Shandong province is called Lu in short, it is an important coastal province in East China. Located in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, it borders on the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea. Shandong faces Japan and the Korean Peninsula to the east, and is connected with Hebei Province in the northwest, with Henan Province in the southwest, while in the south, it neighbors Anhui and Jiangsu provinces. Shandong and Liaodong peninsulas almost encircle the Bohai Sea. This special geological location makes Shandong a point of intersection linking the Yellow River Economic Belt, the Bohai Ring Economic Area, North China and the East China. It occupies a significant position in the Chinese economic structures.

With a total land area of 156,700 square kilometers, Shandong makes up 1.6 percent of the territory of China, and is the 19th biggest province in area in the country.

The central part of Shandong is a ridged mountainous region, and there are undulating hills in the eastern and southern parts of the province. While the north and northwestern parts of the province is the alluvial plain of the Yellow River, which is part of the North China Plain. The highest point of the province is Mount Tai in the middle. 1,545 meters above sea level; and the lowest point is the Yellow River Delta in the northeast, just 2 to 10 meters above sea level.

Rivers and lakes are interlaced in a dense network within the province. More than 100 rivers have trunk streams of more than 50 km long. The Yellow River, which is honored as “the mother river of the Chinese nation”, enters the province in the southwest, crosses more than 610 km, and then flows into the Bohai Sea in the northeast. The famous Beijing-Hangzhou Canal flows 630 km from the southeast to the northwest through the pains in west Shandong. Two comparatively large lakes in Shandong are the Nansi lake and the Dongping lake. Nansi Lake, consisting of the Weishan, Zhaoyang, Dushan and Nanyang lakes, covers an area of 1,375 square km, and is one of the 10 biggest freshwater lakes in China.

Major mountains in Shandong are the Mount Tai and the Mengshan, Laoshan, Lushan, Yishan, Culai, Kunlun, Jiuding, Aishan, Yashan, Daze and Menglianggu mountains.

The capital of the province is Jinan. Located in central Shandong, it is a famous historical and cultural city. It is also called the “Spring City” because of its abundant springs.  Qing’dao, which lies in the east part of Shandong peninsula, is a famous coastal city specifically designated in the state’s economic plan at the sub-provincial level, and is also the host of 2008 Olympics Sailing Regatta. It is a leading city in the province’s opening up drive. Meanwhile, it is a famous coastal tourist city.

Shandong has a population of 90,410,000,  which is the second most populous province in China. And city and town population makes up 39.2% of the entire population..

Shandong enjoys a long history with numerous cultural relics and historic sites. It possesses beautiful mountains and clear waters within the province, which have formed unique tour routes and sightseeing lines. There are about 493 sightseeing spots of natural scenes and humane landscapes, more than 13,000 ancient architectures and ancient historic sites, including 27 major sites to be protected for their historical and cultural value under state protection, 379 major cultural and historic sites to be protected under provincial level. The centuries-old history and brilliant civilization compose rich and colorful natural and humane landscapes of its own characteristics, thus forming the unique style of the tourism in Shandong province.