Jinan
Encyclopedia
Jinan is the capital of Shandong
province in Eastern China
. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub. The city, which holds sub-provincial
administrative status, is located in north-western Shandong about 400 kilometres (248.5 mi) south of the national capital of Beijing
, it borders Liaocheng
to the southwest, Dezhou
to the northwest, Binzhou
to the northeast, Zibo
to the east, Laiwu
to the southeast, and Tai'an
to the south.
changed its course northwards and took over its bed. The current pronunciation of the character "Ji" with the third tone ("jǐ") was established in the late 1970s. Prior to this, it was pronounced with the fourth tone (""). Older texts spell the name as "Tsinan" (Wade-Giles
romanizaton) or "Chi-nan". During the times of the Zhou Dynasty
(1045 BC to 256 BC), the city of Lìxià (/) was the major settlement in the area. The name "Lixia" refers to the location of Jinan at the foot of Mount Li, which lies to the south of the city). Today, Lixia is the name of one of the city's districts. The Battle of An
, which was fought in the area during the Spring and Autumn Period (in 589 BCE) between the states of Qi
and Jin, is named for the ancient city of which stood within the city limits of present-day Jinan. Marco Polo
gives a brief description of Jinan under the name "Chingli" or "Chinangli". 19th and early 20th century texts frequently give the name of the city as "Tsinan Fu" where the additional "Fu" (府) comes from the dated Chinese term for a provincial capital . Jinan is also referred to by the nickname "City of Springs" , because of the many artesian springs in the urban city centre and its surroundings.
(市; pinyin: shì), and 3 counties (县/; pinyin: xiàn):
These are further divided into 146 township-level divisions, including 65 towns, 27 townships and 54 subdistrict
s.
province at 36°
40′
northern latitude
and 116° 57′ east of Greenwich
. In the relief
of the region, the city occupies a transition zone between the northern foothills of the Taishan Massif
to the south of the city and the valley of the Yellow River
to the north. Karst
aquifers in limestone
formations sloping down from the south to the north give rise to many artesian
spring
s in the city center as well as in surrounding areas.
(Köppen
Cwa/Dwa) with four well-defined seasons. The city is dry and nearly rainless in spring, hot and rainy in summer, crisp in autumn and dry and cold in winter. The average annual temperature is 14.6 °C (58.3 °F), and the annual precipitation is around slightly above 670 millimetres (26.4 in), with a strong summer maximum, and higher variability from year to year. January is the coldest and driest month, with a mean temperature of -0.4 C and 5.7 millimetre (0.224409448818898 in) of equivalent rainfall; snow occasionally falls but rarely in heavy bouts. July is the warmest and wettest month, the corresponding numbers are 27.5 °C (81.5 °F), and 201.3 mm (7.93 in).
Due to the mountains to the south of the city, temperature Inversions
are common occurrences, occurring on about 200 days per year.
Longshan Culture
was first discovered at the Chéngzǐyá
(城子崖) site to the east of Jinan (Zhangqiu
City) in 1928. One of the characteristic features of the Longshan Culture are the intricate wheel-made pottery pieces it produced. Most renown is the black "egg-shell pottery" with wall thicknesses that can go below 1 millimeter.
During the Spring and Autumn Period (722 – 481 BCE) and Warring States Period
(475–221 BCE), the area of Jinan was split between two states – the state of Lu in the west and the state of Qi in the east. In 685 BCE, the state of Qi started to build the Great Wall of Qi
across Changqing county. Portions of the wall still remain today and are accessible as open air museums. Biǎn Què , according to the legend the earliest Chinese physician and active around 500 BCE, is said to have been a native of present-day Changqing County. Zou Yan
, a native of Zhangqiu City, developed the concepts of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements .
During the times of the Han Dynasty
(206 BCE – 220 CE), Jinan was the capital of the Kingdom of Jibei (/; pinyin: ) and evolved into the cultural and economic hub of the region. The Han Dynasty tomb
where the last king of Jibei, Liú Kuān (/), was buried at Shuangru Mountain was excavated by archaeologists from Shandong University
in 1995 and 1996. More than 2000 artifacts such as jade swords, jade masks, jade pillows have been recovered within the 1,500 square meter excavation site, emphasizing the wealth of the city during the period. Cáo Cāo
was an official in Jinan before he became the de facto ruler of the Han Dynasty. His son overthrew the last emperor of the Han
and founded the Wei Kingdom (220 – 265 CE) of the Three Kingdoms Period.
Beginning in the 5th century CE, Buddhism
flourished in Jinan. The Langgong Temple ' onMouseout='HidePop("42304")' href="/topics/Licheng_District,_Jinan">Licheng
and Changqing
such as the Lingyan Temple
and the Thousand-Buddha Cliff
. In particular, a large number of cave temples were established in the hills south of Jinan.
Jinan remained the cultural center of the region during the Song Dynasty
(960 – 1279 CE). The Song rulers promoted Jinan to a superior prefecture in 1116 CE. Two of the most important poets of the Southern Song were both born in Jinan: Li Qingzhao
, the most renown female poet in Chinese history, and
Xin Qiji
, who was also a military leader of the Southern Song Dynasty. Both poets witnessed a series of crushing defeats of the Song Dynasty at the hands of the Jurchens who gained control over almost half of the Song territories and established the Jin Dynasty in northern China. After Jinan came under control of the Jin Dynasty, both Li Qingzhao and Xin Qiji had to abandon their homes and reflected this experience in their works.
During the Civil War that followed the proclamation of Kublai Khan
as Great Khan in 1260 CE, Jinan was at the center of a rebellion by Yizhou governor Li Tan against Mongol rule in 1262 CE. The rebellion was crushed in a decisive battle that was fought not far from Jinan in late March or early April of 1262 CE. After losing 4000 of his troops in the battle, Li Tan retreated to Jinan to make his last stand. After defections of his defenders had made his position untenable, Li Tan tried to commit suicide by drowning himself in Daming Lake
. However, he was rescued by the Mongols in order to execute him by trampling him to death with their horses.
Despite such violent conflicts, culture in Jinan continued to thrive during the Jin (1115–1234 CE) and Yuan
(1271–1368 CE) Dynasties: One of the most renowned artists of the Yuan Dynasty
, Zhao Mengfu
was appointed to the post of governor of Jinan in 1293 CE and spent three years in the city. Among the extraordinary art works he completed during his stay in Jinan, the best known painting is "Autumn Colors on the Qiao and Hua Mountains" (《》). Geographer Yú Qīn
(/, 1284 – 1333 CE) also served as an official in Jinan and authored his geography book Qí Chéng
there.
When Shandong
Province was established under the Ming Dynasty
, Jinan became its capital.
In 1852, the northward shift of the Yellow River into a new bed close to the city triggered the modern expansion of Jinan. The new course of the Yellow River connected the city to the Grand Canal and regional waterways in northern Shandong and southern Hebei
.
German influence in Jinan grew after the Qing Dynasty
ceded Qingdao
to the German Empire in 1897. A German concession area was established to the west of the historical city center (in the vicinity of the Jinan Railway Station first established by the Germans). The Jiaoji (Qingdao-Jinan) railway
was built by the Germans against local resistance. Discontent over the construction of the railway was one of the sources fueling the Boxer Rebellion
(1899–1901). During the rebellion, foreign priests were evacuated from Jinan and Chinese Christians became a target of violence. The Jiaoji railway was completed in 1904, three years after the Boxer Rebellion had been put down, and opened the city to foreign trade. The importance of Jinan as a transportation hub was cemented with the completion of the north-south Jinpu railway
from Tianjin
to Pukou in 1912. Jinan became a major trading center for agricultural goods in northern China. Traded commodities included cotton
, grain, peanut
s, and tobacco
. Jinan also developed into a major industrial center, second in importance to Qingdao in the province.
In 1919, after the First World War, the Japanese took over the German sphere of influence in Shandong, including control of the Jiaoji railway, and established a significant Japanese colony in Jinan. According to estimates by a contemporary Japanese government official, about 2,000 Japanese were living in Jinan in 1931, about half of which were involved in the opium
trade for which the Japanese had a loosely controlled monopoly that was exploited with the participation of Chinese traders.
During the Warlord era
of the Republic of China
, Zhang Zongchang
, nicknamed the "Dogmeat General", ruled Shandong from Jinan for a period that lasted from April 1925 until May 1928. Zhang was unpopular for his heavy-handed rule and in particular his heavy taxation. Besides heavy taxes, he relied financially on opium to finance his periodic wars. Zhang even planned to use some of the wealth extracted from these sources for building a living shrine and a large bronze statue for himself on the shore of Daming Lake
, but these plans were not realized as his rule came to an end.
In the spring of 1928, the Kuomintang
's Northern Expedition reached Jinan. On May 3, 1928, clashes developed between Japanese troops stationed in Jinan and the Kuomintang troops moving into the city (Jinan Incident
). Cai Gongshi
, a Kuomintang emissary sent to negotiate and members of his entourage were executed by the Japanese. In response to the incident, Japanese reinforcements were sent to Shandong and Japanese troops occupied Jinan for more than six months until they withdrew to their garrison in Tsingtao on the 28th of March 1929. During the Nanjing decade
of the Republic of China
, Han Fuju
, a military commander form the warlord era who had aligned himself with the Kuomintang, became military governor of Shandong. He established his base in Jinan and is credited with curtailing banditry and drug trading, thereby bringing a measure of peace and prosperity to the city. However, from 1935 onwards Han was under heavy pressure from the Japanese consul in Jinan to declare Shandong an "independent state" allied with Japan.
After the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War
, the Japanese invasion force crossed the Yellow River 60 kilometers north-east of Jinan on December 23, 1937. Han Fuju abandoned Jinan on the next day against orders to hold the city to the death. He ordered the offices of the provincial government and the Japanese consulate in Jinan to be burned down and the ensuing power vacuum led to widespread looting in the city. Japanese troops from the 10th Division of the Manchurian Area Army entered Jinan on December 27, 1937.
Japanese troops controlled Jinan until their defeat in 1945. After this, the Kuomintang regained a short-lived control of the city during the period from 1946 to 1948. The provincial government during this time was led by Lieutenant-General Wang Yaowu
, who also commanded the KMT army in the region. KMT rule over Jinan ended in September 1948 with the Battle of Jinan
in which units of the People's Liberation Army
under the command of Chen Yi
took the city. The battle for Jinan took a decisive turn in favor of the attackers when KMT Lieutenant-General Wú Huàwén
defected to the Communist side with about 8,000 of his troops. The most likely explanation for his defection is that he had been pressured through relatives of his who were held captive by the Communist forces. Lieutenant-General Wu had been in charge of the vital outer ring of defenses that protected the main airfield, the railroad station, and the commercial district. With these critical assets lost, the situation of the city's defenders became untenable. Following the weakening of the city's defenses, the People's Liberation Army breached the city wall and entered Jinan on September 24, 1948.
In March 1966, the largest among the drawn-out sequence of earthquakes that made up the Xingtai Earthquake damaged about 36,000 houses in Jinan.
On May 27, 1966, the Cultural Revolution
started in Jinan with an article in the local newspaper "Jinan Evening News"
that denounced vice-governor Yu Xiu as a Bourgeois
agent within the government. Starting from early June 1966, the schools in Jinan were closed down by strikes as teachers were "struggled against". At the same time, big-character posters
started to appear in the city. Red Guards
took to the streets of Jinan from late August 1966 onwards, damaging cultural heritage and setting up courts to prosecute perceived enemies of the revolution. In the spring of 1967, the "May 7th Incident" took place: When Zhang Chunqiao
and Yao Wenyuan
, both later reviled as members of the Gang of Four
, visited Jinan to support the Cultural Revolution and its local leader Wang Xiao Yu, fighting erupted in the front of the provincial government between two rival factions of the Cultural Revolution, the "April 22nd Group" and Wang Xiao Yu's "April 28th Group". In the end, more than 10,000 people had been involved in the fighting. On October 11, 1967, the tallest statue of Mao Zedong
in Shandong province was erected on the campus of Shandong Normal University
. On September 17, 1968, a large assembly of Jinan workers celebrated the arrival of a mango
fruit in the "August 1st" Meeting Hall. The fruit had been a gift to the workers in Beijing by Mao and was subsequently passed on to the workers in Jinan. In November 1968, Wang Xiao Yu began to agitate against the local army units in Jinan and Shandong Province. By then unrest due to the Cultural Revolution had severely damaged the city's governmental and industrial infrastructure, with about 80% of all government institutions shut down. Large public protests were staged on April 4 and 5, 1969, in which approximately 500,000 people protested the occupation of Zhenbao Island
by the Soviet Union. On July 29, 1970, the leadership of the Cultural Revolution passed a resolution to make sweeping changes to the city's educational system: The liberal arts departments of Shandong University were moved to Qufu
and combined with Qufu Normal College to form a new Shandong University. The biology department was moved to Tai'an and merged into the Shandong Agricultural College. The rest of the sciences were to form the Shandong Science and Technology University. Shandong Normal University was to be moved to Liaocheng. Shandong Medical College and Shandong College of Traditional Chinese Medicine were to be merged and moved to Tai'an. Shandong University was restored in its original form and the "Shandong Science and Technology University" was abolished in early 1974. The first reversals of Cultural Revolution policies started in early 1971: On May 23 of that year, the Shandong Provincial Museum
was reopened after having been closed for about 5 years (since May 1966). In the next year, the Jinan Committee for the Cultural Revolution officially reverted the name changes of four city districts enacted in 1966. During the 6 years between the name change and its reversal, Lixia District had been known officially as "Hongwei", Tianqiao as "Face the Sun", Huaiyin as "East Wind", and Shizhong as "Red Flag". As the Cultural Revolution came to an end, Jinan started to receive visitors from abroad. For example, it was visited by a delegation from the United States Congress
between August 8 and 11, 1975. On September 18, 1976, Mao's death was mourned by about 600,000 people at an official service in Jinan's August 1 Square.
Jinan was the host of the 11th All China Games during the month of October, 2009. These games are the selection games for the Chinese Olympic champions. For this occasion, security was heightened and a full volunteer force was out on the streets directing visitor traffic. The city conducted major renovations in its transportation and recreation services in anticipation of the Games visitors.
The population is predominantly Han
(98.3%), with very small portions of Hui
and Manchu
Chinese. Jinan has a significant Muslim
community centred in the city's Muslim quarter, located to the west of the historical center.
of Mandarin that is not readily understood even by native speakers of standard Mandarin. The younger people of Jinan are more likely to speak standard Mandarin, whereas many older residents retain strong local dialect elements in their speech. Nevertheless, even the younger residents of Jinan tend to retain a strong local accent and mix local vocabulary into the standardized Mandarin vocabulary. Due to the influx of migrant workers during the past decade of China's economic boom, many of the current population that are of working age are not natives of Jinan but have learned to understand the Jinan dialect.
Jinan has its own cuisine, the Jinan style of the Lu cuisine
(/; pinyin: ), one of the Eight Culinary Traditions of China.
Following the trade in agricultural goods, the city developed a textile and clothing industry, flour mills, oil presses, as well as factories producing paper, cement, and matches. In the 1950s, large iron and steel works as well as chemical factories were established around Jinan. The large metal works produce pig iron
, ingot
steel, as well as finished steel. In 2008, steel manufacturing was restructured with the formation of the Shandong Iron and Steel Group
.
In the 1970s, factories for the production of trucks and construction vehicles (Sinotruk
) were added.
Jinan has a pool of high-quality labor resources. There are 18 universities and colleges in the city where more than 200,000 students are studying. Among the 200+ research institutes in the city, 10 are national laboratories.
The focus on technology intensive industries has transformed Jinan from a city supported by heavy industry and textiles to a city with more diverse industrial structure. Information Technology, transportation tools, home appliances, and bio-engineered products, among others, have become important components of the area's industry. Jinan's IT-related economic output was ranked to be in the fourth place nationally in 2004 .
Industrial zones include:
Founded in 1991, the Jinan High-tech Industrial Development zone was one of the first of its kind approved by the State Council. The zone is located to the east of the city and covers a total planning area of 83 square kilometers that is divided into a central area covering 33 square kilometers, an export processing district of 10 square kilometers, and an eastern extension area of 40 square kilometers.
Since its foundation, the Jinan High-tech Industrial Development Zone has attracted enterprises as LG, Panasonic, Volvo, and Sanyo. In 2000, it joined the world science and technology association and set up a China-Ukraine High-tech Cooperation Park. The Qilu Software Park became the sister park of Bangalore park of India.
The export processing zone is located in the eastern suburbs of Jinan, to the east of the Jinan High-tech Industrial Development Zone and to the north of the Jiwang highway. The distances to the Jiqing Highway and the Jinan Airport are 9 and 18 km respectively.
The China National Heavy Duty Truck Group
(Sinotruk) has its headquarters in the city.
that runs from Beijing
to Shanghai
is the major north-south backbone of the railway system in eastern China. In Jinan, it intersects with the Jiaoji Railway
that connects Jinan to the sea port of Qingdao
to the east. In addition, the Hanji Railway
connects Jinan to the city of Handan
(Hebei
Province) in the west.
Within Shandong province, the Jinghu Railway connects Jinan with the cities of Dezhou
, Tai'an
, Jining
, and Zaozhuang
; the Jiaoji Railway provides a link to the cities of Zibo
, Qingdao
, and Weifang
; the Hanji Railway serves the cities of Yancheng and Liaocheng
.
, China National Highway 220
, and China National Highway 309
. Because of Jinan's location and role as a road and rail transportation hub, the Jinan Coach Terminus has one of the largest passenger flows in China
. On peak travel days, as many as 92,000 passengers per day have been counted, on off-peak days the number is around 42,000 passengers per day.
and Singapore
.
Jinan is renowned across China for its numerous springs, the lakes fed by the spring water, and the weeping willows that grow along the water edges. The late-Qing author Liu E
describes Jinan's cityscape in his novel "The Travels of Lao Can" as "Every family has spring water, every household has a willow tree". Jinan was also the historical center of Buddhist culture for the whole province which is still manifest in the many historic sites that are left behind in its southern counties.
. The Baotu Spring Park
is the most popular of the springs in the City of Jinan proper. Besides the Baotu Spring, the park contains several other springs that are listed among the "72 Famous Springs". "Bào tū" means "jumping and leaping" in Chinese. The water in the spring pool can be seen foaming and gushing, looking like a pot of boiling water. The spring was visited by the Emperor Qian Long (1711–1799) of the Qing Dynasty
who declared it "the first spring under the heaven" . A tablet with the Emperor's handwriting "Baotu Spring" has since been erected beside the spring pool.
Not far away to the northeast of Baotu Spring Park is the Daming Lake
, which, together with Baotu Spring and the Thousand-Buddha Mountain is often regarded as the "Three Greatest Attractions in Jinan". Other notable parks in the city include the Five Dragon Pool
near the Baotu Spring Park, the Black Tiger Spring
on the southern city moat, and the Baimai Springs
of Zhangqiu City to the east of Jinan.
, built in 661, is the oldest existing one-story stone tower in China. The pagoda houses four Buddhist statues dating from the 6th century, and the Cypress tree standing next to the pagoda is more than 1000 years old. Below the hill on which pagoda stands lie the remnants of the Shentong Temple , which was founded in the 4th century but was destroyed in the wars of later dynasties. The funerary stelae of monks from the temple which date from different historic periods display remarkable artistic features. The statues in the nearby Thousand-Buddha Cliff
form one of the best collections of Tang Dynasty
Buddhist statues in the region.
The Lingyan Temple
in the southern county of Changqing was one of the four most famous temples of the Tang Dynasty
. The temple was founded during the Jin Dynasty and reached its heyday during the Tang and Song Dynasties. During the Tang Dynasty, the famous monk Xuan Zang stayed in the temple and translated Buddhist manuscripts he had brought to China from India. Many emperors in Chinese history visited the temple before they went to Mount Tai
(one of China's five sacred mountains, located south of Jinan) for ceremonies. The clay sculptures of Buddhas made in the Song Dynasty are considered as "The Best of China" by the great scholar and journalist Liang Qichao
(1873–1929). Buddhist architectures within the temple such as pagodas and tomb stelae are among the earliest and best protected in the region.
located at the foothill of Thousand-Buddha Mountain is the largest museum in the province. It has a large collection of natural as well as historical treasures from the whole province. The museum was established in its present form in 1982 and currently has 8 exhibition halls : "Treasures of Shandong Province"; "Stone Sculptures"; "Warship of the Ming Dynasty
"; "Ancient Coins"; "Art Treasures"; "Fossil Collections"; "Dinosaurs"; and "Specimens". The museum has more than 210,000 relics and specimens, making up 1/3 of the collections in museums of whole province. The Shandong Provincial Museum has been ranked No. 7 in terms of collection size among the museums of China.
The Jinan Municipal Museum is located at the south-western foot of the Thousand-Buddha Mountain, in the north of the city center. Although much smaller than the provincial museum, the municipal museum still houses a collection of more than 20,000 items, most of which were recovered in the city area.
The Shandong Provincial Library in the eastern High-tech Park (address: 2912 Second Ring East Road) is the principal library of the province and is ranked among the Top 10 Chinese libraries. As of 2004, the library had more than 5.18 million documents, many of which date back many centuries and are important sources for research on Chinese history. The library also has a large collection of western journals/books. Originally, the library was built close to Daming Lake in 1909 by the then governor of Shandong. In the late 1990s, a project was undertaken to move the library to the eastern part of the city, and it reopened in 2002 with 35 reading rooms and more than 2000 seats.
Spring City Road was rebuilt at the same time that Spring City Square was created. The government's intention was to create a modern business district and yet preserve the traditional Chinese culture. Therefore newly-built shopping malls with traditional Chinese architectural styles and modern western skyscrapers can be found side-by-side along Spring City Road. Notable retail businesses are Quancheng Bookstore – the largest bookstore of the city – and Walmart (near the western end of Spring City Road). Major shopping malls along the road are the Guihe Shopping Center , the Sofitel
Silver Plaza, and the Wanda Shopping Mall . Parc 66 to the south of Spring City Road (opposite of Water Lily Street
), opened in August 2011, is Jinan's largest shopping mall with seven levels of retail space and a total gross floor area of 171,000 square meters.
into which the People's Liberation Army
is organized.
Football Club is the most widely known sports team in Jinan. The club currently plays at the highest tier of Chinese football, the Chinese Super League
. The Shandong Luneng Football Club is one of four clubs which have been playing in Chinese top football league for all the 15 seasons since the league turned professional in 1994. Over these 15 seasons the club has won 8 titles: Top League Champions (1999, 2006, 2008), FA Cups (1995, 1999, 2004, 2006), and CSL Cup (2004).
The most renowned basketball team in Jinan are the Shandong Golden Lions
. Like the football team, the Shandong Golden Lions have been playing in the Chinese top basketball league for all the seasons (13 for basketball) since the league turned professional in 1995. The team's best season was 1997–1998 when it finished 3rd place. In the 2007–2008 season, the Shandong Golden Lions also reached the 3rd place at the end of the season, but they were knocked out at the first round of the playoffs.
In 2009, Jinan hosted the 11th National Games of the People's Republic of China
, the premier sports event at the national level in China and the first major multi-sports event held in China after the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
. The National Games' main venue was the Jinan Olympic Sports Center
.
with: Wakayama, Japan
; since January 14, 1983. Coventry
, United Kingdom
; since October 3, 1983. Yamaguchi
, Japan; since September 20, 1985. Rennes
, France
; since 1985. Kfar Sava, Israel
; since 2007. Sacramento
, United States
; since May 29, 1985. Regina
, Canada
; since August 10, 1987. Port Moresby
, Papua New Guinea
; since September 28, 1988. Suwon
, South Korea
; since October 27, 1993. Nizhny Novgorod
, Russia
; since September 25, 1994. Vantaa
, Finland
; since August 27, 2001. Joondalup, Australia
; since September 4, 2004. Augsburg
, Germany
; since October 10, 2004. Praia
, Cape Verde
; since September 22, 2009.
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
province in Eastern China
East China
East China is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China.Although an intangible and loosely defined concept, for administrative and governmental purposes, the region is defined by the government of the People's Republic of China to include...
. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub. The city, which holds sub-provincial
Sub-provincial city
A sub-provincial divisions in the People's Republic of China, is like a prefecture-level city that is ruled by a province, but is administered independently in regard to economy and law....
administrative status, is located in north-western Shandong about 400 kilometres (248.5 mi) south of the national capital of Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, it borders Liaocheng
Liaocheng
Liaocheng , also known as the Water City, is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southeast, Dezhou to the northeast, Tai'an to the south, and the province of Hebei and Henan to the west...
to the southwest, Dezhou
Dezhou
Dezhou is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southeast, Liaocheng to the southwest, Binzhou to the northeast, and the province of Hebei to the north....
to the northwest, Binzhou
Binzhou
Binzhou is a prefecture-level city in northern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River with two arms extended to the southern bank, Binzhou borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southwest, Dezhou to the west, Zibo to the south,...
to the northeast, Zibo
Zibo
Zibo is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the west, Laiwu and Tai'an to the southwest, Linyi to the south, Weifang to the east, Dongying to the northeast, and Binzhou the north.Located in the middle part...
to the east, Laiwu
Laiwu
Laiwu is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. The smallest prefecture-level city in the province, it borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Zibo to the east and Tai'an to the southwest....
to the southeast, and Tai'an
Tai'an
Tai'an is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China.Centered around Mount Tai, the city borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Laiwu to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng to the extreme west and Jining to the south...
to the south.
Names
The modern-day name "Jinan" literally means "south of the Ji (Waters)" and refers to the old Ji River that had flowed to the north of the city until the middle of the 19th century. The Ji River disappeared in 1852 when the Yellow RiverYellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
changed its course northwards and took over its bed. The current pronunciation of the character "Ji" with the third tone ("jǐ") was established in the late 1970s. Prior to this, it was pronounced with the fourth tone (""). Older texts spell the name as "Tsinan" (Wade-Giles
Wade-Giles
Wade–Giles , sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a romanization system for the Mandarin Chinese language. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Wade during the mid-19th century , and was given completed form with Herbert Giles' Chinese–English dictionary of 1892.Wade–Giles was the most...
romanizaton) or "Chi-nan". During the times of the Zhou Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
(1045 BC to 256 BC), the city of Lìxià (/) was the major settlement in the area. The name "Lixia" refers to the location of Jinan at the foot of Mount Li, which lies to the south of the city). Today, Lixia is the name of one of the city's districts. The Battle of An
Battle of An
The Battle of An was fought during the Spring and Autumn Period in 589 B.C.E. at Hua Hill in the area of the present-day city of Jinan, Shandong between the states of Qi and Jin...
, which was fought in the area during the Spring and Autumn Period (in 589 BCE) between the states of Qi
Qi (state)
Qi was a powerful state during the Spring and Autumn Period and Period of the Warring States in ancient China. Its capital was Linzi, now part of the modern day city of Zibo in Shandong Province....
and Jin, is named for the ancient city of which stood within the city limits of present-day Jinan. Marco Polo
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...
gives a brief description of Jinan under the name "Chingli" or "Chinangli". 19th and early 20th century texts frequently give the name of the city as "Tsinan Fu" where the additional "Fu" (府) comes from the dated Chinese term for a provincial capital . Jinan is also referred to by the nickname "City of Springs" , because of the many artesian springs in the urban city centre and its surroundings.
Administrative divisions
The sub-provincial city of Jinan (济南市/濟南市; pinyin: Jǐnán Shì) has direct jurisdiction over 6 districts (区/; qū), 1 county-level cityCounty-level city
A county-level city is a county-level administrative division of mainland China. County-level cities are usually governed by prefecture-level divisions, but a few are governed directly by province-level divisions....
(市; pinyin: shì), and 3 counties (县/; pinyin: xiàn):
| Map | Subdivision | Hanzi | Pinyin | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||
| Jinan City Proper | |||
| ■ Lixia District Lixia District Lixia is a suburban district of the province of Shandong, China. It is administered by the subprovincial town of Jinan. It has an area of 100.89 km² and, in 2003, had 583,500 inhabitants.- External links :*... |
583,500 | ||
| ■ Shizhong District Shizhong District, Jinan Shizhong District is a district of the Chinese province of Shandong. It is part of the urban center of the subprovincial town of Jinan. It is located to the southwest of the historical city center. It borders Lixia District to the east, Tianqiao District to the north, Huaiyin District to the west,... |
570,000 | ||
| ■ Huaiyin District Huaiyin District, Jinan Huaiyin District is a district of the Chinese province of Shandong. It is administered by the subprovincial town of Jinan.- External links :*... |
370,000 | ||
| ■ Tianqiao District Tianqiao District Tianqiao is a district of the Chinese province of Shandong. It is administered by the subprovincial town of Jinan. It has an area of 249.05 km² and has 485,773 inhabitants .- External links :*... |
485,773 | ||
| Jinan Suburban and Rural | |||
| ■ Licheng District Licheng District, Jinan Licheng is a district of the Chinese province of Shandong. It is administered by the subprovincial town of Jinan. It has an area of 1,298.57 km² and has 849,900 inhabitants .- External links :* * *... |
849,900 | ||
| ■ Changqing District Changqing District Changqing is a district of the Chinese province of Shandong. It is administered by the sub provincial city of Jinan. It has an area of 1,178 km² and has 530,000 inhabitants .- External links :*... |
530,000 | ||
| ■ Zhangqiu City Zhangqiu Zhangqiu City - History :Originally called Zhangqiu County with Mingshui as its capital, Zhangqiu City was established in August 1992. Located in central Shandong province, Zhangqiu is 50 kilometers to the east of Jinan, the capital of Shandong province. It is 120 kilometers north from Mount Tai... |
1,004,000 | ||
| ■ Pingyin County Pingyin County Pingyin County is under the administration of Jinan, in Shandong Province. The ancient Kingdom of Jibei was located to the northeast of present day Pingyin County.Pingyin has an area of 827 square kilometers and a population of 360,000.... |
360,000 | ||
| ■ Jiyang County Jiyang County Jiyang County is a county of northwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is administered by the provincial capital of Jinan.The population was in 1999.... |
520,095 | ||
| ■ Shanghe County Shanghe County Shanghe County is a county of northwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Jinan, the provincial capital.The population was in 1999.-External links:*... |
579,928 | ||
These are further divided into 146 township-level divisions, including 65 towns, 27 townships and 54 subdistrict
Subdistrict
Subdistrict is a low level administrative division of a country. In Thailand it may refer to the King Amphoe or to the Tambon. In England and Wales it was part of a Registration district....
s.
Geography and climate
Geography
Jinan is located in the north-western part of ShandongShandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
province at 36°
Degree (angle)
A degree , usually denoted by ° , is a measurement of plane angle, representing 1⁄360 of a full rotation; one degree is equivalent to π/180 radians...
40′
Minute of arc
A minute of arc, arcminute, or minute of angle , is a unit of angular measurement equal to one sixtieth of one degree. In turn, a second of arc or arcsecond is one sixtieth of one minute of arc....
northern latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
and 116° 57′ east of Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
. In the relief
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
of the region, the city occupies a transition zone between the northern foothills of the Taishan Massif
Mount Tai
Mount Tai is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an, in Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The tallest peak is the Jade Emperor Peak , which is commonly reported as tall, but is described by the PRC government as .Mount Tai is one of the...
to the south of the city and the valley of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
to the north. Karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
aquifers in limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
formations sloping down from the south to the north give rise to many artesian
Artesian aquifer
An artesian aquifer is a confined aquifer containing groundwater under positive pressure. This causes the water level in a well to rise to a point where hydrostatic equilibrium has been reached. This type of well is called an artesian well...
spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
s in the city center as well as in surrounding areas.
Climate
Jinan lies between a humid subtropical and humid continental climateHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cwa/Dwa) with four well-defined seasons. The city is dry and nearly rainless in spring, hot and rainy in summer, crisp in autumn and dry and cold in winter. The average annual temperature is 14.6 °C (58.3 °F), and the annual precipitation is around slightly above 670 millimetres (26.4 in), with a strong summer maximum, and higher variability from year to year. January is the coldest and driest month, with a mean temperature of -0.4 C and 5.7 millimetre (0.224409448818898 in) of equivalent rainfall; snow occasionally falls but rarely in heavy bouts. July is the warmest and wettest month, the corresponding numbers are 27.5 °C (81.5 °F), and 201.3 mm (7.93 in).
Due to the mountains to the south of the city, temperature Inversions
Inversion (meteorology)
In meteorology, an inversion is a deviation from the normal change of an atmospheric property with altitude. It almost always refers to a temperature inversion, i.e...
are common occurrences, occurring on about 200 days per year.
History
The area of present-day Jinan has been inhabited for more than 4000 years. The NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
Longshan Culture
Longshan culture
The Longshan culture was a late Neolithic culture in China, centered on the central and lower Yellow River and dated from about 3000 BC to 2000 BC...
was first discovered at the Chéngzǐyá
Chengziya Archaeological Site
thumb|right|250px|Roadside marker of the siteThe Chengziya Archaeological Site is the location of the first discovery of the neolithic Longshan Culture in 1928. The discovery of the Longshan Culture at Chengziya was a significant step towards understanding the origins of Chinese civilization....
(城子崖) site to the east of Jinan (Zhangqiu
Zhangqiu
Zhangqiu City - History :Originally called Zhangqiu County with Mingshui as its capital, Zhangqiu City was established in August 1992. Located in central Shandong province, Zhangqiu is 50 kilometers to the east of Jinan, the capital of Shandong province. It is 120 kilometers north from Mount Tai...
City) in 1928. One of the characteristic features of the Longshan Culture are the intricate wheel-made pottery pieces it produced. Most renown is the black "egg-shell pottery" with wall thicknesses that can go below 1 millimeter.
Warring States Period
The Warring States Period , also known as the Era of Warring States, or the Warring Kingdoms period, covers the Iron Age period from about 475 BC to the reunification of China under the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC...
(475–221 BCE), the area of Jinan was split between two states – the state of Lu in the west and the state of Qi in the east. In 685 BCE, the state of Qi started to build the Great Wall of Qi
Great Wall of Qi
The Great Wall of Qi is the oldest existing Great Wall in China. Construction of the wall started in 685 BCE by the state of Qi, to defend itself against an invasion by the Kingdom of Chu. The existing sections date back to 500 BCE. Construction ended during the Warring States Period...
across Changqing county. Portions of the wall still remain today and are accessible as open air museums. Biǎn Què , according to the legend the earliest Chinese physician and active around 500 BCE, is said to have been a native of present-day Changqing County. Zou Yan
Zou Yan
Zou Yan was the representative thinker of the Yin and Yang during the Hundred Schools of Thought era in Chinese philosophy. Zou Yan was a noted scholar of the Jixia Academy in the state of Qi...
, a native of Zhangqiu City, developed the concepts of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements .
During the times of the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
(206 BCE – 220 CE), Jinan was the capital of the Kingdom of Jibei (/; pinyin: ) and evolved into the cultural and economic hub of the region. The Han Dynasty tomb
Tomb of the Jibei King
The Tomb of the Jibei King is a tomb from the time of the Western Han Dynasty in Changqing District of Jinan, Shandong Province, China. It is also known as the Han Dynasty Tomb of Shangru Mountain . The tomb is thought to have been the burial site of Liu Kuan , the last king of Jibei who ruled...
where the last king of Jibei, Liú Kuān (/), was buried at Shuangru Mountain was excavated by archaeologists from Shandong University
Shandong University
Shandong University is a public comprehensive university in Shandong, China. It is one of the largest universities in China by student population and is supported directly by the national government....
in 1995 and 1996. More than 2000 artifacts such as jade swords, jade masks, jade pillows have been recovered within the 1,500 square meter excavation site, emphasizing the wealth of the city during the period. Cáo Cāo
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
was an official in Jinan before he became the de facto ruler of the Han Dynasty. His son overthrew the last emperor of the Han
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
and founded the Wei Kingdom (220 – 265 CE) of the Three Kingdoms Period.
Beginning in the 5th century CE, Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
flourished in Jinan. The Langgong Temple ' onMouseout='HidePop("42304")' href="/topics/Licheng_District,_Jinan">Licheng
Licheng District, Jinan
Licheng is a district of the Chinese province of Shandong. It is administered by the subprovincial town of Jinan. It has an area of 1,298.57 km² and has 849,900 inhabitants .- External links :* * *...
and Changqing
Changqing District
Changqing is a district of the Chinese province of Shandong. It is administered by the sub provincial city of Jinan. It has an area of 1,178 km² and has 530,000 inhabitants .- External links :*...
such as the Lingyan Temple
Lingyan Temple
Lingyan Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Changqing District, Jinan, Shandong Province, China, about north of the city of Tai'an. The temple grounds are situated in a valley on the western edge of the Taishan range. The Lingyan Temple has a long recorded history, and was one of the main...
and the Thousand-Buddha Cliff
Thousand-Buddha Cliff
The Thousand-Buddha Cliff is historical site of mostly Tang Dynasty rock carvings in central Shandong Province, China. Along a cliff face of 63 meters length, over 210 statues and 43 inscriptions have been reported...
. In particular, a large number of cave temples were established in the hills south of Jinan.
Jinan remained the cultural center of the region during the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
(960 – 1279 CE). The Song rulers promoted Jinan to a superior prefecture in 1116 CE. Two of the most important poets of the Southern Song were both born in Jinan: Li Qingzhao
Li Qingzhao
Li Qingzhao was a Chinese writer and poet of the Song Dynasty, regarded by many as the premier female poet in the Chinese language.-Biography:She was born Li Qingzhao (Traditional Chinese: 李清照; Simplified Chinese: 李清照, pinyin: Lǐ Qīngzhào; Wade-Giles: Li Ch'ing-chao, pseudonym Yi'an Jushi (易安居士...
, the most renown female poet in Chinese history, and
Xin Qiji
Xin Qiji
Xīn Qìjí was a Chinese poet, military leader, and statesman during the Southern Song dynasty.-Life:During Xin's lifetime, northern China was occupied by the Jin or Jurchen, a nomadic people from what is now north-east China then regarded as barbarians. Only southern China was ruled by the Han...
, who was also a military leader of the Southern Song Dynasty. Both poets witnessed a series of crushing defeats of the Song Dynasty at the hands of the Jurchens who gained control over almost half of the Song territories and established the Jin Dynasty in northern China. After Jinan came under control of the Jin Dynasty, both Li Qingzhao and Xin Qiji had to abandon their homes and reflected this experience in their works.
During the Civil War that followed the proclamation of Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan , born Kublai and also known by the temple name Shizu , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China...
as Great Khan in 1260 CE, Jinan was at the center of a rebellion by Yizhou governor Li Tan against Mongol rule in 1262 CE. The rebellion was crushed in a decisive battle that was fought not far from Jinan in late March or early April of 1262 CE. After losing 4000 of his troops in the battle, Li Tan retreated to Jinan to make his last stand. After defections of his defenders had made his position untenable, Li Tan tried to commit suicide by drowning himself in Daming Lake
Daming Lake
Daming Lake is the largest lake in the city of Jinan, Shandong, China and one of city's main natural and cultural landmarks. Located to the north of the historical city center, the lake is fed by the artesian karst springs of the area and hence retains a fairly constant water level through the...
. However, he was rescued by the Mongols in order to execute him by trampling him to death with their horses.
Despite such violent conflicts, culture in Jinan continued to thrive during the Jin (1115–1234 CE) and Yuan
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
(1271–1368 CE) Dynasties: One of the most renowned artists of the Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
, Zhao Mengfu
Zhao Mengfu
Zhao Mengfu courtesy name Ziang , pseudonyms Songxue , Oubo , and Shuijing-gong Dao-ren , was a prince and descendant of the Song Dynasty, and a Chinese scholar, painter and calligrapher during the Yuan Dynasty.He was recommended by the Censor-in-chief Cheng Jufu to pay an audience...
was appointed to the post of governor of Jinan in 1293 CE and spent three years in the city. Among the extraordinary art works he completed during his stay in Jinan, the best known painting is "Autumn Colors on the Qiao and Hua Mountains" (《》). Geographer Yú Qīn
Yu Qin
Yu Qin was a well-known Chinese geographer living in the Yuan Dynasty. In 1319 AD, he was appointed the official of Jinan to resolve the starvation problem caused by bad harvesting. He started to write the famous geography book Qi Cheng during this period, which was the oldest known geography...
(/, 1284 – 1333 CE) also served as an official in Jinan and authored his geography book Qí Chéng
Qi Cheng
Qi Cheng is a famous Chinese geography book written by Yu Qin while he was an official in Jinan, Shandong Province. Qi Cheng is the oldest known geography book about Shandong Province....
there.
When Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
Province was established under the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
, Jinan became its capital.
In 1852, the northward shift of the Yellow River into a new bed close to the city triggered the modern expansion of Jinan. The new course of the Yellow River connected the city to the Grand Canal and regional waterways in northern Shandong and southern Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
.
German influence in Jinan grew after the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
ceded Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
to the German Empire in 1897. A German concession area was established to the west of the historical city center (in the vicinity of the Jinan Railway Station first established by the Germans). The Jiaoji (Qingdao-Jinan) railway
Jiaoji railway
The Jiaozhou–Jinan Railway or Jiaoji Railway is railway in Shandong Province, China. The railway is 440.7km in length and connects Qingdao, on the Jiaozhou Bay, and Jinan, the provincial capital of Shandong...
was built by the Germans against local resistance. Discontent over the construction of the railway was one of the sources fueling the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
(1899–1901). During the rebellion, foreign priests were evacuated from Jinan and Chinese Christians became a target of violence. The Jiaoji railway was completed in 1904, three years after the Boxer Rebellion had been put down, and opened the city to foreign trade. The importance of Jinan as a transportation hub was cemented with the completion of the north-south Jinpu railway
Jinpu railway
The Tianjin–Pukou or Jinpu Railway runs from Tianjin to Pukou outside Nanjing in Jiangsu province.In September 1898 at a conference in London, British and German capitalists decided to build a railway from Tianjin to Zhenjiang. In May 1899, the Qing government agreed to the financing of the...
from Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
to Pukou in 1912. Jinan became a major trading center for agricultural goods in northern China. Traded commodities included cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, grain, peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s, and tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
. Jinan also developed into a major industrial center, second in importance to Qingdao in the province.
In 1919, after the First World War, the Japanese took over the German sphere of influence in Shandong, including control of the Jiaoji railway, and established a significant Japanese colony in Jinan. According to estimates by a contemporary Japanese government official, about 2,000 Japanese were living in Jinan in 1931, about half of which were involved in the opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
trade for which the Japanese had a loosely controlled monopoly that was exploited with the participation of Chinese traders.
During the Warlord era
Warlord era
The Chinese Warlord Era was the period in the history of the Republic of China, from 1916 to 1928, when the country was divided among military cliques, a division that continued until the fall of the Nationalist government in the mainland China regions of Sichuan, Shanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia,...
of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, Zhang Zongchang
Zhang Zongchang
Zhang Zongchang , nicknamed the "Dogmeat General" and "72-Cannon Chang" , was a Chinese warlord in Shandong in the early 20th century...
, nicknamed the "Dogmeat General", ruled Shandong from Jinan for a period that lasted from April 1925 until May 1928. Zhang was unpopular for his heavy-handed rule and in particular his heavy taxation. Besides heavy taxes, he relied financially on opium to finance his periodic wars. Zhang even planned to use some of the wealth extracted from these sources for building a living shrine and a large bronze statue for himself on the shore of Daming Lake
Daming Lake
Daming Lake is the largest lake in the city of Jinan, Shandong, China and one of city's main natural and cultural landmarks. Located to the north of the historical city center, the lake is fed by the artesian karst springs of the area and hence retains a fairly constant water level through the...
, but these plans were not realized as his rule came to an end.
In the spring of 1928, the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
's Northern Expedition reached Jinan. On May 3, 1928, clashes developed between Japanese troops stationed in Jinan and the Kuomintang troops moving into the city (Jinan Incident
Jinan Incident
The Jinan Incident or May 3rd Tragedy , was an armed conflict between the Japanese Army allied with Northern Chinese warlords against the Kuomintang's southern army in Jinan, the capital of Shandong in 1928 during the Kuomintang's Northern Expedition.-Background:During the Northern Expedition,...
). Cai Gongshi
Cai Gongshi
thumb|200px|right|Cai Gongshi Cai Gongshi was a Kuomintang emissary killed by Japanese soldiers during the Jinan Incident. According to Chinese sources, the Japanese soldiers broke his leg, smashed his teeth, cut his tongue, and shot him...
, a Kuomintang emissary sent to negotiate and members of his entourage were executed by the Japanese. In response to the incident, Japanese reinforcements were sent to Shandong and Japanese troops occupied Jinan for more than six months until they withdrew to their garrison in Tsingtao on the 28th of March 1929. During the Nanjing decade
Nanjing decade
The Nanjing decade was the decade from 1927 to 1937 in the Republic of China. It began when Nationalist Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek took the city from Zhili clique warlord Sun Chuanfang halfway through the Northern Expedition in 1927. He declared it to be the national capital despite the...
of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, Han Fuju
Han Fuju
Han Fuju or Han Fu-chü was a Kuomintang general in the early 20th century. He rose up the ranks of the Guominjun clique in the Warlord era but then went over to the Kuomintang, and held the position of military governor of Shandong from 1930 to 1938...
, a military commander form the warlord era who had aligned himself with the Kuomintang, became military governor of Shandong. He established his base in Jinan and is credited with curtailing banditry and drug trading, thereby bringing a measure of peace and prosperity to the city. However, from 1935 onwards Han was under heavy pressure from the Japanese consul in Jinan to declare Shandong an "independent state" allied with Japan.
After the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, the Japanese invasion force crossed the Yellow River 60 kilometers north-east of Jinan on December 23, 1937. Han Fuju abandoned Jinan on the next day against orders to hold the city to the death. He ordered the offices of the provincial government and the Japanese consulate in Jinan to be burned down and the ensuing power vacuum led to widespread looting in the city. Japanese troops from the 10th Division of the Manchurian Area Army entered Jinan on December 27, 1937.
Japanese troops controlled Jinan until their defeat in 1945. After this, the Kuomintang regained a short-lived control of the city during the period from 1946 to 1948. The provincial government during this time was led by Lieutenant-General Wang Yaowu
Wang Yaowu
Wang Yaowu was a high-ranking KMT general and the Governor of Shandong Province who successfully fought against both the Imperial Japanese Army and the Chinese Communists. In September 1948 Communist forces launched the Battle of Jinan and Wang was captured and held as a prisoner of war until his...
, who also commanded the KMT army in the region. KMT rule over Jinan ended in September 1948 with the Battle of Jinan
Battle of Jinan
The Battle of Jinan was a critical engagement fought between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China from during theChinese Civil War...
in which units of the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
under the command of Chen Yi
Chen Yi (communist)
Chen Yi was a Chinese communist military commander and politician. He served as the 2nd Mayor of Shanghai and the 2nd Foreign Minister of China.-Biography:Chen was born in Lezhi, near Chengdu, Sichuan, into a moderately wealthy magistrate's family....
took the city. The battle for Jinan took a decisive turn in favor of the attackers when KMT Lieutenant-General Wú Huàwén
Wu Huawen
Wu Huawen was a military commander during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. During his career, he switched his allegiance several times, first from the Kuomintang to the Wang Jingwei regime, a Japanese puppet government, then back to the Kuomintang, and finally to the...
defected to the Communist side with about 8,000 of his troops. The most likely explanation for his defection is that he had been pressured through relatives of his who were held captive by the Communist forces. Lieutenant-General Wu had been in charge of the vital outer ring of defenses that protected the main airfield, the railroad station, and the commercial district. With these critical assets lost, the situation of the city's defenders became untenable. Following the weakening of the city's defenses, the People's Liberation Army breached the city wall and entered Jinan on September 24, 1948.
In March 1966, the largest among the drawn-out sequence of earthquakes that made up the Xingtai Earthquake damaged about 36,000 houses in Jinan.
On May 27, 1966, the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
started in Jinan with an article in the local newspaper "Jinan Evening News"
that denounced vice-governor Yu Xiu as a Bourgeois
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
agent within the government. Starting from early June 1966, the schools in Jinan were closed down by strikes as teachers were "struggled against". At the same time, big-character posters
Big-character poster
Big-character posters are handwritten, wall-mounted posters using large-sized Chinese characters, used as a means of protest, propaganda, and popular communication. They have been used in China since imperial times, but became more common when literacy rates rose after the 1911 revolution...
started to appear in the city. Red Guards
Red Guards (China)
Red Guards were a mass movement of civilians, mostly students and other young people in the People's Republic of China , who were mobilized by Mao Zedong in 1966 and 1967, during the Cultural Revolution.-Origins:...
took to the streets of Jinan from late August 1966 onwards, damaging cultural heritage and setting up courts to prosecute perceived enemies of the revolution. In the spring of 1967, the "May 7th Incident" took place: When Zhang Chunqiao
Zhang Chunqiao
Zhang Chunqiao was a prominent Chinese political theorist, writer, and politician...
and Yao Wenyuan
Yao Wenyuan
Yao Wenyuan was a Chinese literary critic, a politician, and a member of the "Gang of Four" during China's Cultural Revolution.-Biography:...
, both later reviled as members of the Gang of Four
Gang of Four
The Gang of Four was the name given to a political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution and were subsequently charged with a series of treasonous crimes...
, visited Jinan to support the Cultural Revolution and its local leader Wang Xiao Yu, fighting erupted in the front of the provincial government between two rival factions of the Cultural Revolution, the "April 22nd Group" and Wang Xiao Yu's "April 28th Group". In the end, more than 10,000 people had been involved in the fighting. On October 11, 1967, the tallest statue of Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
in Shandong province was erected on the campus of Shandong Normal University
Shandong Normal University
Shandong Normal University , also known as Shandong Teachers' University is located in Jinan City, Shandong Province, China. It was established in 1950, and was known as Shandong Normal College until 1981....
. On September 17, 1968, a large assembly of Jinan workers celebrated the arrival of a mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
fruit in the "August 1st" Meeting Hall. The fruit had been a gift to the workers in Beijing by Mao and was subsequently passed on to the workers in Jinan. In November 1968, Wang Xiao Yu began to agitate against the local army units in Jinan and Shandong Province. By then unrest due to the Cultural Revolution had severely damaged the city's governmental and industrial infrastructure, with about 80% of all government institutions shut down. Large public protests were staged on April 4 and 5, 1969, in which approximately 500,000 people protested the occupation of Zhenbao Island
Zhenbao Island
Zhenbao Island or Damansky Island is a small island measuring . It is located on the Ussuri River on the border between Russia and the People's Republic of China ....
by the Soviet Union. On July 29, 1970, the leadership of the Cultural Revolution passed a resolution to make sweeping changes to the city's educational system: The liberal arts departments of Shandong University were moved to Qufu
Qufu
Qufu is a city in southwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is located at 35° 36′ northern latitude and 117° 02′ east, about south of the provincial capital Jinan and northeast of the prefecture seat at Jining...
and combined with Qufu Normal College to form a new Shandong University. The biology department was moved to Tai'an and merged into the Shandong Agricultural College. The rest of the sciences were to form the Shandong Science and Technology University. Shandong Normal University was to be moved to Liaocheng. Shandong Medical College and Shandong College of Traditional Chinese Medicine were to be merged and moved to Tai'an. Shandong University was restored in its original form and the "Shandong Science and Technology University" was abolished in early 1974. The first reversals of Cultural Revolution policies started in early 1971: On May 23 of that year, the Shandong Provincial Museum
Shandong Provincial Museum
The Shandong Provincial Museum is the principal museum of Shandong Province. It is located in the City of Jinan, Shandong, China.The Shandong Provincial Museum was established in 1954.. It houses acollection of more than 210 000 historical artifacts...
was reopened after having been closed for about 5 years (since May 1966). In the next year, the Jinan Committee for the Cultural Revolution officially reverted the name changes of four city districts enacted in 1966. During the 6 years between the name change and its reversal, Lixia District had been known officially as "Hongwei", Tianqiao as "Face the Sun", Huaiyin as "East Wind", and Shizhong as "Red Flag". As the Cultural Revolution came to an end, Jinan started to receive visitors from abroad. For example, it was visited by a delegation from the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
between August 8 and 11, 1975. On September 18, 1976, Mao's death was mourned by about 600,000 people at an official service in Jinan's August 1 Square.
Jinan was the host of the 11th All China Games during the month of October, 2009. These games are the selection games for the Chinese Olympic champions. For this occasion, security was heightened and a full volunteer force was out on the streets directing visitor traffic. The city conducted major renovations in its transportation and recreation services in anticipation of the Games visitors.
Demographics
In 2005, the estimated population of the entire area under the jurisdiction of Jinan City was 5.69 million, with a total of 2.54 million living in urban areas. By 2009, the total population had grown to about six million. The census in 2010 counted 6.81 million inhabitants out of which about 3.25 million were living in urban areas.The population is predominantly Han
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
(98.3%), with very small portions of Hui
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
and Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
Chinese. Jinan has a significant Muslim
Islam in China
Throughout the history of Islam in China, Chinese Muslims have influenced the course of Chinese history. Chinese Muslims have been in China for the last 1,400 years of continuous interaction with Chinese society...
community centred in the city's Muslim quarter, located to the west of the historical center.
Language and culture
Local residents in the city proper, as well as in the surrounding areas, have traditionally spoken the Jinan dialectJinan dialect
Jinan dialect is a dialect of the Mandarin language family, which in turn constitutes one of the Sinitic language families. It is spoken in Jinan in Shandong province.-Consonants:-Tones:-References:...
of Mandarin that is not readily understood even by native speakers of standard Mandarin. The younger people of Jinan are more likely to speak standard Mandarin, whereas many older residents retain strong local dialect elements in their speech. Nevertheless, even the younger residents of Jinan tend to retain a strong local accent and mix local vocabulary into the standardized Mandarin vocabulary. Due to the influx of migrant workers during the past decade of China's economic boom, many of the current population that are of working age are not natives of Jinan but have learned to understand the Jinan dialect.
Jinan has its own cuisine, the Jinan style of the Lu cuisine
Shandong cuisine
Shandong cuisine , in Chinese more commonly known as Lu cuisine , is one the Eight Culinary Traditions of China and is also ranked among the four most influential among these . It is derived from the native cooking styles of Shandong, an eastern coastal province of China...
(/; pinyin: ), one of the Eight Culinary Traditions of China.
Economy
With the shift of the Yellow River to a new bed right to the north of Jinan (in 1852) and the establishment of a railroad hub, the city became a major market for agricultural products from the productive farming regions to the north.Following the trade in agricultural goods, the city developed a textile and clothing industry, flour mills, oil presses, as well as factories producing paper, cement, and matches. In the 1950s, large iron and steel works as well as chemical factories were established around Jinan. The large metal works produce pig iron
Pig iron
Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Charcoal and anthracite have also been used as fuel...
, ingot
Ingot
An ingot is a material, usually metal, that is cast into a shape suitable for further processing. Non-metallic and semiconductor materials prepared in bulk form may also be referred to as ingots, particularly when cast by mold based methods.-Uses:...
steel, as well as finished steel. In 2008, steel manufacturing was restructured with the formation of the Shandong Iron and Steel Group
Shandong Iron and Steel Group
Shandong Iron and Steel Group Co Ltd commonly known as Shandong Steel, based in Jinan). In 2009, it took a 67% stake in Rizhao Iron and Steel. SISG is controlled by the provincial government of Shandong...
.
In the 1970s, factories for the production of trucks and construction vehicles (Sinotruk
China National Heavy Duty Truck Group
China National Heavy Duty Truck Group Company Limited , CNHTC or Sinotruk Group is a truck manufacturing state-owned enterprise headquartered in Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China. It is currently the third largest truck manufacturer in Mainland China...
) were added.
Jinan has a pool of high-quality labor resources. There are 18 universities and colleges in the city where more than 200,000 students are studying. Among the 200+ research institutes in the city, 10 are national laboratories.
The focus on technology intensive industries has transformed Jinan from a city supported by heavy industry and textiles to a city with more diverse industrial structure. Information Technology, transportation tools, home appliances, and bio-engineered products, among others, have become important components of the area's industry. Jinan's IT-related economic output was ranked to be in the fourth place nationally in 2004 .
Industrial zones include:
- Jinan High-tech Industrial Development Zone
Founded in 1991, the Jinan High-tech Industrial Development zone was one of the first of its kind approved by the State Council. The zone is located to the east of the city and covers a total planning area of 83 square kilometers that is divided into a central area covering 33 square kilometers, an export processing district of 10 square kilometers, and an eastern extension area of 40 square kilometers.
Since its foundation, the Jinan High-tech Industrial Development Zone has attracted enterprises as LG, Panasonic, Volvo, and Sanyo. In 2000, it joined the world science and technology association and set up a China-Ukraine High-tech Cooperation Park. The Qilu Software Park became the sister park of Bangalore park of India.
- Jinan Export Processing Zone
The export processing zone is located in the eastern suburbs of Jinan, to the east of the Jinan High-tech Industrial Development Zone and to the north of the Jiwang highway. The distances to the Jiqing Highway and the Jinan Airport are 9 and 18 km respectively.
- Liaocheng Economic Development Zone
The China National Heavy Duty Truck Group
China National Heavy Duty Truck Group
China National Heavy Duty Truck Group Company Limited , CNHTC or Sinotruk Group is a truck manufacturing state-owned enterprise headquartered in Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China. It is currently the third largest truck manufacturer in Mainland China...
(Sinotruk) has its headquarters in the city.
Transportation
Railways
Jinan is positioned at the intersection of two major railways: The Jinghu RailwayJinghu railway
The Beijing–Shanghai Railway or Jinghu railway is a railway line in China between Beijing and Shanghai. The line has a total length of 1,462 kilometres and connects the municipalities of Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai, as well as the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu...
that runs from Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
is the major north-south backbone of the railway system in eastern China. In Jinan, it intersects with the Jiaoji Railway
Jiaoji railway
The Jiaozhou–Jinan Railway or Jiaoji Railway is railway in Shandong Province, China. The railway is 440.7km in length and connects Qingdao, on the Jiaozhou Bay, and Jinan, the provincial capital of Shandong...
that connects Jinan to the sea port of Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
to the east. In addition, the Hanji Railway
Hanji Railway
The Handan-Jinan Railway or Hanji Railway is a railway between Handan in Hebei and Jinan in Shandong Province in northern China. The single railway is in length and was built from 1996 to 1999 to carry coal from Shanxi Province....
connects Jinan to the city of Handan
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China.- History :Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period , after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of...
(Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
Province) in the west.
Within Shandong province, the Jinghu Railway connects Jinan with the cities of Dezhou
Dezhou
Dezhou is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southeast, Liaocheng to the southwest, Binzhou to the northeast, and the province of Hebei to the north....
, Tai'an
Tai'an
Tai'an is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China.Centered around Mount Tai, the city borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Laiwu to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng to the extreme west and Jining to the south...
, Jining
Jining, Shandong
Jining is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Heze to the southwest, Zaozhuang to the southeast, Tai'an to the northeast, and the provinces of Henan and Jiangsu to the northwest and south respectively...
, and Zaozhuang
Zaozhuang
Zaozhuang is a prefecture-level city in the south of Shandong province in Eastern China. The second smallest prefecture-level city in the province, it borders Jining to the west and north, Linyi to the east, and the province of Jiangsu to the south....
; the Jiaoji Railway provides a link to the cities of Zibo
Zibo
Zibo is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the west, Laiwu and Tai'an to the southwest, Linyi to the south, Weifang to the east, Dongying to the northeast, and Binzhou the north.Located in the middle part...
, Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
, and Weifang
Weifang
Weifang is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Dongying to the northwest, Zibo to the west, Linyi to the southwest, Rizhao to the south, Qingdao to the east, and looks out to the Laizhou Bay to the north.-History:Weifang is a historical city...
; the Hanji Railway serves the cities of Yancheng and Liaocheng
Liaocheng
Liaocheng , also known as the Water City, is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southeast, Dezhou to the northeast, Tai'an to the south, and the province of Hebei and Henan to the west...
.
Expressways
Major expressways include China National Highway 104China National Highway 104
China National Highway 104 runs from Beijing to Fuzhou via Jinan, Xuzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Taizhou.It runs to approximately 2,390 km, and, on a map, runs southeast towards Nanjing and Hangzhou before turning south-southwest at Taizhou....
, China National Highway 220
China National Highway 220
China National Highway 220 runs from Binzhou, Shandong to Zhengzhou, Henan. It is 585 kilometres in length and runs southwest from Binzhou towards Zhengzhou.-Route and distance:-External links:*...
, and China National Highway 309
China National Highway 309
China National Highway 309 runs west from Rongcheng, Shandong towards Hebei Province, Shanxi Province, Shaanxi Province, Ningxia Autonomous Region, and ends in Lanzhou, Gansu. It is 2208 kilometres in length.-Route and distance:...
. Because of Jinan's location and role as a road and rail transportation hub, the Jinan Coach Terminus has one of the largest passenger flows in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. On peak travel days, as many as 92,000 passengers per day have been counted, on off-peak days the number is around 42,000 passengers per day.
Airport
Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport is located about 33 kilometers northeast of the city center and to the north of the town of Yaoqiang from which the name of the airport is derived. The airport is connected to the city of center of Jinan by expressways. It has domestic flights to many of the major cities in China as well as to international destinations, in particular SeoulSeoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Attractions
Liu E
Liu E , courtesy name/"zì": "Tieyun" , was a Chinese scholar, entrepreneur, and writer.-Government and politics:...
describes Jinan's cityscape in his novel "The Travels of Lao Can" as "Every family has spring water, every household has a willow tree". Jinan was also the historical center of Buddhist culture for the whole province which is still manifest in the many historic sites that are left behind in its southern counties.
Springs and lakes
Jinan is known as the "City of Springs" because of the large number of natural artesian springs. The majority of the springs, many of which have been historically listed under the "72 Famous Springs" are concentrated in the downtown district and flow north to converge in Daming LakeDaming Lake
Daming Lake is the largest lake in the city of Jinan, Shandong, China and one of city's main natural and cultural landmarks. Located to the north of the historical city center, the lake is fed by the artesian karst springs of the area and hence retains a fairly constant water level through the...
. The Baotu Spring Park
Baotu Spring
The Baotu Spring as "Jet Spring" or "Spurting Spring") is a culturally significant artesian karst spring located in the city of Jinan, Shandong Province, China...
is the most popular of the springs in the City of Jinan proper. Besides the Baotu Spring, the park contains several other springs that are listed among the "72 Famous Springs". "Bào tū" means "jumping and leaping" in Chinese. The water in the spring pool can be seen foaming and gushing, looking like a pot of boiling water. The spring was visited by the Emperor Qian Long (1711–1799) of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
who declared it "the first spring under the heaven" . A tablet with the Emperor's handwriting "Baotu Spring" has since been erected beside the spring pool.
Not far away to the northeast of Baotu Spring Park is the Daming Lake
Daming Lake
Daming Lake is the largest lake in the city of Jinan, Shandong, China and one of city's main natural and cultural landmarks. Located to the north of the historical city center, the lake is fed by the artesian karst springs of the area and hence retains a fairly constant water level through the...
, which, together with Baotu Spring and the Thousand-Buddha Mountain is often regarded as the "Three Greatest Attractions in Jinan". Other notable parks in the city include the Five Dragon Pool
Five Dragon Pool
The Five Dragon Pool is aculturally significant pond fed by artesiankarst springs in the city of Jinan, ShandongProvince, China. It is one of the best known springs among the 72 famous springs of Jinan....
near the Baotu Spring Park, the Black Tiger Spring
Black Tiger Spring
The Black Tiger Spring is a culturallysignificant artesian karst spring located inthe city of Jinan, Shandong Province,China. The spring is ranked as the second most significant amongthe 72 named springs in Jinan . The water...
on the southern city moat, and the Baimai Springs
Baimai Springs
The Baimai Springs are a group of artesian karst springs located in the town of Ming Shui, Zhangqiu City,Shandong Province, China about 25 kilometres west from thecity centre of the provincial capital Jinan...
of Zhangqiu City to the east of Jinan.
Buddhist sites
Historic Buddhist sites are particularly common in Licheng County to the south-east of the city center of Jinan. The Four Gates PagodaFour Gates Pagoda
The Four Gates Pagoda is a Sui Dynasty stone Chinese pagoda located in central Shandong Province, China. It is thought to be the oldest remaining pavilion-style stone pagoda in China...
, built in 661, is the oldest existing one-story stone tower in China. The pagoda houses four Buddhist statues dating from the 6th century, and the Cypress tree standing next to the pagoda is more than 1000 years old. Below the hill on which pagoda stands lie the remnants of the Shentong Temple , which was founded in the 4th century but was destroyed in the wars of later dynasties. The funerary stelae of monks from the temple which date from different historic periods display remarkable artistic features. The statues in the nearby Thousand-Buddha Cliff
Thousand-Buddha Cliff
The Thousand-Buddha Cliff is historical site of mostly Tang Dynasty rock carvings in central Shandong Province, China. Along a cliff face of 63 meters length, over 210 statues and 43 inscriptions have been reported...
form one of the best collections of Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
Buddhist statues in the region.
The Lingyan Temple
Lingyan Temple
Lingyan Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Changqing District, Jinan, Shandong Province, China, about north of the city of Tai'an. The temple grounds are situated in a valley on the western edge of the Taishan range. The Lingyan Temple has a long recorded history, and was one of the main...
in the southern county of Changqing was one of the four most famous temples of the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
. The temple was founded during the Jin Dynasty and reached its heyday during the Tang and Song Dynasties. During the Tang Dynasty, the famous monk Xuan Zang stayed in the temple and translated Buddhist manuscripts he had brought to China from India. Many emperors in Chinese history visited the temple before they went to Mount Tai
Mount Tai
Mount Tai is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an, in Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The tallest peak is the Jade Emperor Peak , which is commonly reported as tall, but is described by the PRC government as .Mount Tai is one of the...
(one of China's five sacred mountains, located south of Jinan) for ceremonies. The clay sculptures of Buddhas made in the Song Dynasty are considered as "The Best of China" by the great scholar and journalist Liang Qichao
Liang Qichao
Liang Qichao |Styled]] Zhuoru, ; Pseudonym: Rengong) was a Chinese scholar, journalist, philosopher and reformist during the Qing Dynasty , who inspired Chinese scholars with his writings and reform movements...
(1873–1929). Buddhist architectures within the temple such as pagodas and tomb stelae are among the earliest and best protected in the region.
Museums and libraries
The Shandong Provincial MuseumShandong Provincial Museum
The Shandong Provincial Museum is the principal museum of Shandong Province. It is located in the City of Jinan, Shandong, China.The Shandong Provincial Museum was established in 1954.. It houses acollection of more than 210 000 historical artifacts...
located at the foothill of Thousand-Buddha Mountain is the largest museum in the province. It has a large collection of natural as well as historical treasures from the whole province. The museum was established in its present form in 1982 and currently has 8 exhibition halls : "Treasures of Shandong Province"; "Stone Sculptures"; "Warship of the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
"; "Ancient Coins"; "Art Treasures"; "Fossil Collections"; "Dinosaurs"; and "Specimens". The museum has more than 210,000 relics and specimens, making up 1/3 of the collections in museums of whole province. The Shandong Provincial Museum has been ranked No. 7 in terms of collection size among the museums of China.
The Jinan Municipal Museum is located at the south-western foot of the Thousand-Buddha Mountain, in the north of the city center. Although much smaller than the provincial museum, the municipal museum still houses a collection of more than 20,000 items, most of which were recovered in the city area.
The Shandong Provincial Library in the eastern High-tech Park (address: 2912 Second Ring East Road) is the principal library of the province and is ranked among the Top 10 Chinese libraries. As of 2004, the library had more than 5.18 million documents, many of which date back many centuries and are important sources for research on Chinese history. The library also has a large collection of western journals/books. Originally, the library was built close to Daming Lake in 1909 by the then governor of Shandong. In the late 1990s, a project was undertaken to move the library to the eastern part of the city, and it reopened in 2002 with 35 reading rooms and more than 2000 seats.
Shopping centers
Most shopping malls in Jinan are in the downtown area centered around Spring City Square and Spring City Road . Spring City Square was built by the municipal government beside the city moat in the early 21st century; at the center is the statue "Spring" which has become a symbol of Jinan. The square borders on the ancient city moat. It has a music fountain, a 46,000 square meter underground shopping center and a memorial hall with statues of famous people from Shandong.Spring City Road was rebuilt at the same time that Spring City Square was created. The government's intention was to create a modern business district and yet preserve the traditional Chinese culture. Therefore newly-built shopping malls with traditional Chinese architectural styles and modern western skyscrapers can be found side-by-side along Spring City Road. Notable retail businesses are Quancheng Bookstore – the largest bookstore of the city – and Walmart (near the western end of Spring City Road). Major shopping malls along the road are the Guihe Shopping Center , the Sofitel
Sofitel
Sofitel is a luxury hotel chain managed by Accor, which opened its first property in Strasbourg in 1964. Its first overseas opening in Minneapolis, USA was in 1974. In 1995 Sofitel had 100 hotels in 40 countries and employed 12500 people....
Silver Plaza, and the Wanda Shopping Mall . Parc 66 to the south of Spring City Road (opposite of Water Lily Street
Water Lily Street
The Water Lily Street is a historical business street located in thecentral area of the old city of Jinan, Shandong,China. With a history that can be traced back for more than 2000years, the street formerly served as the administrative, financial,...
), opened in August 2011, is Jinan's largest shopping mall with seven levels of retail space and a total gross floor area of 171,000 square meters.
Universities and colleges
- Shandong UniversityShandong UniversityShandong University is a public comprehensive university in Shandong, China. It is one of the largest universities in China by student population and is supported directly by the national government....
- Shandong Normal UniversityShandong Normal UniversityShandong Normal University , also known as Shandong Teachers' University is located in Jinan City, Shandong Province, China. It was established in 1950, and was known as Shandong Normal College until 1981....
- Qilu Normal University
- Shandong Architectural Institute
- Shandong Polytechnic University
- Shandong Jiaotong University
- Shandong Economic UniversityShandong Economic UniversityShandong Economic University is based in Jinan, China. It is a full-time comprehensive institution of higher education which was founded upon approval by Shandong Provincial Government in 1952 and originally known as Shandong Institute of Finance and Economics....
- Shandong University of Finance
- Shandong University of Chinese Traditional Medicine
- Shandong University of Arts
- Shandong College of Arts and Design
- Shandong Physical Education Institute
- University of JinanUniversity of JinanThe University of Jinan is a university in Jinan, Shandong province, China. Its president is Cheng Xin.University of Jinan is a comprehensive university under the administration of Shandong Province and Jinan City, with the former as the main administrator...
- Shandong College of Electronic Technology
- Jinan Railway Polytechnic
Provincial high schools
- Shandong Experimental High School (山东省实验中学)
- Senior High School Attached to Shandong Normal University (山东师范大学附属中学)
- Jinan No.1 High School (济南市第一中学)
- Jinan Foreign Language School (济南市外国语学校)
- Jinan Li Cheng No.2 High School (济南历城二中)
International schools
- Jinan EtonHouse International School (济南伊顿幼儿园)
Hospitals
- Shandong Provincial Hospital (SPH), address: 324 Jingwu Weiqi Road (36°39′24.6"N 116°58′39.7"E)
- First Hospital of Shandong Medical University
- Second Hospital of Shandong Medical University
- Stomatological Hospital of Shandong Medical University
- Central Hospital of Jinan City , address: 105 Jiefang Road (36.667°N 117.0417°E)
- Shandong University Qilu Hospital , address: 107 Wenhuaxi Road (36°39′25.6"N 117°0′41.25"E)
- Jinan No. 1 People's Hospital , address: 132 Daminghu Road
- Jinan No. 2 People's Hospital , also known as "Eye Hospital of Jinan"
- Jinan No. 3 People's Hospital
- Jinan No. 4 People's Hospital , address: 50 Shīfàn Road
- Jinan No. 5 People's Hospital , address: 447 Jīngshí Road
- No. 456 Hospital of the People's Liberation ArmyPeople's Liberation ArmyThe People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
- Pediatric Hospital of Jinan City
- Jinan Infectious Disease Hospital , address: 173 Jīngshí Road (36.649°N 116.98805°E)
- Qianfoshan Hospital , address: 66 Jingshi Road (36°38′52.04"N 117°2′13.33"E)
- Jinan military hospital 济南军区总医院
Defense
Jinan is the command center for the Jinan Military Region, one of seven military regionsPLA Military Region
The People's Liberation Army uses a system of military regions, of which there used to be eleven, but are now seven:* Shenyang Military Region* Beijing Military Region* Lanzhou Military Region* Jinan Military Region* Nanjing Military Region...
into which the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
is organized.
Sports
The Shandong LunengShandong Luneng
Shandong Luneng Taishan is a Chinese Super League football club owned by Shandong Luneng Group, the biggest supplier of electric energy in Shandong province. They play at the Shandong Stadium in Jinan, Shandong. The predecessor of Shandong Luneng Taishan was the Shandong Provincial team organised...
Football Club is the most widely known sports team in Jinan. The club currently plays at the highest tier of Chinese football, the Chinese Super League
Chinese Super League
The Chinese Football Association Super League , commonly known as Chinese Super League or CSL, currently known as the Pirelli Chinese Football Association Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest tier of professional association football in China, operating under the auspices of the...
. The Shandong Luneng Football Club is one of four clubs which have been playing in Chinese top football league for all the 15 seasons since the league turned professional in 1994. Over these 15 seasons the club has won 8 titles: Top League Champions (1999, 2006, 2008), FA Cups (1995, 1999, 2004, 2006), and CSL Cup (2004).
The most renowned basketball team in Jinan are the Shandong Golden Lions
Shandong Lions
The Shandong Kingston Lions are a basketball team in the North Division of the Chinese Basketball Association, based in Jinan, Shandong with some home games played in Linyi...
. Like the football team, the Shandong Golden Lions have been playing in the Chinese top basketball league for all the seasons (13 for basketball) since the league turned professional in 1995. The team's best season was 1997–1998 when it finished 3rd place. In the 2007–2008 season, the Shandong Golden Lions also reached the 3rd place at the end of the season, but they were knocked out at the first round of the playoffs.
In 2009, Jinan hosted the 11th National Games of the People's Republic of China
11th National Games of the People's Republic of China
The 11th National Games of the People's Republic of China was held in various cities in Shandong from October 16 to October 28, 2009. Represented were 33 sports, 43 disciplines and 362 events, including 4 winter sports which were held in Shenyang, Changchun and Qingdao between January and April...
, the premier sports event at the national level in China and the first major multi-sports event held in China after the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. The National Games' main venue was the Jinan Olympic Sports Center
Jinan Olympic Sports Center
Jinan Olympic Sports Center is a sports venue in Jinan, China. It is located in the south-east of the city. The area is home to the main sports venues for the 11th National Games of the People's Republic of China in October 2009, including the main Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium...
.
Twin towns — sister cities
Jinan is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Wakayama, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
; since January 14, 1983. Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
; since October 3, 1983. Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi
is the capital city of Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.As of February 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 198,971 and a population density of 194.44 persons per km²...
, Japan; since September 20, 1985. Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
; since 1985. Kfar Sava, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
; since 2007. Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; since May 29, 1985. Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
; since August 10, 1987. Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
; since September 28, 1988. Suwon
Suwon
Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety"....
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
; since October 27, 1993. Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
; since September 25, 1994. Vantaa
Vantaa
Vantaa is a city and municipality in Finland. Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen make up the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.Vantaa, with its population of , is the fourth most populated city of Finland. The biggest airport in Finland, the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, is located there...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
; since August 27, 2001. Joondalup, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
; since September 4, 2004. Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
; since October 10, 2004. Praia
Praia
Praia , is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde, an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean west of Senegal. It lies on the southern coast of Santiago island in the Sotavento Islands group. It is the island's ferry port and is home to one of the nation’s four international airports...
, Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
; since September 22, 2009.