Jinan Introduction

Ji’nan, the provincial capital of Shandong province, is located in the central west area of Shandong province. Lying in a basin surrounded by mountains, the city has a population of 5.49 million people. Jinan covers an area of 8,177 square kilometers with 3,257 square kilometers of urban area.
Jinan is located in the north-western part of Shandong province at 36° 40′ northern latitude and 116° 57′ east of Greenwich. Because its location falls within the warm temperate continental monsoon climate zone, Jinan has four distinct seasons. The city is dry and rainless in spring, hot and rainy in summer, crisp in autumn and dry and cold in winter. The average annual temperature is 14.2°C, and the annual rainfall is around 675 mm.

January is the coldest and driest month, the monthly averages are -5.4°C for the daily minimum temperature, 3.6°C for the daily maximum temperature, and 6.6 mm for the rainfall. July is the warmest and wettest month, the corresponding numbers are 23.5°C, 32.6°C, and 190.9

Jinan is an essential birthplace of the civilization in China. Shun, a chieftain of the pristine tribe was born and lived around Jinan. Chengzi Cliff in eastern Jinan is the place where Longshan Civilization (4600—4000 years ago) of the late Neolithic Age was found with the basalt as its symbol. At this site, about 200,000 square meters of China’s oldest city relics was discovered.

Jinan has a history of more than 2600 years. When the Shire and County System was established by the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Jinan belonged to Jibei Shire. At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, Jinan Shire was founded. Consequently, Jinan got its name. Since the Ming and the Qing dynasties, Jinan has been the capital of Shandong Province. The city of Jinan was set up in July, 1929.There are many historic sites in Jinan such as Shungeng Mountain which is the ruin of the Shun Civilization (22nd century B.C.); the Qi Great Wall (built in the 3rd century B.C) which is even older than the Qin Great Wall; China’s oldest ground structure—-the stone ancestral temple of Xiaotangshan Guoshi of the Han Dynasty (built in the 1st century B.C); China’s oldest stone pagoda—Liubu Four-Door Pagoda of the Sui Dynasty (built in the 7th century); the colorful sculptures at Lingyan Temple of the Song Dynasty ( built in the 11th century) which are praised as the “Best Sculptures in China”.

Jinan is also the home to many celebrities such as Bianque, founder of the Chinese traditional medicine science; Fang Xuanling and Qin Qiong, men of great merit in founding the Tang Dynasty (618-907); well—known litterateurs such as Li Qingzhao and Xin Qiji. In addition, outstanding scholars such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Su Shi, Zeng Gong also lived in or visited Jinan in the past. As a result, it comes to an agreement that “there are many celebrities in Jinan”.

Jinan municipality governs 6 districts which are Lixia, Shizhong, Huaiyin, Tianqiao, Licheng, and Changqing, 3 counties which are Pingyin, Jiyang, and Shanghe, and Zhangqiu City.

The city tree is willow and the city flower is lotus.