Shangdong

Country

China

Continent

Asia

Best Cities to Visit

Jinan
Qingdao
Yantai
Weifang
Tai'an

Size

157,100 KM²

Population

101,527,453

Spending Budget

$138 - $1,056

Famous For

A land of welcoming people
History and culture
Immense natural beauty
Colorful festivals and events
Fabulous food

Best Time to Visit

January
June
July
August
September
October

History

The Qin dynasty conquered Qi and founded the first centralized Chinese state in 221 BCE. The Han dynasty that followed created several commanderies supervised by two regions in what is now modern Shandong: Qingzhou in the north and Yanzhou in the south. During the division of the Three Kingdoms, Shandong belonged to the Cao 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 CE, 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 the 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.

Present Day

Shandong was occupied by Japan, with resistance continuing in the countryside, and was one of the provinces where a scorched earth policy was implemented by Japanese general Yasuji Okamura. This lasted until Japan's surrender in 1945, killing millions of people in Shandong and Northern China. 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) 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 were 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. About six million people starved to death in Shandong during Great Chinese Famine. In recent years, Shandong, especially eastern Shandong, has enjoyed significant economic development, becoming one of the People's Republic of China's richest provinces.

Future

As the first domestic exhibition with the theme of urban renewal, it shows new ideas, new technologies, and new materials for urban construction in the entire industry chain, allowing citizens and enterprises to touch the future cities, future communities, and future life with "zero distance". The expo builds the exhibition into a popular science platform to provide the general public with an intuitive understanding of the urban renewal construction and operation process and the future development plan of their hometown. The popular science platform is not only for display. The interactive area set up by the exhibitors allows the general public to truly immerse themselves in the future intelligent technology life.

Must Visit Places ------------

Mount Taishan

Mount Taishan is a typical symbol of China. As one of the "Five Sacred Mountains", it is associated with sunrise, birth, and renewal, and is often regarded as the foremost of the five. Mt. Tai has been a place of worship for at least 3,000 years and served as the foremost ceremonial centre for eastern China during large portions of this period. Mt. Taishan is a tilted fault-block mountain with height increasing from the north to the south. It is the oldest example of a paleo-metamorphic formation from the Cambrian Period in eastern China. Known as the Taishan Complex, this formation contains magnetized, metamorphic, and sedimentary rock as well as intrusions of other origins during the Archean Era. The uplift of the region started in the Proterozoic Era; by the end of the Proterozoic, it had become part of the continent.

Daming Lake

Daming Lake is one of the three symbols of Jinan with the Baotu Spring and the Thousand-Buddha Hill. It is a natural lake formed after all springs converge. In the 13 century, the Italian traveller, Mark Polo marvelled here as "what a beautiful landscape of lake and rocks." In the centre of the lake perches the Lixia Pavilion. The glistening light of waves of lake water is clear, the fish dive that the kite flies, the pleasure-boat walks. Many lotuses all over growing from ancient times in Daming Lake, the lakeside weeping willow is following depending on, the flowers and trees are luxuriant and well-spaced, "three pieces of willow of lotus on four sides, the lake of half a city of the colour of a mountain of a city" is the best portrayal of her scenery.

Baotu Spring

It is widely known that Jinan is called "the hometown of springs". And among these springs, Baotu Spring is the most outstanding one and enjoys the reputation as "the No. 1 spring in the world". The water of Baotu Spring spurts out in three prongs, with water droplets falling around, just like three piles of snow, which is very spectacular. The spring water is very sweet, optimum for making tea, which is limpid in colour, rich in aroma, good in taste. Sitting under the "Watching Crane Pavilion" on the east side of the spring with a cup of tea in hand, one's mind will fly far away and hates to leave. Every severe winter, the steam boils, like the light silk mistily. Draw in the cloister around the spring, various flowers and different wood are thriving, forming the peculiar flower garden in the garden.

Confucian Temple

Confucian Temple, as one of the Qufu highlights, is a must-see attraction when you plan a Shandong tour. The temple was built according to the specification for imperial palaces; it is one of the three ancient building complexes in our country and holds an important position even in the world. Inside of this complex, there are 9 yards, each of which has its own characters. The temple has an outer wall, with four corner towers, which shelters ancient pines. The temple houses more than two thousand stone tablets with inscriptions in various styles of calligraphy. The front 10 stone columns are carved with dragons. In addition to a statue of Confucius, the hall also houses stone inscription of the Ming Dynasty, which tells the life story of Confucius in 120 pictures, as well as a lot of stone tablets.

Confucian Cemetery

Confucian Cemetery takes up 1.998 million square meters and around it, there is a seven-kilometre-long hedge. It is the largest, oldest, and best-preserved single-family cemetery in China. This final resting place of Confucius and his descendants is commonly known as the Forest of Confucius because of the large number of trees - over 20,000 - planted there by the Kong clan. At 200 hectares, the cemetery-cum-forest is China's largest artificial park, with numerous tombstones, temples, pavilions and sculptures. The Confucian Cemetery is also a botanical garden, as there are over 42,000 trees in it, and the planting of trees in it started 2,400 years ago. After Confucius death in 479BC, most of his descendants and clansmen were buried in the cemetery, such as the tombs of his son Kong Li and grandson Kong Ji. The tomb of Confucius is 6.2 meters high and has a circumference of 88 meters, so it has been expanding ever since.

Confucius Mansion

Confucius Mansion, also named Shengfu, Comprising 450 halls, this residence was used by the Kong family, headed by the eldest male direct descendants of Confucius who were granted special privileges by the emperors. It is the largest and grandest feudal noble mansion preserved to this day in China was erected during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The mansion arranged in three parts has 9 courtyards, 463 halls, towers, and verandas, which covers a total area of 16 hectares. The houses along the middle route are the main part of the mansion. After many times of rebuilding and expansion, it has turned into a typical feudal noble mansion combining official buildings with a residence.

Qingdao Beer Museum

Qingdao Beer Museum is a unique beer museum build by Tsingtao Beer Brewery. Invested by 28,000 yuan, this museum covers an area of more than 6,000 square meters. Built-in 1903, it combines historical treasures with modern design. Based on the former factory of Tsingtao Beer Brewery, Qingdao Beer Museum takes the history of beer and the making process of it as the theme to tell visitors more about beer in China Qingdao. The museum profound culture and advanced technology, and integrates beer entertainment and shopping. There are many things in this area, for example, the cultural relics, pictures and data which were collected from Europe and Tsingtao beer's objects in the different periods.