Shihchiachuang

a city in North China and the capital of Hopeh Province. Population, 1.5 million (1970). Shihchiachuang is a railroad junction and a center of heavy industry—ferrous metallurgy and machine building. The machine-building industry, which includes railroad repair shops, produces engines, mining and power-engineering equipment, steam locomotives, and railroad cars. The city has an electronics industry, and the textile industry is represented by six large cotton mills. Shihchiachuang has glass and cement plants, and the Hopeh Pharmaceuticals Plant is the largest such enterprise in the People’s Republic of China. Near the city coal is mined in the Chinghsing coalfield, and iron ore at the Chienp’ing deposit.