'' () is a coastal
province of eastern
People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is Lu, after the
state of Lu that existed here during the
Spring and Autumn Period.
Shandong's name literally means "''mountains' east''", which refers to the province's location east of the
Taihang Mountains. The province is located in the lower reaches of the
Huang He (Yellow River) and extends out to sea in the form of the
Shandong Peninsula. Shandong borders the
Bohai Bay 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.
A common nickname for Shandong is ''Qílǔ'' (齐鲁/齊魯), after the
state of Lu and
state of Qi that existed here during the
Spring and Autumn Period.
History
Shandong is located on the eastern edge of the
North China Plain, and felt the influence of Chinese civilization since its very beginnings. 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 to be
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. Shandong was at this time 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 in the north and
Yanzhou Province 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 favoured
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.
After the
Republic of China was founded in
1911,
Qingdao reverted to Chinese control in
1922,
Weihai followed in
1930. 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. Shandong was occupied in its entirety by Japan, with resistance in the countryside. 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 raced ahead in economic development, becoming one of the richest provinces of China.
Geography
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.
Lake Weishan 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.
Economy
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. Other importants crop 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
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 has also benefited from
South Korean and
Japanese investment, due to its geographical proximity to those countries. The richest part of the province is the
Shandong Peninsula, where the city of
Qingdao is home to two of the most well-known brand names of China:
Tsingtao Beer and
Haier. In addition,
Dongying's oil fields and petroleum industries form an important component of Shandong's economy. On the other hand, the extreme inland west of Shandong is much poorer than the rest of the province.
In 2004, the nominal GDP for Shandong was 1.55 trillion yuan (US$192.3 billion), ranking second in the country (behind
Guangdong and ahead of
Jiangsu).
Demographics
Shandong is the second most populous province of China, after
Henan, with a population of almost 92 million. Over 99% of Shandong's population is
Han Chinese. Minority groups include the
Hui and the
Manchus.
Administrative divisions
Shandong is divided into seventeen
prefecture-level divisions, all of them
prefecture-level cities:
★
Jinan (Simplified Chinese: 济南市; Traditional Chinese: 濟南市; Hanyu pinyin: Jǐnán Shì)
★
Liaocheng (聊城市 Liáochéng Shì)
★
Dezhou (德州市 Dézhōu Shì)
★
Dongying (東營市 (东营市) Dōngyíng Shì)
★
Zibo (淄博市 Zībó Shì)
★
Weifang (潍坊市 Wéifāng Shì)
★
Yantai (煙臺市 (烟台市) Yāntái Shì)
★
Weihai (威海市 Wēihǎi Shì)
★
Qingdao (青島市 (青岛市) Qīngdǎo Shì)
★
Rizhao (日照市 Rìzhào Shì)
★
Linyi (臨沂市 (临沂市) Línyí Shì)
★
Zaozhuang (棗莊市 (枣庄市) Zǎozhuāng Shì)
★
Jining (濟寧市 (济宁市) Jìníng Shì)
★
Tai'an (泰安市 Tài'ān Shì)
★
Laiwu (萊蕪市 (莱芜市) Láiwú Shì)
★
Binzhou (濱州市 (滨州市) Bīnzhōu Shì)
★
Heze (菏澤市 (菏泽市) Hézé Shì)
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).
See '
List of administrative divisions of Shandong' for a complete list of
county-level divisions.
Culture
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.
Transportation
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,
Qufu. and
Tengzhou. The
Jiaoji Railway is an important railway of Shandong, linking its two largest cities of
Jinan and
Qingdao.
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
Tourist attractions in Shandong include:
★
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
★
Laoshan, a scenic area and
Daoist centre to the east of Qingdao.
★
Qingzhou, an ancient trading and administrative center 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
Miscellaneous topics
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
Colleges and universities
★
Shandong University (Jinan)
★
Ocean University of China (Qingdao)
★
University of Petroleum (Dongying)
See also
★
Shantung Question
External links
★
Map of Shandong
★
Shantung Question
★
Shandong Association WA (SAWA)
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