Shandong is a coastal province of eastern People’s Republic of China，which has an area of 59,200 sq mi (153,300 sq km),Its abbreviation is Lu, after the state of Lu that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period.
Shandong’s name literally means "mountains’ east", which refers to the province’s location east of the Taihang Mountains. The province is located in the lower reaches of the Huang He (Yellow River) and extends out to sea in the form of the Shandong Peninsula. Shandong borders the Bohai Bay to the north, Hebei to the northwest, Henan to the west, Jiangsu to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the southeast; it also shares a very short border with Anhui, between Henan and Jiangsu.
A common nickname for Shandong is Qilu, after the state of Lu and state of Qi that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period.
History
Shandong is located on the eastern edge of the North China Plain, and felt the influence of Chinese civilization since its very beginnings.
The modern province of Shandong was created by the Ming Dynasty. It also included much of modern-day Liaoning at the time. Under the Qing Dynasty, Shandong acquired (more or less) its current borders.
Under the government of the People’s Republic of China, parts of western Shandong was initially given to the short-lived Pingyuan Province, but this did not last. Shandong also acquired the Xuzhou and Lianyungang areas from Jiangsu province, but this did not last either. For the most part Shandong has kept the same borders that it has today.
In recent years Shandong, especially eastern Shandong, has raced ahead in economic development, becoming one of the richest provinces of China.


Geography and climate
Shandong is mostly flat in terrain. The northwestern, western, and southwestern parts of the province are all part of the vast North China Plain. The center of the province is more mountainous, with the Taishan Mountains, Lushan Mountains, and Mengshan Mountains being the most prominent. The east of the province is the hilly Shandong Peninsula extending into the sea; it separates Bohai Sea in the northwest from the Yellow Sea to the east and south. The highest peak of Shandong is the highest peak in the Taishan area: Jade Emperor Peak, with a height of 1545 m.
The Yellow River passes through Shandong’s western areas, entering the sea along Shandong’s northern coast; in its traversal of Shandong it flows on a levee, higher than the surrounding land, and dividing western Shandong into the Hai He watershed in the north and the Huai He watershed in the south. The Grand Canal of China enters Shandong from the northwest and leaves on the southwest. Lake Weishan is the largest lake of the province. Shandong’s coastline is 3000 km long. Shandong Peninsula has a rocky coastline with cliffs, bays, and islands; the large Laizhou Bay, the southernmost of the three bays of Bohai Sea, is found to the north, between Dongying and Penglai; Jiaozhou Bay, which is much smaller, is found to the south, next to Qingdao. The Miaodao Islands extend northwards from the northern coast of the peninsula.
Shandong has a temperate climate, with moist summers and dry, cold winters. Average temperatures are -5 to 1°C(23 to 34℉) in January and 24 to 28°C (75 to 82℉)in July. Annual average precipitation is 550 to 950 mm.


Ethnic group
Over 99% of Shandong’s population is Han Chinese. Minority groups include the Hui and the Manchus.
Culture
Mandarin dialects are spoken in Shandong. Linguists classify these dialects into three broad categories: Ji Lu Mandarin spoken in the northwest (as well as in neighbouring Hebei), such as the Jinan dialect; Zhongyuan Mandarin spoken in the southwest (as well as in neighbouring Henan); and Jiao Liao Mandarin spoken in the Shandong Peninsula (as well as the Liaodong Peninsula across the sea), such as the Qingdao dialect. When people speak of the "Shandong dialect" , it is generally the first or the second that is meant; the Jiao Liao dialects of Shandong are commonly called the "Jiaodong dialect".
Shandong cuisine is one of the eight great traditions of Chinese cuisine. It can be more finely divided into inland Shandong cuisine (e.g. Jinan cuisine); the seafood-centered Jiaodong cuisine in the peninsula; and Confucius’s Mansion cuisine, an elaborate tradition originally intended for imperial and other important feasts.
Shandong Bangzi and Luju are popular types of Chinese opera in Shandong; both originated from southwestern Shandong.
Tourism
Tourist attractions in Shandong include:
• Penglai, a town on the north of the Shandong peninsula famed in Taoism.
• Qingdao, beach resort city on the south of the peninsula famous for its Tsingtao beer
• Laoshan, a scenic area and Daoist centre to the east of Qingdao.
• Qingzhou, an ancient trading and administrative center with some famous archaeological discoveries.
• World Heritage Sites:
o Temple and Cemetery of Confucius, and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu
o Tai Shan, sacred mountain, in Tai’an