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Shandong Province
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Introduction
Shandong is a more than 150,000 square kilometer-northeastern province of China. It is nestled on the lower reaches of the Yellow River. North of the province is the Bohai Sea while Hebei is to the northwest. The Yellow Sea is on its southeast border. The province of Henan is to the west and Jiangsu to the south.
The province has a rich history which can be traced back to more than 5,000 years. It is regarded as one of the birthplaces of ancient Chinese civilization. It is also best known as the birthplace of China’s greatest philosopher and educator, Confucius.
The province is also considered as the birthplace of Chinese silk, porcelain, and pottery.
Jinan, its capital, is known as “City of Springs” because many natural springs abound. People flocked to this place to see the Yellow River as it flows to the sea. It is one of the twelve China’s outstanding tourist cities.
Summertime in Shandong ushers in the marine monsoons. Winter is dry and cold. Its annual average temperature ranges between 11 and 14 degrees C with 500 mm and 1100 mm precipitation.
Shandong is a haven of many historical sites and cultural relics. Its fascinating natural landscapes are a sight to behold for many tourists. The people are also warm and friendly, which is a far cry from most provincial people.
1. Mansion, Temple and Cemetery of Confucius in Qufu - declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The International Confucian Culture Festival is held every year in September.
2. Mount Laoshan – sacred mountain for Taoists
3. Mount Taishan and the Temple – Its beauty is enthralling and there are cultural relics that abound in the area. The mountain is also known as the “soul of the Chinese nation”. It is also included in the list of UNESCO’s list of World Heritage of Nature and Culture.
4. Lingzi – the capital of the ancient State of Qi; portions of the Great Wall, believed to be the most ancient among all of China, is often frequented by tourists.
5. Weifang – It known as the world capital of kites. April of every year ushers in the Weifang International Kite Festival is held here.
6. Mount Penglai – fairyland on earth; Most people who have been to Penglai will realize why the place is called a “fairyland on earth”. There are mirages which can often be seen by many.
7. Qingdao – Also known as the “Green Island”, it is famous for its International Beer Fair in July. It is located on the Yellow Sea and is Shandong’s largest city. The tasty Qingdao Beer and mineral water is world-renowned.
The population of the province in 2008 was pegged at 94 million. Local people are predominantly of Han origin. However, there are small minority groups of Hui, Zhoucun, and Tai'an.
Shandong is known as the “hometown of culinary art”. Its dishes are commonly called Lucai. It is recognized as among China’s four—Shandong, Sichuan, Suzhou, and Guangdong-- most famous culinary traditions. Much of it dishes can be traced back to the time of Confucius. Thus, its cuisine can be told as China’s oldest existing cuisine.
Lucai cuisine consists of two major styles of cooking—Jiaodong and Jinan styles. Jiaodong style of cooking mainly utilizes seafood with light tastes. Jinan style is famous for its mouth-watering soups.
Shandong’s cuisine says a lot of its geographical location. Since a part of the province borders the sea, many dishes utilize the fresh aquatic bounties. Local cuisine utilize the vast array of seafood which are easily available including scallops, sea cucumbers, clams, and prawns.
Its cuisine is filled with seasoning and overflowing with strong flavors. Salt is its main condiment. However, the pungent flavors of its dishes are from the soy sauce and salted fermented soybeans. People in Shandong love to eat onions and scallion and use them to season their dishes.
It can be said that the greatest contribution of the province to Chinese cuisine is its brewed vinegars. As one of the premier regions for vinegar production, its vinegars have a characteristic rich, complex flavor.
Some of the familiar Shandong dishes include braised shark’s fin with shredded chicken, clam in egg white, sea cucumber with meat balls, and fried oysters. Most of its dishes are deep fried resulting in greasy but crispy delicacies.
The province is an important economic site of the Chinese mainland. It is considered as an important producer of wheat and cotton. Other agricultural products of which the province is famous for includes corn, sorghum, soybeans, peanuts and tobacco. A quarter of the nation's total production of peanuts comes from Shandong.
Temperate fruits such as apples, pears, small dates, and watermelons abound in Shandong. Its waters are abundant in prawns, fish, and kelp.
The tourism industry has also developed and expanded through the years. It has become a major contributor in the province’s economic development.
The mining industry of Shandong boasts of large deposits of natural gas, petroleum, diamonds, bauxite and iron. It is China's top producer of gold.
In the northwestern part of Shandong is the Shengli Oilfield. It is the nation's second biggest producer of crude oil.
The economy of Shandong province was not adversely affected by the financial crisis that had burdened many countries in 2009. Its major economic indicators showed noteworthy achievements.
In 2009, the gross national product of Shandong increased by 11.9%. Its local fiscal revenue grew to 12.3%. Together with Guangdong and Jiangsu, Shandong surpassed 3.3 trillion yuan.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2010-02/11/content_9460355.htm
http://www.entrancechina.org/news.php?id=96298
http://www.china.org.cn/china/NPC_CPPCC_2010/2010-03/08/content_19555294.htm
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