How Did the Most Henan-like City in Shandong Become the "Center of the Universe"?

Mention Heze, and many might draw a blank: where is that? But if we talk about Caoxian, most people would immediately realize: oh, Caoxian is in Heze! Despite being a major city with a population of over 8 million, Heze is surprisingly low-key—so much so that it even borrows the spotlight from its subordinate counties.

Geographically, Heze is arguably the "least Shandong-like" city in Shandong. Located in the far southwest of the province, it sits at the intersection of Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, and Anhui. To make it even more distinct, Heze is almost entirely encircled by Henan’s Puyang, Kaifeng, Shangqiu, and Xinxiang on its southern, northern, and western sides. Historically, Heze and Henan have been as close as family.

If you ask a Heze local what’s great about their hometown, they might struggle before blurting out two words: "Hen Zhong!" (Very good!). And when you hear the rhythmic catchphrase "Shandong Heze Caoxian," it’s unmistakably tinged with a Henan accent!

Heze or Henan? It’s impossible to tell!

If you locate Heze on a satellite map, you’ll notice its "earth-toned palette" is strikingly uniform with neighboring cities: yellow. Yes, stepping beyond artificially drawn administrative boundaries, this region shares a defining geographic trait—they all lie within the Yellow River’s flood-prone lower reaches.

As we all know, the Yellow River is the cradle of Chinese civilization. But this "mother" often throws tantrums, subjecting those living along her banks to devastating floods. Historical records show the river has breached its lower course over 1,500 times and shifted course more than 20 times, carving countless abandoned channels across a thousand-kilometer stretch from Tianjin in the north to the Huai River in the south.

When floods struck, displaced people wandered in search of refuge. This periodic migration fostered cultural exchange across the floodplain, giving the borderlands of these four provinces a shared cultural identity. The Zhongyuan Mandarin spoken in Henan is practically the lingua franca of the entire Yellow River flood zone.

It was this geographic and cultural unity that led the North China People’s Government, after the 1949 liberation, to merge parts of northern Henan and western Shandong—based on the old Hebei-Shandong-Henan liberated zone—into the newly established Pingyuan Province, with its capital in present-day Xinxiang, Henan. For Heze locals, Henan’s Xinxiang is their "happy ancestral home."

Every Sunday evening, many older Heze residents still tune in to Henan TV’s opera program *Li Yuan Chun*. Why not watch Shandong’s local Lüju opera? The answer is simple: they can’t understand it! Lüju uses dialects from places like Dongying and Jiaodong, whereas Heze people find Henan’s Zhongyuan Mandarin far more familiar. Notably, two of the "Five Great Dan" actresses in Yu Opera—Cui Lantian and Ma Jinfeng—were both born and raised in Heze.

Another link between Heze and Henan lies in Heze’s city flower: the peony. Luoyang peonies once dazzled the world with their imperial grandeur, famously "shaking the capital in bloom." But after the Tang dynasty, climate and environmental changes caused their decline. By 1959, when Premier Zhou Enlai visited Luoyang, all he saw were "black peonies" blooming amid the smokestacks of industrial zones.

Yet there’s no need to mourn Luoyang’s peonies—enter Heze’s peonies! Thanks to centuries of Yellow River silt deposits, Heze’s sandy soil is perfectly porous for peony cultivation. Since the Qing dynasty, Heze (then Caozhou) has been famed as "the world’s premier peony land."

Naturally, Heze became the key force in reviving Luoyang’s peonies. Outside Luoyang’s Wangcheng Park—the main venue for its peony festivals—a road was named "Heze Road," symbolizing the two cities’ intertwined legacy. Today, Heze is "China’s Peony Capital," while Luoyang is "China’s Peony Hometown." As the saying goes: "Luoyang’s peonies, Heze’s blooms—Heze and Luoyang are one family!"

How did the "Center of the Universe" come to be?

Two springs ago, Caoxian went viral overnight. This small county under Heze was humorously crowned the "Center of the Universe" online. While mostly a joke, the title oddly fits Heze itself.

For millennia, the rise and fall of China’s dynasties hinged on the Yellow River’s moods. When tame, its basin was a breadbasket and strategic stronghold. When it raged, the displaced people of the floodplain rose in rebellion.

Even Heze’s name—both characters containing the water radical—harks back to the ancient "Nine Marshes" of Yu the Great’s era, including the Ju Marsh in today’s Juye County. These wetlands once sheltered rebels from imperial forces. Many legendary outlaws from *Water Margin*, like Chao Gai, Song Jiang, and Wu Yong, were native Heze figures.

"When Heze stirs, the Central Plains tremble." The region’s ancient history reads like a chronicle of peasant uprisings. The most famous rebel? Huang Chao, the "Golden Emperor" from Caoxian, whose poem vowed: "When my flowers bloom, others perish." Folks say Shandong never produced an emperor, but Huang Chao was indisputably one—born in Heze.

And he wasn’t alone: Liu He, the Marquis of Haihun, was enthroned from his fief in Juye; Tang’s last emperor, Li Zhu, was poisoned and buried in Dingtao after abdicating; Liu Bang, from neighboring Jiangsu, proclaimed the Han dynasty in Dingtao; and his empress Lü Zhi, who ruled as regent, hailed from Heze’s Shan County.

Clearly, Heze is Shandong’s most "imperial" land. Few ancient capitals witnessed both the Han’s dawn and the Tang’s dusk like Heze did. Feeling the "Center of the Universe" vibes yet?

Officially named Heze for less than 300 years, many of its counties bear ancient names like Yuncheng and Juancheng—obscure characters with "ear" radicals dating back 2,000+ years to the Zhou dynasty. Before "Heze," it was known by a thunderous name: Caozhou—yes, the very Caoxian.

Although the sudden popularity of Caoxian County was directly triggered by a catchy "666" phrase on the internet, its fundamental strength lies in its solid foundation. With a population of 1.36 million, Caoxian is the second-largest county in Shandong, rivaling many prefecture-level cities. Its long-renowned coffin industry dominates nearly 90% of Japan's market, ensuring dignity for countless Japanese in their final journey. In recent years, the rise of performance costume and Hanfu manufacturing has further cemented Caoxian's reputation as the "Hanfu Capital."

Caoxian's growth mirrors that of Heze. In the 2022 Taobao Top 100 Counties list, all 2 districts and 7 counties of Heze were included, boasting 541 "Taobao Villages" and 93 "Taobao Towns"—surpassing e-commerce hubs like Yiwu and Wenzhou to rank first nationally. Riding the wave of the internet economy, Heze's prized peonies, known for their affordability and beauty, have flourished nationwide. A vibrant Heze peony often brightens the flower vases on many desks.

Not only has internet traffic converged from Caoxian to Heze, but the high-quality products made by Heze locals have also spread across the country via the web, narrating the past and future of this ancient land.

Henan flavor or Shandong flavor? No, it's Heze flavor!

Shandong is mountainous, but Heze is a clear exception. Thanks to the Yellow River's historical floods, Heze is almost entirely covered by fertile loess. This natural advantage has made Heze's agriculture exceptionally productive. In 2021, its grain output reached 7.877 million tons, ranking first among Shandong's cities. Even in a major grain-producing province like Shandong, Heze stands out as a top granary.

Agricultural abundance provides the material foundation for Heze's rich cuisine. Located along the Yellow River and the Grand Canal, its convenient transportation attracted merchants from afar, turning Heze into a hub for diverse visitors. No matter where you're from, a visit to Heze guarantees a "bombardment" of carbs and fats. Fried dough bubbles, fried sugar cakes, fried meat pies... an array of fried delights can dispel winter chills and fuel you with energy all day.

In daily dining, Heze shares deep ties with Henan. Dishes like pan-fried buns and spicy soup blur provincial boundaries, making one exclaim: "This is so un-Shandong!" But such a remark only shows a lack of understanding. Wake up early and indulge in the local markets!

Lamb soup is common nationwide, but Heze's version is unique: elsewhere it's called "lamb soup," but here it's "mutton soup!" The famous Shanxian mutton soup has a milky-white hue, achieved not by artificial additives but by overnight boiling to extract collagen and marrow, creating a rich flavor. When cooled, the broth even solidifies into jelly.

Neighboring Caoxian takes lamb preparation to another level of "solidity." Whole lamb is stewed until fall-off-the-bone tender, then pressed into shape. As it cools, the gelatin binds the meat into a massive "lamb block." The largest can weigh up to 80 pounds, condensing the essence of four sheep—a "compressed mutton" marvel. Towering on the cutting board, it's the most spectacular sight at the market.

Caoxian also excels with beef. What's commonly known as braised beef elsewhere is called "burned beef" here. After marinating, the beef is fried in sesame oil until every fiber absorbs its aroma, turning a tempting date-red.

One might wonder: a whole pot of sesame oil—how costly! Similarly, the lamb block requires two pounds of raw meat for one pound of finished product. Yet this relentless pursuit of perfection creates flavors hard to find elsewhere. Outside Heze, I've never tasted beef so fragrant or mutton soup so rich.

So how to define Heze? Neither Shandong nor Henan flavor—it's uniquely Heze. From its historically rich urban vibe to its distinctive, hearty snacks, Heze remains a treasure yet to be overrun by internet fame, worthy of more exploration.

Text Editor | Feitian Yimian