Linqing City is connected to Beijing, over 400 kilometers away, through its tribute bricks. 

Linqing tribute bricks, or Gong Bricks, were transmitted to the country's capital via the Grand Canal for the construction of historical buildings like the Forbidden City, the Imperial Palace and the Temple of Heaven. Local people term the type of brick a legend that flows from the Grand Canal. 

This "legend" was listed as a national cultural heritage on June 14, 2008.  

The history of Linqing tribute bricks

Linqing, a county-level city of Shandong Province, sits at the confluence of the Weihe River and the Grand Canal, as well as that of three provinces, making transportation very convenient.  

During the Ming and Qing (1368-1911) dynasties, Linqing was a metropolis with a population of over one million, the second biggest city in the north. Hundreds of brick kilns were stationed along the Weihe River and it was a distribution center for textiles, grain and bricks. 

Linqing tribute bricks earned its reputation during the Ming Dynasty, when they were widely used for imperial buildings. Apart from the convenient transport links, the quality of the brick is one factor to make it famous. 

The "Lianhua" soil in Linqing is an ideal raw material for bricks. The city is located in the alluvial plain of the Yellow River, so when the Yellow River floods, there will always be a layer of fine sandy soil covering the local cohesive variety.  

Over time, a layer of sandy soil and a layer of clay will form an overlapping structure, known as "Lianhua". Linqing tribute bricks made of this soil will not deform easily.

Poverty alleviation in Linqing

With a rich history and culture, Linqing is trying to find its own economic development path. Among the poor population of the area as of May, there were 7,826 of working age who are able to work, and 4,837 who have been employed, according to Xinhua. That means there are people looking for work. 

At Weijiawan Tribute Bricks Industrial Park, over 400,000 bricks are shipped to Beijing every year, bringing in five million yuan (717,000 U.S. dollars) of income for local workers, according to local officials.

In Weijiawan Town, Linqing City, around 200 people work in brick-making, an industry that provides jobs for over 20 poverty-stricken households.

The Gong brick is not the only cultural heritage in Linqing; its dragon lantern was also listed as one of the cultural heritages in 2017, and the lion dance performance is very popular, drawing visitors near and far. 

Scriptwriter: Zhang Ziyu

Video editor: Ge Shimo