Rizhao
Prefecture-level city in southeastern Shandong, China, known for sustainability.
Rizhao (also spelled Jihchao) sits on the coast of southeastern Shandong province, along the Yellow Sea. It is a prefecture-level city with a major port, the Port of Rizhao. To its northeast lies Qingdao, Weifang is to the north, and Linyi to the west and southwest; across the Yellow Sea to the east are Korea and Japan. The city’s name means “sunshine.” It is noted for its sustainability efforts: all new buildings must include solar-water heaters. In 2009, the United Nations named Rizhao one of the world’s most habitable cities.
As of the 2020 census, the city had 2,968,365 people, with 1,172,205 living in the urban Donggang District. By 2024, the estimated resident population was 2,929,000. This represents an increase of 167,352 people from the 2010 census (2,801,013), a rise of 5.97% over the decade, averaging 0.58% annual growth.
Historically, the area was home to the ancient Dawenkou and Longshan cultures. During the Xia and Shang dynasties (2070–1046 BC), it belonged to the Dongyi people. In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (770–221 BC), it was part of the Ju and Yue states. Under the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC), it became part of Langye Commandery. In the Western Han (206 BC–25 AD), it was called Haiqu County; under the Eastern Han (25–220 AD), it was renamed Xihai County. The earliest known Buddhist community in Haiqu had a fangsheng pond. During the Tang dynasty, Rizhao and Ju County belonged to Mi Prefecture in Henan Prefecture. In 1087, under the Northern Song, Rizhao Town was established within Ju County, its name meaning “(the place that first receives the) sunshine” due to its eastern coast. Rizhao County was created in 1184 during the Jin dynasty. In 1940, it came under Chinese Communist Party control. After being a county and then a city under Linyi’s administration since 1985, Rizhao became a prefecture-level city in Shandong in 1989. The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago has conducted archaeological surveys in Rizhao over the years.
Rizhao’s climate is temperate, with four seasons and a monsoon influence, straddling humid subtropical (Köppen Cwa) and humid continental (Köppen Dwa) zones. Winters are cool to cold and windy but generally dry; January averages 0.3 °C (32.5 °F). Summers are hot and humid, though sweltering days are uncommon; August averages 25.5 °C (77.9 °F). Because of its coastal peninsula location, spring arrives about a month later than in most of the province, while autumn is milder than inland Shandong. The annual mean temperature is 13.7 °C (56.7 °F). The city gets about 2,310 hours of sunshine per year, with an average relative humidity of 69%.
Rizhao administers four county-level divisions: two districts (Donggang and Lanshan) and two counties (Ju and Wulian).
Notable landmarks include the Zaishui Art Museum, built on an artificial lake and completed in December 2023, along with a promenade and café designed by the Spanish firm SelgasCano. Japanese architect Jun’ya Ishigami designed a horseback-riding center, a hotel, and a 148-foot-tall concrete church on the same site. Several locations hold a 4-star rating under China’s scenic-spot classification: Wulian Mountain, Daqing Mountain, Wanpingkou Beach, Rizhao Beach National Park, Longmengu, Liujiawan Park, and Tiantai Mountain Tourism Area.
Since the early 1990s, the city has required solar-water heaters in all new buildings and renovated public buildings, overseeing installation to ensure correctness. The effort started in 1992. By 2007, 99% of households in the central districts used solar heaters, boosting the city’s sustainability rankings.
The Port of Rizhao is a major seaport, about 620 km (390 mi) north of Shanghai, 170 km (110 mi) southwest of Qingdao, and 120 km (75 mi) north of Lianyungang. It handles iron ore, coal, cement, nickel, bauxite, and other goods. In 2011, the port joined Qingdao, Weihai, and Yantai in a strategic alliance with Busan, South Korea’s largest port, aiming to create a Northeast Asian shipping and logistics hub. The nearby Lanqiao iron ore port opened in 2014, and the Lanshan port region is also close. Rizhao Shanzihe Airport (IATA: RIZ), approved by the State Council and Central Military Commission in October 2013, is located in Houcun town, Donggang District, and opened on December 22, 2015. The city has two railway stations: Rizhao station (for local trains, rebuilt and reopened in April 2025) and Rizhao West station (for both local and high-speed services).
Since becoming a city, Rizhao has seen growth in higher education. Most universities and colleges are in or near the University City in Donggang District. These include Qufu Normal University, Jining Medical University, Rizhao Polytechnic, Shandong Foreign Languages Vocational College, Shandong Sport College, and Shandong Water Conserv.
- area_type
- Prefecture-level city
- province
- Shandong
- country
- China
- known_for
- Sustainability, solar-water heater mandate, Port of Rizhao
Lore & Background
Rizhao is located at the place where the ancient Dawenkou culture and the Longshan culture flourished. 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.
Ancient Roots and the Birth of a Name
Rizhao's story stretches back to the Dawenkou and Longshan cultures, two of China's earliest Neolithic traditions that flourished across this stretch of coast. During the Xia and Shang dynasties, the land fell under the Dongyi people, and through the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods it shifted between the states of Ju and Yue. The Qin dynasty folded the territory into Langye Commandery, while successive Han-era administrations gave it the county names Haiqu and Xihai. A particularly notable relic from the early Haiqu period is the fangsheng pond, linked to one of the earliest documented Buddhist communities in the region. The name Rizhao itself crystallized in 1087, when Northern Song officials established Rizhao Town under Ju County, coining a phrase that translates to "the place that first receives the sunshine"—a nod to the city's easternmost coastal position. The modern administrative identity arrived in 1989, when Rizhao was elevated to prefecture-level status within Shandong province, after years as a county and then a city under Linyi's jurisdiction.
A City Built on Sunshine
Few cities have made their name so literally into policy. Rizhao, whose Chinese characters mean "sunshine," has turned that identity into a concrete urban mandate. Beginning in 1992, local authorities required every new building and every renovated public structure to incorporate solar water heaters, and they actively supervised installation to ensure compliance. The result was remarkable: by 2007, 99 percent of households in the central districts were drawing hot water from the sun. This sustained commitment to renewable energy helped earn Rizhao a place on the United Nations' list of the world's most habitable cities in 2009, a distinction that underscored how a single, consistently enforced policy could reshape a city's environmental profile. The mandate also fits naturally with the local climate, where residents enjoy roughly 2,310 hours of bright sunshine each year and a relative humidity of 69 percent—conditions that make solar collection both practical and abundant.
Port, Peninsula, and the Sea Economy
Rizhao's position on a Yellow Sea peninsula makes its seaport the economic heartbeat of the city. The Port of Rizhao sits roughly 620 kilometers north of Shanghai, 170 kilometers southwest of Qingdao, and 120 kilometers north of Lianyungang, and it handles heavy bulk cargoes including iron ore, coal, cement, nickel, and bauxite. In 2011 the port entered a strategic alliance with Busan, South Korea's largest harbor, alongside Qingdao, Weihai, and Yantai, with the shared goal of building a Northeast Asian shipping and logistics hub. The iron ore terminal at Lanqiao, which opened in 2014, and the nearby Lanshan port region further expanded the city's capacity. Beyond the sea, Rizhao Shanzihe Airport—approved in 2013 and opened in December 2015 in Houcun, Donggang District—provides air connectivity, while two railway stations, including the rebuilt Rizhao station reopened in April 2025 and Rizhao West for high-speed services, tie the city into the national rail network.
A Climate Shaped by the Coast
Rizhao occupies a climatic crossroads, sitting in the transition zone between humid subtropical (Köppen Cwa) and humid continental (Köppen Dwa) regimes, with a temperate, four-season, monsoon-influenced pattern. Winters are cool to cold and windy but generally dry, with January averaging just 0.3 °C. Summers run hot and humid, yet truly sweltering days remain uncommon; August hovers around 25.5 °C. The annual mean temperature settles at 13.7 °C. Because the city sits on a peninsula jutting into the Yellow Sea, its spring arrives roughly a month later than in much of inland Shandong, while autumn feels noticeably milder than in the province's interior. This maritime moderation, combined with the 2,310 hours of sunshine the city logs each year, gives Rizhao a seasonal rhythm that is distinct from its neighbors and closely tied to the coastal geography that has defined the region since the earliest Dawenkou settlements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Rizhao?
Rizhao is a prefecture-level city on the Yellow Sea coast in southeastern Shandong province, China, best known as a major port hub and a national leader in green building policy.
What makes Rizhao stand out among other Chinese cities?
The city requires solar water heaters on every new construction project, a policy that has made it one of China's most visible examples of scaling renewable energy into everyday residential life.
Where exactly is Rizhao located?
It sits along the Yellow Sea coastline in the southeastern corner of Shandong province, with the Port of Rizhao anchoring its economy and regional trade.
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