Shandong Province

Shandong is on the lower reaches of the Huanghe River (Yellow River) in the eastern part of the North China Plain. The Shandong Peninsular borders on the Bohai Sea in the northwest and the Yellow Sea in the northeast and south, with a coastline running about 3,000 kilometers. The whole province covers an area of over 153,000 square kilometers and has population of 91.80 million (2006), Shandong province's total population is the second only to Henan Province in all China's provinces, consisting of the Han, Hui, Manchu and other nationalities. The city of Jinan is the seat of the provincial capital.
It is rainy in summer and clear and dry in winter. It is milader and more humid in Shandong Province than in other parts of the North China Plain. The average annual temperature in the province is between 11 °C and 14.5 °C (51.8 ºF and 58.1ºF). January is the coldest month with an average temperature between -5 °C and -1 °C. In the hottest month of July, the temperature averages between 24 °C and 27 °C (75.2 ºF and 80.6 ºF). Generally speaking, the temperature is lower in the east and higher in the southwest. The average annual rainfall is between 560 and 1,170mm, with most of the rain falling in summer.

Shandong Province has a time-honored history with a rich culture. Chengziya of Longshan Township of Zhangqiu County, is an important historical site of the "Longshan culture" of the Neolithic Age. Large quantities of cultural relics were unearthed there. The pottery excavated in white, grey, black, red and yellow in color, and is characterized by its dark brightness, exquisite craftsmanship, toughness and eggshell thinness. Culture which belongs to the same system as that of the relics in Chengziya of Longshan Township is generally call the the "Longshan culture" or "Black-Pottery culture". Like Yangshao and Xiaotun cultures, Longshan culture can be traced back to the same origin of the Cathaysian culture.

In 1959, a large site of historical remains of the later period of the Neolithic Age, which was even earlier than the Longshan culture, was discovered in Dawenkou Village, named "Dawenkou culture". This discovery pointed to the origin of the Longshan culture and also provided important clues to the studies of the primitive culture in the coastal area of Shandong and Zhejiang Province in the Huanghe and Huaihe Rivers valleys. More than two thousands years ago, Shandong was under the jurisdiction partly of the State of Qi and partly of the State of Lu. Yingqiu, the capital of the State of Qi, was where Linzi is today, and the ruins of the ancient city still remain. Qufu is the former seat of the capital of the State of Lu, and its remains are still there. As a result of historical evolution through various dynasties, Shandong was established as a province in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and has since remained as such."



Shandong dishes have a long history. They consist mainly of local Jinan and Jiaodong dishes and represent one of the four major schools of famous dishes in China. Jinan dishes are known for their cuisine, such as quick-fry, cooking, baking, stewing and roasting, stir-fry, sauté and deep-fry and also for its delicate fragrance, freshness, crispness and tenderness. Jinan broth is clear and delicious and the creamy juice is white and mellow. There are such famous dishes as sweet and sour Yellow River crap and pig's large intestines. Jiaodong Peninsular is famous for its various local dishes of fresh sea foods, quick-fried, deep-fried, braised or steamed, delicious in flavor and yet not greasy. Attention is paid to keeping the delicious flavor of the main ingredients. China to hold monthly rituals for Confucius to promote tourism Hindu, India, March 28, 2006 - Qufu, the hometown of Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC), a great thinker and educator in ancient China, has decided to hold memorial rituals for him on the 28th day of each month from April to October to popularise his thoughts as well as promote tourism. The activities are a simplified version of the grand ceremony held on September 28, the birthday of Confucius, when people dressed in traditional ancient costumes perform the rituals which had been held in the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), according to a tourism official of Qufu city in eastern China's Shandong province. The monthly rituals are aimed at entertaining domestic and foreign tourists who want to appreciate the memorial activities for Confucius, the official said. Confucius, or Kong Fuzi in Chinese, was a great ancient Chinese educator and philosopher, with benevolence being one of his key doctrines. His profound thinking has been an integral part of China's cultural system. Such memorial events can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD) in China. Since the 1980s, a grand ceremony is held annually in Qufu on September 28 to commemorate the birth of Confucius.
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