Heze is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. The westernmost prefecture-level city in Shandong, it borders Jining to the east and the Provinces of Henan and Anhui to the west and south respectively. The old name of Heze was Caozhou and now a part of the city bears this name. Heze has a long history. There are several sites of ancient Longshan Culture. Its administrative history can be traced back to the 17th century BC. Heze was known as Caozhou before being renamed after a natural pool in 1735 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).