Chinese Name: 德州市 (dé zhōu shì)

Population: 5,526,600  

Area: 10,356 square kilometers (3,998 square miles) 

Nationalities: Han 

Administrative Division: 1 district (Decheng); 8 counties (Lingxian, Pingyuan, Xiajin, Wucheng, Qihe, Linyi, Ningjin, Qingyun); 2 county-level cities (Leling, Yucheng)  

Seat of the City Government: 64, Dongfanghong Lu, Decheng District, Dezhou City 

Useful Telephone Numbers: Tourist Complaints: 0534-2641369
                                          Weather Forecast: 121
                                          Zip Code Inquiry: 184

Bank of China Dezhou Branch: 200, Tianqu Dong Lu, Decheng District, Dezhou City 

China Post Dezhou Branch: 173, Jiefang Nan Lu, Decheng District, Dezhou City

Location: Located in the northwest of Shandong Province, Dezhou City neighbors Hebei Province in the north and Shanxi Province in the west. It is in the neighborhood of Jinan, the capital city of Shandong in the south and adjacent to Shengli Oilfield of Dongying City and Jiaodong Peninsular in the east.        

History: The history of Dezhou can be traced back more than four thousand years according to the elaborate articles of black pottery that have been excavated in the area. Yu the Great dredged nine rivers to control flooding and five of the rivers run through present Dezhou. Dezhou Region was established in 1950 and promoted to being a regional city in 1994.         
 
Physical Features: Dezhou is situated in an alluvial plain formed by the Yellow River. Historically, twice the river channels diverted, and it burst its banks over a thousand times. Therefore, the terrain of Dezhou is higher in the southwest and lower in the northeast. Uplands, sloping fields, and depressions are the main components of the city's landform.                 

Climate: Enjoying a warm temperate continental monsoon climate, the city has four distinct seasons with cold and warm, wet and dry periods. Its annual average temperature falls around 13℃ (55.4℉).   
     
When to Go: spring, summer and autumn  

Special Local Products: black pottery, Dezhou Braised Chicken, Baodian Duckey Meat, golden thread jujube of Leling City, water melon

 Attractions:
Tomb of the Sulu East King is a remarkable scenic spot of Dezhou now under state protection in China. It is located in Beiying Village in the north of the city proper. Sulu Kingdom is an ancient Moslem emirate in Sulu Archipelago of the southwestern Philippines. The East King, who was the head of the kingdom, died of illness on his way back from Beijing through Dezhou in 1417. The emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) built the tomb for the king. 

Other Scenic Spots: Yuwangting Museum, Qianfo Pagoda, Hongtansi Forest Park

Travel Tips:
Situated in the interleaving area between North and East China, the Bohai Sea and the Yellow River Delta, Dezhou boasts great traffic advantages for its location adjacent to the sea and the Yellow River.

Dezhou is only one hour's drive from Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport and two hours' drive from the Port of Tianjin. Beijing-Shanghai, Shijiazhuang-Dezhou and Handan-Jinan railways run through Dezhou. Additionally, the highways of Beijing-Fuzhou, Jinan-Liaocheng, and Qingdao-Yinchuan run directly through the city. 
Dezhou Bus Station: 30, Tiexi Nan Lu, Decheng District, Dezhou City