to the northeast, Tai'an to the south, and the provinces of Hebei and Henan to the west. The Grand Canal flows through the city center. During the late days of Prehistoric Times, the city belonged to Yanzhou. It subsequently partly belonged to several states before the Qin (221BC-206AD) Court brought it into the territory of Dong (East) Shire. In the early years following the liberation of China, it was brought into Shandong Province when the former Pingyuan Province was dissolved. The terrain of Liaocheng is flat, mostly being an alluvial plain formed by the Yellow River, except for some fragmentary hills along the Yellow River in Dong'e County. The city slopes roughly from southwest to the northeast.

Canal Culture Museum China is one of first countries to use canals having one of the greatest projects in the world, the Grand Canal. Liaocheng was influenced by the canal culture long ago. Jingyang Hillock is known throughout the country as the place where Wusong, a well known character in one of the four Chinese ancient classics the Water Margin (Shuiwu Zhuan), beat the tiger to death. Shanshan Guild Hall is a magnificent old building group on the west bank of the Grand Canal. Shanshan refe