Brief Introduction of Shandong Province

** Geography and Natural Conditions
Shandong is located in the east of China, downstream of Yellow River and between the capital city Beijing and the biggest commercial city Shanghai. It is one of the most important coastal provinces. The province stretches 420 km from south to north and 700 km from east to west, covering an area of 156,700 sq km. At the end of 2005, the total population stood at 91.8 million. Shandong has 3,100 kilometers of coastal line. It borders ocean in the east and land in the west. Shandong has peninsula and inland. The Shandong peninsula protrudes between the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea, and faces the Liaodong peninsula in the north across the Bohai Straits, forming the maritime outpost of the nation's capital, Beijing. The western inland part borders Hebei, Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu from north to south.
** Climate
Shandong has a warm-temperate monsoonal climate. It has hot summers with centralized rainfall as well as short springs and autumns with an average annual temperature ranging from 51.8F to 57.2F. The temperature diversifies more dramatic from east to west than from the south to north. With an average annual rainfall ranging from 550 mm to 950 mm, the rainfall reduces from the southeast to northwest. Shandong province has abundant sunshine with an average ranging from 2300 to 2890 hours annually. Because 60% rainfall centralized in summer, it is easy to come to waterlog in summer and drought in winter and spring.
** Brief History
One of the birthplaces of Chinese Culture, Shandong is also the birthplace of Chinese ancient culture. The fossil of Yiyuan man proved that Shandong is the cradle of ancient human four or five thousand years ago. Beixin Culture, Dawenkou Culture and Longshan Culture found in Shandong trace the change from female society to male society with rather advanced agriculture, herd and handicraft industry. Also founded in Shandong include the earliest character ''Dawenkou Pottery Character'' and ''Longshan Pottery Character''; the earliest city ''Chenziya ancient city''; the earliest ancient military recovery system and the ten great archaeological discovery of 2000-Luozhuang Han Tomb. Shandong is the headstream of pottery and silk. Shandong enjoys the reputation of ''the hometown of Confucius, Mencius'' and ''the land of ceremony and propriety''. A lot of historic figure still give great influences until today. Confucianism, which founded by the Great thinker, educator Confucius is the backbone of Chinese traditional Culture and has exerted profound influence in the world. ''Sun Zi Art of War'' written by the famous strategist Sun Wu is still a classic work canonized military and business circles home and abroad.
** Cuisine
Shandong cuisine is one of the eight regional cuisines of China. Shandong Cuisine has a long history and far-reaching influence all over China. It has constituted a vital part of Chinese culinary culture. Shandong Cuisine originated from the state of Qi and Lu State during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period (770 BC--221 BC). It finally took full shape during the period from the Qin Dynasty (221 BC--207 BC) to the Han Dynasty (202 BC--220 AD). Since the Song Dynasty (960--1279), Shandong Cuisine had assumed the leading role of "the Cuisine of Northern China".
The geographical variations produce three sub-schools of culinary arts in Shandong: the Jiaodong (Eastern Shandong) Cuisine (seafood domination); the Jinan Cuisine (Inland area) and the Confucian Dishes (traditional). Shandong Cuisine emphasizes natural flavor. The taste tends to be a little salty but fresh and well known for its freshness, tenderness, rich in taste, and crispness. It pays special attention to the seasoning of consommé (clear soup) and milk soup. The former is light and fresh; the latter is creamy and mellow. More than 30 ways of cooking are frequently used in Shandong Cuisine. Among which, quick stir-frying and braising are worthy of special attention.
As one of the four well-known schools of culinary arts in China, it is well known for its unique flavor and fine workmanship and enjoys great prestige both at home and abroad.

** World Geographic Park in Shandong Province
Mount Taishan Geopark
** World Heritages in Shandong Province
1. Mount Taishan (1987)
2. Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu City, Jining City of Shandong Province (1994)
** National AAAAA Tourist Attractions in Shandong Province
1. Temple of Confucius in Qufu City /The Kong Family Mansion in Qufu City/ Cemetery of Confucius in Qufu City
2. Mountain Tai Scenic Area in Tai'an City
3. Penglai Pavilion in Penglai City of Yantai City
** National AAAA Tourist Attractions in Shandong Province
1. Laoshan National Scenic Spot in Qingdao
2 Nanshan Scenic Area in Yantai City
3. Lingyan Temple in Changqing County of Jinan City
4. Liugong Island in Weihai City
5. Qingdao Seashore Scenic Area in Qingdao
6. Paoma Mountain in Jinan City
7. Rushan Silver Beach Tourist Vocation Zone in Weihai City
8. Chengshantou Scenic Area in Rongcheng City of Weihai City
9. Great-ming Lake Park in Jinan City
10. Baotu Spring Park in Jinan City
11. Hongye Valley Zoology & Cultural in Jinan
12. Liaozhai in Zibo City
13. Yuanshan National Forest Park in Zibo City
14. Yishan Scenic Area inWeifang City
15. Mengshan Scenic Area in Linyi City
16. Wulian Mountain in Rizhao City
** National Key Scenic Area in Shandong Province
1. Mountain Tai Scenic Area in Tai'an City
2. Laoshan National Scenic Spot in Qingdao
3. Jiaodong Peninsula Seashore Scenic Area in Yantai City and Weihai City
4. Boshan Scenic Area in Zibo City
5. Qingzhou Scenic Area in Weifang City
** National famous historic and cultural cities in Shandong Province
Jinan City, Qufu City, Qingdao City, Liaocheng City, Zoucheng City, Linzi City

Located on the eastern coast of China, Jinan is the capital city of Shandong Province and regional central city. Jinan covers an area of 8,177 square kilometers. Jinan is near Mount Tai to the south and neighbors the Yellow River on the north. The terrain of Jinan slopes down from south to north and its landforms vary with hills, plains in front of the mountains and the alluvial plains of the Yellow River. There are two major water systems in Jinan-- the Yellow River and the Xiaoqing River. Daming Lake and Baiyun Lake are the major lakes. By the end of the year 2005, the permanent population of Jinan is 5.974 million. There are 48 nationalities in Jinan. 98.16 % of the people here are of the Han Nationality, and the minority nationalities account for 1.84 % of the population. Jinan is glorified as the ''Spring City'' for its numerous springs. The city tree is willow and the city flower is lotus.
Climate: Jinan belongs to the warm temperate zone with a continental monsoon climate. It has four distinct seasons and sufficient sunlight. Its annual average temperature is 56.5F. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 28.6F, and July the hottest with an average temperature of 80.6F. The annual rainfall is 614 mm.
Brief History: Jinan is an essential birthplace of the civilization in China. The history of Jinan traces back to the remote antiquity. As early as more than 5,000 years ago, our ancestors multiplied and lived on this beautiful and richly endowed land, going in for primitive agriculture and livestock farming. Chengzi Cliff in eastern Jinan is the place where Longshan Civilization (4600—4000 years ago) of the late Neolithic Age was found with the basalt as its symbol. At this site, about 200,000 square meters of China's oldest city relics was discovered.
Jinan has been called differently throughout the history. In the Shang (1600 BC--1046 BC) and Zhou Dynasty (1066 BC--256 BC), Jinan was named Tan, and during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC--476 BC) renamed as Luo county. The character ''Luo'' is found in the inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells, representing today's Jinan. During the Warring States Period (476 BC--221 BC), Jinan was renamed as ''Lixia'' county. When the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC--207 BC) established the Shire and County System, Jinan belonged to Jibei Shire. At the beginning of the Han Dynasty (206 BC--220 AD), Jinan Shire was founded and was given after the Mount Lishan in the south of the city. From then on, the name "Jinan" has been adopted by all the dynasties for the past 2,000-plus years of history. Since the Ming (1368--1644) and the Qing dynasties (1616--1911), Jinan has been the capital of Shandong Province. The city of Jinan was set up in July 1929.
Thanks to the uninterrupted revamps by different dynasties, the city layout of Jinan is very rational and logic from outside to inside.