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General Introduction
The
Shandong Peninsular constitutes the eastern
part of Shandong, a province in the lower reaches
of the Yellow River and a cradle of the Dawenkou
and Longshan cultures about 4,000 years ago.
During the Western Zhou (c. 1066-771 BC) Dynasty
and the spring and autumn (770-476 BC) and Warring
States (475-221 BC) periods, most part of Shandong
became part of the states of Qo and Lu, which
bequeathed a rich legacy on the land. Shandong
abounds in tourist resources. Mount Taishan
has made the UNESCO List of world cultural and
natural heritage sites. Qingdao, Yanai, Weihai
and Penglai are famed seaside tourist resorts.
Shandong was also the homeland of Confucius
and Mencius, two celebrated thinker of ancient
China.
Climate
Shandong has a warm-temperate monsoonal climate,
with hot, rainy summers and dry, sunny winters.
In winter, it is more humid and warm in Shandong
than in north China. Its coastal and inland
regions experience a sharp difference in climate.
Shandong has a mean annual temperature of 12oC.-14oC.,
increasing from the northeastern seaboard to
the west and the south, and a mean annual precipitation
of 500-900 mm. or more, increasing from northwest
to southeast.
Topography
Shandong
with its peninsula and main- land parts may
be divided into four topographical zones: 1)
The Northwestern Shandong Plain, formed mainly
of the deposits of the Huanghe River, is part
of the North China Plain. Crisscrossed by the
Huanghe River' and the Grand Canal, it is an
important farming area. 2) The Jiaolai Plain
between the central-south Shandong and the Jiaodong
hilly regions is hounded by sea bays on its
northern and southern tips and is traversed
by the Jiaolai, Weihe and Dagu rivers. 3) The
Central-South Shandong Hilly Area is elevated
in the middle and slopes gently in four directions.
Over 1,000 metres above sea level, it is composed
of the Taishan, Lushan, Yishan and Mengshan
mountains. Taishan Mountain, whose main peak
is 1,545 meters in elevation, is one of the
five sacred mountains in China. 4) The Jiaodong
Hilly Area is the main part of the Shandong
Peninsula.
The
Huanghe River and the Grand Canal are the major
waterways. The section of the Huanghe River
in Shandong runs more than 600 kilometers long,
flowing northeast until it empties into the
Bohai Sea east of Lijin. The section of the
Grand Canal in this province totals about 500
kilometers in length. It flows from north to
south across the plain in the west where it
meets the Huanghe River.
SCENES
& SIGHTS
Jinan
Jinan,
capital of Shandong Province, is a famous historical
and cultural city known as the "Capital
of Springs" or "City of Springs"
since ancient times. "Baotu" "Black
Tiger", "Pearl", and "Five-Dragon"
are the names of the four best known of the
72 springs in this charming city, which is situated
with Mount Taishan in the south and the Yellow
River in the north. Other attractions: Thousand-Buddha
Mountain, Daming Lake, and Lingyan Temple with
the Four-Door Pagoda.
Mount
Taishan
Mount
Taishan, its main peak at an elevation of 1,545
metres, and its smudge of peaks looking majestic
in their sheer masses, is regarded as the holiest
of all the five holy mountains in China. For
its long history, scientific value and natural
beauty, Taishan has been designated as a world
natural and cultural heritage site. The Daimiao
and Bixia temples are among the mountain's major
sites of historical interest, and the Yuhuang
(Jade Emperor) and Riguan (Sun-Watching) peaks
are primary scenic spots. A visit to Mount Taishan
not only brings one in touch with its peaks
and stones of imaginary images, ancient trees
famed rich in cultural implications, and its
awesome topographical wonders-it also provides
the opportunity to marvel at stone tablets inscribed
with poems composed by emperors and poets. Watching
the sunrise atop the mountain is definitely
a fascinating experience.
Qufu
Qufu
is another famous historical and cultural city
of China. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring
States periods, Qufu was the capital of the
state of Lu, and the native place of Confucius,
a celebrated thinker and educator and the father
of Confucianism. Chinese rulers and scholars
of various dynasties held Confucius in high
esteem, and the Confucian temple, mansion and
graveyard were built in Qufu as a result, which
are now on the UNESCO'S list of world cultural
heritage sites. Confucian Temple, where libations
and sacrifices were offered to Confucius, is
a complex of tall and elegant buildings. Confucian
Mansion, where the thinker's scions resided
and ran official business, is another giant
courtyard with 463 halls, chambers and rooms.
Confucian Graveyard, where the remains of Confucius
and those of his descendents are buried, is
a 200-hectare affair planted with more than
100,000 ancient trees. When visiting Qufu, don't
miss the chance of tasting the dishes prepared
in the Confucian kitchen. The classical concerts
and dances staged nightly at Qufu's Queli Guesthouse
are worth seeing for their authentic Spring
and Autumn and Warring States styles. Qufu can
be reached by bus from Jinan and Taishan.
Zoucheng
Zoucheng,
a neighbouring city of Qufu, was the native
place of another ancient Chinese thinker, Mencius.
The Mencius temple, mansion and graveyard in
the city are as majestic and elegant as their
counterparts in Qufu. Zoucheng also has something
else to offer its visitors: the famous and scenic
Yishan Mountain, and a Ming cemetery.
Qingdao
Qingdao
in east Shandong is a fine harbour on the Yellow
Sea. It is also a renowned beach resort. Numerous
European-style villas and churches have turned
the city into a veritable world architecture
museum. Qingdao boasts a lot of fine bathing
beaches, one of them having been converted into
a national summer resort-Shilaoren (Old Stone
Man) National Holiday Resort, which is equipped
with a 18-hold golf course, an international
beer city and an amusement park-on-the-sea,
in addition to some posh hotels, villas and
apartment buildings. Zhangqiao (Plank Pathway),
Lesser Qingdao, and Badaguan (Eight Major Passes)
are among the scenic attractions in the city.
To the southeast of Qingdao is Laoshan Mountain,
a national scenic Zone and major Taoist sanctuary
with 10 well-preserved temples. As renowned
as Qingdao's landscape is Qingdao Beer. The
International Qingdao Beer Festival takes place
in summer every year along with the International
Marine Festival.
Yantai
Yantai
is another famed port city and seaboard tourist
city in northeast Shandong. Quite a few historical
relics bear witness to visits by Qinshihuang,
who founded the Qin, and Emperor Wudi of the
Han. Eighty-three km off the shore of Yantai
is Penglai, a fairyland-like resort on the northernmost
tip of Shandong Peninsula. The mystique of Penglai
is mostly ascribed to the mirages that occur
beyond the sea, and the Penglai pavilion proves
an ideal place for watching the sea and enjoying
the sunrise.
Zibo
Zibo,
an eastern Shandong city 110 km from Jinan,
is another famous cultural and historical city.
It is where ruins of the Dawenkou culture of
7,000 years ago and the Longshan culture of
7,000 years ago and the Longshan culture of
4,000 years ago have been found. During the
Warring States Period Zibo was the capital of
the state of Qi and the largest city in the
east. Many celebrated thinkers, including Confucius,
Mencius, Xun Zi, had visited the city on lecture
tours. The former residence of Pu Songling (1640-1715),
author of the Qing classic Strange Tales from
a Carefree Studio, is there. The rare discovery
of a large Spring and Autumn Period tomb with
chariots and horses prompted City Hall to build
the Chinese Ancient Chariot Museum in 1994.
Educational
Tour of Qufu
Shandong
was the cradle of education in the east in ancient
times. Apricot Altar at the Confucian Temple
of Qufu was where Confucius lectured. An educational
tour of Qufu enables tourists to learn Chinese
calligraphy, classical Chinese musical instruments
and cooking, with graduation ceremonies taking
place in the Confucian Mansion. They may also
visit schools, cultural facilities and famed
scenic resorts.
Calligrabphic
Tour
Shandong,
the native place of Wang Xizhi, a pre-eminent
calligrapher of ancient times, abounds in calligraphic
resources. Over 70 percent of China's Han-dynasty
stone tablets are found in this province, not
to mention so many ancient stone inscriptions
preserved in Mount Taishan, Yishan Mountain,
Wenfeng Mountain in Yantai, and Laoshan and
Tainzhu mountains in Qingdao.
Bird-Watching
Tour
Among
the endangered species of birds inhabiting the
national nature reserves on Long Island and
in Yellow River Delta, are red-crested cranes
and golden eagles under first-class state protection.
In spring and autumn, these nature reserves
provide excellent stopovers for migratory birds.
Both places are dream places for lovers of mankind's
two-legged friends.
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