Map of the Huai River

The border between the Song Dynasty and Jin Dynasty is shown in this map as being stabilized along the Huai River, after the Jurchens conquered northern China in 1127.

The Huai River (Chinese: 淮河; pinyin: Huái Hé) is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east. However, the Huai River does not flow all the way to the sea, making it notoriously vulnerable to flooding.

The Huai River-Qin Mountains line is generally regarded as the geographical dividing line between North China and South China. This line approximates the 0 degree January isotherm and the 800 mm isohyet in China.

The Huai river has a length of 1,078 kilometers and a drainage area of 174,000 square kilometers.

Course[link]

The Huai River originates in Tongbai Mountain in Henan province. It flows through southern Henan, northern Anhui, and northern Jiangsu, entering the Yangtze River at Jiangdu, Yangzhou.

Historically, the Huai River entered the Yellow Sea at Yuntiguan ("Escalade Pass") through a broad and level lower course. It was long used to irrigate the surrounding farmlands, and was the centre of an extensive network of canals and tributaries. Beginning in 1194, however, the Yellow River to the north repeatedly changed its course southwards to run into the Huai River. The resulting silting was so heavy that after the Yellow River changed back to its northerly course for the most recent time in 1897, the geography of the Huai River basin was changed significantly by the creation of new high lands, lakes, and the built-up silt of the Yellow River's historical southern course. As a result, water from the mid-section of the river could not easily flow into the lower section, while water in the lower section could not find an outlet to the sea. The problem worsened in the Second World War, when the Chiang Kai-shek government, in an attempt to check the pace of the Japanese invasion, flooded the lower Huai basin by opening the Yellow River's southern levee. The main stem of the Yellow River flowed through the levee breach for the next nine years, further disrupting the Huai river system.

The result of these changes was that water from the Huai River pooled up into Lake Hongze, and then ran southwards towards the Yangtze River. Major and minor floods occurred frequently, with the area suffering droughts in between floods. In the 450 years to 1950, the Huai River saw, on average, 94 major floods per century.

Attempts to solve the Huai River's problems have focussed on building outlets for the Huai River into the Yangtze River and the sea. Currently, the major part of the river's flow enters the Yangtze River via Lake Hongze. The North Jiangsu Irrigation Main Channel also diverts some of its water along its old historical course to the sea, and is planned to be upgraded with a new parallel channel. Several former tributaries also carry some water to the sea.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Huai River (Huai He)

External links[link]

• www.chinapage: Huai River

Coordinates: 32°24′37″N 115°24′14″E / 32.4103°N 115.404°E / 32.4103; 115.404

Coordinates: 36°24′N 118°24′E / 36.4°N 118.4°E / 36.4; 118.4

Shandong Province
Chinese : 山东省 Shāndōng Shěng
Abbreviations: 鲁  (pinyin: Lǔ)
Origin of name	山 shān - mountain 东 dōng - east "east of the Taihang Mountains"
Administration type	Province
Capital	Jinan
Largest city	Qingdao
CPC Ctte Secretary	Jiang Yikang 姜异康
Governor	Jiang Daming 姜大明
Area	157,168 km2 (60,683 sq mi) (20th)
- Latitude	34° 23' to 38° 24' N[1]
- Longitude	113° 48' to 122° 42' E
Population (2010)  - Density	95,793,065 (2nd) 609.5 /km2 (1,579 /sq mi) (5th)
GDP (2011)  - per capita	CNY 4.50 trillion US$ 711 billion[2] (3rd) CNY 47,260 US$ 7,317 (9th)
HDI (2008)	0.828 (high) (8th)
Ethnic composition	Han - 99.3% Hui - 0.6%
Languages and dialects	{{{Dialects}}}
Prefectural level	17 divisions
County level	140 divisions
Township level*	1941 divisions
ISO 3166-2	CN-37
Official website http://www.sd.gov.cn (Simplified Chinese)
Source for population and GDP data: 《中国统计年鉴—2005》 China Statistical Yearbook 2005 ISBN 7503747382 Source for nationalities data: 《2000年人口普查中国民族人口资料》 Tabulation on nationalities of 2000 population census of China ISBN 7105054255 *As at December 31, 2004
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 Shandong (help·info) (simplified Chinese: 山东; traditional Chinese: 山東; pinyin: Shāndōng; Wade–Giles: Shan¹-tung¹) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese Buddhism, and Confucianism. Shandong's Mount Tai is the most revered mountain of Taoism and one of the world's sites with the longest history of continuous religious worship. The Buddhist temples in the mountains to the south of the provincial capital of Jinan were once among the foremost Buddhist sites in China. The city of Qufu is the birthplace of Confucius, and was later established as the center of Confucianism. Shandong's location at the intersection of ancient as well as modern north-south and east-west trading routes have helped to establish it as an economic center. After a period of political instability and economic hardship that began in the late 19th century, Shandong has emerged as one of the most populous (95,793,065 inhabitants at the 2010 Census) and most affluent provinces in the People's Republic of China (GDP of 3.94 trillion CNY in 2010).

Name[link]

Individually, the two Chinese characters in the name "Shandong" mean "mountain" (山) and "east" (东). Shandong could hence be translated literally as "east of the mountains" and refers to the province's location to the east of the Taihang Mountains.^[3] A common nickname for Shandong is Qílǔ (simplified Chinese: 齐鲁; traditional Chinese: 齊魯), after the States of Qi and Lu that existed in the area during the Spring and Autumn Period. Whereas the State of Qi was a major power of its era, the State of Lu played only a minor role in the politics of its time. Lu, however, became renowned for being the home of Confucius and hence its cultural influence came to eclipse that of the State of Qi. The cultural dominance of the State of Lu heritage is reflected in the official abbreviation for Shandong which is "鲁" (Chinese: 魯; pinyin: Lǔ).

Location[link]

The province is located on the eastern edge of the North China Plain and in the lower reaches of the Yellow River (Huang He) and extends out to sea in the form of the Shandong Peninsula. Shandong borders the Bohai Sea to the north, Hebei to the northwest, Henan to the west, Jiangsu to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the southeast; it also shares a very short border with Anhui, between Henan and Jiangsu.

History[link]

A Song-era monument to a legendary native of Shandong, the Yellow Emperor, at his supposed birthplace

With its location on the eastern edge of the North China Plain, Shandong has felt the influence of Chinese civilization since remote antiquity. The earliest dynasties (the Shang dynasty and Zhou dynasty) exerted varying degrees of control over western Shandong, while eastern Shandong was inhabited by the Laiyi peoples who were considered as the "barbarians". Over subsequent centuries, the Laiyi were eventually sinicized.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, regional states became increasingly powerful. At this time, Shandong was home to two powerful states: the state of Qi at Linzi and the state of Lu at Qufu. Lu is noted for being the home of Confucius. The state was, however, comparatively small, and eventually succumbed to the powerful state of Chu from the south. The state of Qi was, on the other hand, a major power throughout this entire period. Cities it ruled included Linzi, Jimo (north of modern Qingdao) and Ju.

The Qin Dynasty destroyed Qi and founded the first centralized Chinese state in 221 BC. The Han Dynasty that followed created two zhou ("provinces") in what is now modern Shandong: Qingzhou Province (青州) in the north and Yanzhou Province (兗州) in the south. During the division of the Three Kingdoms Shandong belonged to the Kingdom of Wei, which ruled over northern China.

After the Three Kingdoms period, a brief period of unity under the Western Jin Dynasty gave way to invasions by nomadic peoples from the north. Northern China, including Shandong, was overrun. Over the next century or so Shandong changed hands several times, falling to the Later Zhao, then Former Yan, then Former Qin, then Later Yan, then Southern Yan, then the Liu Song Dynasty, and finally the Northern Wei Dynasty, the first of the Northern Dynasties during the Northern and Southern Dynasties Period. Shandong stayed with the Northern Dynasties for the rest of this period.

In 412, the Chinese Buddhist monk Faxian landed at Laoshan, on the southern edge of the Shandong peninsula, and proceeded to Qingzhou to edit and translate the scriptures he had brought back from India.

The Sui Dynasty reestablished unity in 589, and the Tang Dynasty (618-907) presided over the next golden age of China. For the earlier part of this period Shandong was ruled as part of Henan Circuit, one of the circuits (a political division). Later on China splintered into warlord factions, resulting in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Shandong was part of the Five Dynasties, all based in the north.

The Song Dynasty reunified China in the late tenth century. In 1996, the discovery of over two hundred buried Buddhist statues at Qingzhou was hailed as a major archaeological find. The statues included early examples of painted figures, and are thought to have been buried due to Emperor Huizong's Song Dynasty repression of Buddhism (he favored Taoism).

The Song Dynasty was forced to cede northern China to the Jurchen Jin Dynasty in 1142. Shandong was administered by the Jin Dynasty as Shandong East Circuit and Shandong West Circuit — the first use of its current name.

The modern province of Shandong was created by the Ming Dynasty. It also included much of modern-day Liaoning (in south Manchuria) at the time. However, the Manchus increasingly asserted independence, and managed to conquer all of China in 1644. Under the Qing Dynasty, which they founded, Shandong acquired (more or less) its current borders.

Dezhou, Shandong.

During the nineteenth century, China became increasingly exposed to Western influence, and Shandong, a coastal province, was especially affected. Qingdao was leased to Germany in 1897 and Weihai to Britain in 1898. The rest of Shandong was generally considered to be part of the German sphere of influence. In addition, the Qing Dynasty opened Manchuria to Han Chinese immigration during the 19th century; Shandong was the main source of the ensuing tide of migrants.

Shandong was one of the first places in which the Boxer Rebellion started and became one of the centers of the uprising. In 1899, the Qing-Dynasty general Yuan Shikai was appointed as governor of the province to suppress the uprising. He held the post for 3 years.

As a consequence of the First World War, Germany lost Qingdao and its sphere of influence in Shandong. The Treaty of Versailles transferred the German concessions in Shandong to Japan instead of restoring Chinese sovereignty over the area. Popular dissatisfaction with this outcome of the Treaty of Versailles (Shandong Problem) led to the May Fourth Movement. Finally, Shandong reverted to Chinese control in 1922 after mediation by the United States during the Washington Naval Conference. Weihai followed in 1930.

The return of control over Shandong fell into the Warlord era of the Republic of China. Shandong was handed over to the Zhili clique of warlords, but after the Second Zhili-Fengtian War of 1924, the Manchuria-based Fengtian clique took over. In April 1925, the Fengtian clique installed the warlord Zhang Zongchang, nicknamed the "Dogmeat General", as military governor of Shandong Province. Time dubbed him China's "basest warlord".^[4] He ruled over the province until 1928, when he was ousted in the wake of the Northern Expedition. He was succeeded by Han Fuju, who was loyal to the warlord Feng Yuxiang but later switched his allegiance to the Nanjing government headed by Chiang Kai-Shek. Han Fuju also ousted the warlord Liu Zhennian, nicknamed the "King of Shandong East", who ruled eastern Shandong Province, hence unifying the province under his rule.

In 1937 Japan began its invasion of China proper in the Second Sino-Japanese War, which would eventually become part of the Pacific theatre of the Second World War. Han Fuju was made Deputy Commander in Chief of the 5th War Area and put in charge defending the lower Yellow River valley. However, he abandoned his base in Jinan when the Japanese crossed the Yellow River. He was executed for not following orders shortly thereafter.

Shandong was occupied in its entirety by Japan, with resistance continuing in the countryside, and was one of the provinces where a scorched earth policy ("Three Alls Policy": "kill all", "burn all", "loot all") was implemented by general Yasuji Okamura. This lasted until the surrender of Japan in 1945.

By 1945, communist forces already held some parts of Shandong. Over the next four years of the Chinese Civil War, they expanded their holdings, eventually driving the Kuomintang (government of the Republic of China) entirely out of Shandong by June 1949. The People's Republic of China was founded in October of the same year.

Under the new government, parts of western Shandong was initially given to the short-lived Pingyuan Province, but this did not last. Shandong also acquired the Xuzhou and Lianyungang areas from Jiangsu province, but this did not last either. For the most part Shandong has kept the same borders that it has today.

In recent years Shandong, especially eastern Shandong, has enjoyed significant economic development, becoming one of the richest provinces of the People's Republic of China.

Geology[link]

Shandong is part of the Eastern Block of the North China craton. Beginning in the Mesozoic, Shandong has undergone a crustal thinning that is unusual for a craton and that has reduced the thickness of the crust from 200 kilometers to as little as 80 kilometres. Shandong has hence experienced extensive volcanism in the Tertiary.

Some geological formations in Shandong are rich in fossils. For example, Zhucheng, which is located in southeastern Shandong, has been the site of many discoveries of dinosaur fossils. A major find of 7,600 dinosaur bones that including tyrannosaurus and ankylosaurus remains was announced in 2008, and is believed to be the largest collection ever found.^[5]

Geography[link]

The sacred Mount Tai.

Shandong is mostly flat in terrain. The northwestern, western, and southwestern parts of the province are all part of the vast North China Plain. The center of the province is more mountainous, with the Taishan Mountains, Lushan Mountains, and Mengshan Mountains being the most prominent. The east of the province is the hilly Shandong Peninsula extending into the sea; it separates Bohai Sea in the northwest from the Yellow Sea to the east and south. The highest peak of Shandong is the highest peak in the Taishan area: Jade Emperor Peak, with a height of 1545 m.

The Yellow River passes through Shandong's western areas, entering the sea along Shandong's northern coast; in its traversal of Shandong it flows on a levee, higher than the surrounding land, and dividing western Shandong into the Hai He watershed in the north and the Huai He watershed in the south. The Grand Canal of China enters Shandong from the northwest and leaves on the southwest. Weishan Lake is the largest lake of the province. Shandong's coastline is 3000 km long. Shandong Peninsula has a rocky coastline with cliffs, bays, and islands; the large Laizhou Bay, the southernmost of the three bays of Bohai Sea, is found to the north, between Dongying and Penglai; Jiaozhou Bay, which is much smaller, is found to the south, next to Qingdao. The Miaodao Islands extend northwards from the northern coast of the peninsula.

Shandong has a temperate climate, with moist summers and dry, cold winters. Average temperatures are -5 to 1°C in January and 24 to 28°C in July. Annual precipitation is 550 to 950 mm.

With Jinan serving as the province's economic and cultural centre, the province's economic prowess has led to the development of modern coastal cities located at Qingdao, Weihai, and Yantai. In addition, Weifang and Zaozhuang are also upstart cities.

Politics[link]

Many generations of the senior-branch direct descendants of Confucius ruled the Qufu area as its feudal rulers. Here, the tomb of the 59th generation senior descendant, Kong Yanjin

The politics of Shandong is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in mainland China.

The Governor of Shandong is the highest ranking official in the People's Government of Shandong. However, in the province's dual party-government governing system, the Governor has less power than the Shandong Communist Party of China Provincial Committee Secretary, colloquially termed the "Shandong CPC Party Chief".

Economy[link]

Shandong ranks first among the provinces in the production of a variety of products, including cotton and wheat as well as precious metals such as gold and diamonds. It also has one of the biggest sapphire deposits in the world.^[6] Other important crops include sorghum and maize. Shandong has extensive petroleum deposits as well, especially in the Dongying area in the Yellow River delta, where the Shengli Oilfield (lit. Victory Oilfield) is one of the major oilfields of China. Shandong also produces bromine from underground wells and salt from sea water.

Shandong is one of the richer provinces of China, and its economic development focuses on large enterprises with well-known brand names. Shandong is the biggest industrial producer and one of the top manufacturing provinces in China. Shandong has also benefited from South Korean and Japanese investment and tourism, due to its geographical proximity to those countries.^[7] The richest part of the province is the Shandong Peninsula, where the city of Qingdao is home to three of the most well-known brand names of China: Tsingtao Beer, Haier and Hisense. In addition, Dongying's oil fields and petroleum industries form an important component of Shandong's economy. Despite the primacy of Shandong's energy sector, the province has also been plagued with problems of inefficiency and ranks as the largest consumer of fossil fuels in all of China.^[8]

In 2011, the nominal GDP for Shandong was 4.50 trillion yuan (US$711 billion), ranking third in the country (behind Guangdong and Jiangsu). Its GDP per capita was 42,014 yuan (US$6,365), ranking eighth.

Wine industry[link]

The production of wine is the second largest^{[citation needed]} industry in the Shandong Province, second only to agriculture.

Geographically, the southern hills average an elevation of 200 meters, while the coastal areas remain relatively flat. Most of the soil is loose, well-ventilated, and rich in minerals and organic matter that enable full development of the root systems.

Presently, there are more than 140 wineries in the region, mainly distributed in the Nanwang Grape Valley and along the Yan-Peng Sightseeing Highway. The region produced more than 40% of China's grape wine production.^[9] Main varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Gernischt, Merlot, Riesling and Chardonnay are all at 20 years of age, considered to be the golden stage for these grapes. Most of them maintain an average saccharinity of above 20%.

Major producers

• Changyu Pioneer Wine Co.
• China Great Wall Wine Co. Ltd.

Economic and technological development zones[link]

• Jinan High-tech Industrial Development Zone

Founded in 1991, the Jinan High-tech Industrial Development zone was one of the first of its kind approved by the State Council. The zone is located to the east of the city and covers a total planning area of 83 square kilometers that is divided into a central area covering 33 square kilometers, an export processing district of 10 square kilometers, and an eastern extension area of 40 square kilometers. Since its foundation, the Jinan High-tech Industrial Development Zone has attracted enterprises as LG, Panasonic, Volvo, and Sanyo. In 2000, it joined the world science and technology association and set up a China-Ukraine High-tech Cooperation Park. The Qilu Software Park became the sister park of Bangalore park of India.^[10]

• Jinan Export Processing Zone

The export processing zone is located in the eastern suburbs of Jinan, to the east of the Jinan High-tech Industrial Development Zone and to the north of the Jiwang highway. The distances to the Jiqing Highway and the Jinan Airport are 9 and 18 km respectively.^[11]

• Qingdao Economic & Technological Development Area

Approved by the State Council in October 1984, Qingdao Economic and Technical Development Zone has a planned of 12.5 square kilometers. In 2004 the local GDP is 27.51 billion RMB, increased by 28.9%; the total industrial output value is 60.6 billion RMB, increased by 31%. There have been 48 projects invested by companies listed among the Global Fortune 500 in the zone. With the fast development of reform and opening-up, Haier, Hisense, Aucma, Sinopec, CSIC, CNOOC, CIMC etc. all locate in the zone.^[12]

• Qingdao Free Trade Zone

Qingdao Free Trade Zone was established by the State Council in 1992. The zone is 60 km away from Qingdao Liuting Airport. It is also close to Qingdao Qianwan Harbor. At present, more than 40 foreign-invested enterprises have moved in and 2000 projects have been approved. It is one of the special economic areas which enjoys the most favorable investment policies on customs, foreign exchange, foreign trade and taxation in China.^[13]

• Qingdao High-tech Industrial Zone

Qingdao High-Tech Industrial Development Zone was approved the State Council in 1992. The zone is located close to Qingdao Liuting Airport and Qingdao Harbor. Encouraged industries include electronic information, biotechnology, medicine, new materials, new energy, advanced equipment manufacturing, marine science & technology, national defense technology.^[14]

• Weifang Binhai Economic & Technological Development Area (BEDA)

Established in August 1995, Weifang Binhai Economic & Technological Development Area (BEDA) is a national economic and technological development area approved by the State Council. Covering an area of 677 square kilometers, BEDA has a population of 100,000. BEDA possesses a large state-owned industrial land for use with an area of 400 square kilometers. The land can be transacted conveniently which would guarantee the demand of any project construction and provide broad development space for the enterprises in the area. Continuously, BEDA has been accredited as National Demonstration Zone invigorating the Sea by Science and Technology, National Innovation Base for Rejuvenating Trade through Science and Technology and National Demonstration Eco-Industry Park.

• Weihai Economic & Technological Development Zone

Weihai Economic and Technological Development Zone is a state-level development zone approved by the State Council on Oct 21, 1992. The administrative area has an area of 194km2, including the programmed area of 36km2 and an initial area of 11.88km2. Its nearest port is Weihai Port, and the airport closest to the zone is Wuhai Airport.^[15]

• Weihai Export Processing Zone

Weihai Export & Processing Zone (EPZ) was set up by the approval of the State Council on April 27, 2000. Weihai EPZ is located in Weihai Economic & Technological Development Zone with programmed area of 2.6 km2. Weihai EPZ belongs to comprehensive export & processing zone. The EPZ is located 30 km to Weihai Airport, 3 km to Weihai Railway Station and 4 km to Weihai Harbor.^[16]

• Weihai Torch Hi-Tech Science Park

Weihai Torch Hi-Tech Science Park is a state-level development zone approved by the State Council on March 1991. Located in Weihai's northwest zone of culture, education and science, the Park has the total area of 111.9 square kilometers, the coastal line of 30.5 kilometers and 150,000 residents. It is 3 kilometers away from the city center, 4 kilometers away from Weihai Port, 10 kilometers away from Weihai Railway Station, 30 kilometers away from Weihai Airport and 80 kilometers away from Yantai Airport.^[17]

• Yantai Economic and Technological Development Area

Yantai Economic and Technological Development Area is one of the earliest approved state level economic development zones in China. It now has planned area of 10 square kilometers and a population of 115,000. It lies on the tip of the Shandong Peninsula facing the Huanghai Sea. It adjoins to downtown Yantai, merely 6 kilometers away from Yantai Port, 6 kilometers away from Yantai Railway Station, and a 30-minute drive to Yantai International Airport.^[18]

• Yantai Export Processing Zone

Yantai Export Processing Zone (YTEPZ) is one of the first 15 export processing zones approved by the State Council. The total construction area of YTEPZ is 4.17 m2, in which the initial zone covers 3 km2. After developing for several years, YTEPZ is completely constructed. At present, the infrastructure has been completed, standard workshops of 120,000 m2 and bonded warehouses of 40,000 m2 have been built up. Up to now, owning perfect investment environment and conditions, YTEPZ has attracted investors both from foreign countries and regions such as Japan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Sweden, USA, Canada, etc. and from the domestic to invest and operate in the zone.^[19]

• Zibo National New & Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone

Demographics[link]

Shandong is the third most populous province of China, after Guangdong and Henan, with a population of over 95 million at the 2010 Census. Over 99% of Shandong's population is Han Chinese. Minority groups include the Hui and the Manchus. Shandong citizens are also known to have the highest average height of any Chinese province.

Administrative divisions[link]

Shandong is divided into seventeen prefecture-level divisions:

Map	#	Name	Administrative Seat	Hanzi Hanyu Pinyin	Population (2010)
	— Sub-provincial city —
	1	Jinan	Shizhong District	济南市 Jǐnán Shì	6,814,000
	2	Qingdao	Shinan District	青岛市 Qīngdǎo Shì	8,715,100
	— Prefecture-level city —
	3	Binzhou	Bincheng District	滨州市 Bīnzhōu Shì	3,748,500
	4	Dezhou	Decheng District	德州市 Dézhōu Shì	5,568,200
	5	Dongying	Dongying District	东营市 Dōngyíng Shì	2,035,300
	6	Heze	Mudan District	菏泽市 Hézé Shì	8,287,800
	7	Jining	Shizhong District	济宁市 Jìníng Shì	8,081,900
	8	Laiwu	Laicheng District	莱芜市 Láiwú Shì	1,298,500
	9	Liaocheng	Dongchangfu District	聊城市 Liáochéng Shì	5,789,900
	10	Linyi	Lanshan District	临沂市 Línyí Shì	10,039,400
	11	Rizhao	Donggang District	日照市 Rìzhào Shì	2,801,100
	12	Tai'an	Taishan District	泰安市 Tài'ān Shì	5,494,200
	13	Weifang	Kuiwen District	潍坊市 Wéifāng Shì	9,086,200
	14	Weihai	Huancui District	威海市 Wēihǎi Shì	2,804,800
	15	Yantai	Laishan District	烟台市 Yāntái Shì	6,968,200
	16	Zaozhuang	Shizhong District	枣庄市 Zǎozhuāng Shì	3,729,300
	17	Zibo	Zhangdian District	淄博市 Zībó Shì	4,530,600

The seventeen prefecture-level divisions of Shandong are subdivided into 140 county-level divisions (49 districts, 31 county-level cities, and 60 counties). Those are in turn divided into 1941 township-level divisions (1223 towns, 293 townships, two ethnic townships, and 423 subdistricts).

Culture[link]

Mandarin dialects are spoken in Shandong. Linguists classify these dialects into three broad categories: Ji Lu Mandarin spoken in the northwest (as well as in neighbouring Hebei), such as the Jinan dialect; Zhongyuan Mandarin spoken in the southwest (as well as in neighbouring Henan); and Jiao Liao Mandarin spoken in the Shandong Peninsula (as well as the Liaodong Peninsula across the sea), such as the Qingdao dialect. When people speak of the "Shandong dialect" (山東話), it is generally the first or the second that is meant; the Jiao Liao dialects of Shandong are commonly called the "Jiaodong dialect" (膠東話).

Shandong cuisine (鲁菜) is one of the eight great traditions of Chinese cuisine. It can be more finely divided into inland Shandong cuisine (e.g. Jinan cuisine); the seafood-centered Jiaodong cuisine in the peninsula; and Confucius's Mansion cuisine, an elaborate tradition originally intended for imperial and other important feasts.

Shandong Bangzi and Lüju are popular types of Chinese opera in Shandong; both originated from southwestern Shandong.

Transport[link]

The Jingjiu Railway (Beijing-Kowloon) and Jinghu Railway (Beijing-Shanghai) are both major arterial railways that pass through the western part of Shandong. The Jingjiu passes through Liaocheng and Heze; the Jinghu passes through Dezhou, Jinan, Tai'an, Yanzhou(the Jinghu high-speed railway will through Qufu). and Tengzhou. The Jiaoji Railway is an important railway of Shandong, linking its two largest cities of Qingdao and Jinan, with the longest history of all.

Shandong has one of the densest and highest quality expressway networks among all Chinese provinces. At over 3000 km, the total length of Shandong's expressways is the highest among the provinces. The Jiqing Expressway (Jinan-Qingdao) and Jingfu Expressway (Beijing-Fuzhou, passing through Shandong) are all important arterial expressways.

The Shandong Peninsula, with its bays and harbours, has many important ports, including Qingdao, Yantai, Weihai, Rizhao, and Longkou. Many of these ports have historical significance as well, as the sites of former foreign naval bases or historical battles. Ferries link the cities on the north coast of the peninsula with the Liaodong Peninsula, further north across the sea.

Important airports include Jinan Yaoqiang Airport and Qingdao Liuting International Airport.

Tourism[link]

Tourist attractions in Shandong include:

• Jinan, the capital city of Shandong since Ming dynasty, renowned for its 72 Famous Springs.
  • Baotu Spring, a culturally significant artesian karst spring, declared as "Number One Spring under the Heaven" (天下第一泉) by the Qing Dynasty Emperor Qian Long.
  • Daming Lake, the largest lake in Jinan, whose water is from the springs of the area. Marco Polo described its beauty in his works.
  • Thousand Buddha Mountain, renowned for its numerous Buddha images which have been carved out of the hill's rock faces or free-standing structures erect since the times of the Sui Dynasty and its Xingguochan Temple.
  • Lingyan Temple, one of the 4 most famous temples(四大名刹) in Tang dynasty, in which there are 11th century Pizhi Pagoda and the Thousand Buddha Hall which houses a Ming Dynasty bronze Buddha statue as well as 40 painted clay statues of life-size luohan from the Song Dynasty.
  • remant of Great Wall of Qi, the oldest existing Great Wall in China, which is built in 685 BCE and stretches from Jinan to Qingdao.

• Penglai, a town on the north of the Shandong peninsula famed in Taoism.
• Qingdao, beach resort city on the south of the peninsula famous for its Tsingtao beer
  • Ba Da Guan, made up of eight streets named after the eight great military forts of the ancient times.
  • Zhan Qiao, a long strip pier stretches into the sea and was the first wharf at Qingdao.
  • Laoshan, a scenic area and Daoist centre to the east of Qingdao.
• Qingzhou, an ancient trading and administrative centre with some famous archaeological discoveries.
• Weihai, a former British port city important in the second Sino-Japanese War.
• World Heritage Sites:
  • Temple and Cemetery of Confucius, and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu
  • Tai Shan, sacred mountain, in Tai'an

Education[link]

Colleges and universities[link]

• Shandong University (Jinan)
• Ocean University of China (Qingdao)
• China University of Petroleum (Dongying and Qingdao)
• Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai(Weihai)
• Shandong Agricultural University
• Shandong University of Science and Technology
• Shandong Normal University
• Qingdao University
• Yantai University
• Qufu Normal University
• Liaocheng University
• Linyi University
• Shandong Finance Institute
• Shandong Institute of Building Materials Industry
• Shandong Architectural & Civil Engineering Institute
• Yantai Education Institute & Yantai Television University
• Shandong University of Technology
• Taishan Medical University (Tai shan yi xue yuan)
• China Coal Economics College
• Qingdao Institute of Architecture and Engineering
• Shandong Institute of Mining Technology
• Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Qingdao Agricultural University
• Qingdao Institute of Chemical Technology
• Shandong Institute of Business and Technology
• Weifang College
• Yantai Normal College
• Binzhou Medical College
• Binzhou College (Binzhou)

Senior high schools[link]

• Shandong Experimental High School (山东省实验中学)
• Senior High School Attached to Shandong Normal University (山东师范大学附属中学)
• ShengLi NO.1 middle school of Dongying (东营市胜利第一中学（原胜利油田第一中学）)

Sports[link]

• 11th National Games of the People's Republic of China

Professional sports teams based in Shandong include:

• Chinese Football Association Super League
  • Shandong Luneng
  • Qingdao Zhongneng
• Chinese Football Association Jia League
  • Qingdao Hailifeng
• Chinese Basketball Association
  • Shandong Jinsidun Lions

See also[link]

• Shantung Problem
• East Asian snowstorms of 2009-2010
• East Asian snowstorms of late 2009

References[link]

Notes[link]

Sources[link]

• Economic profile for Shandong at HKTDC

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shandong

• The Grand Canal in Shandong Province
• Shandong Government website (Chinese)
• Shandong travel guide from Wikitravel

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