Chéngwǔ

Chengwu lies on the plain of southwestern Shandong. A county was established here under the Qin, and its administrative affiliation changed repeatedly over the centuries. Under the Yuan it belonged to Caozhou; in the Ming it passed from Jining to Yanzhou prefecture and the county name was written with a variant first character. In the Qing it remained under Yanzhou until Caozhou was raised to prefectural status in the Yongzheng reign, when the county was transferred to it.

The county gazetteer records flooding of the county seat after a Yellow River breach in 1517, followed by embankment work. These episodes place the town within the long struggle to manage water across the low-lying plain.