Shandong Province (Shandong), abbreviated as "Lu", also known as "Qilu", is a provincial-level administrative region of the People's Republic of China, with Jinan as its capital, located on the coast of East China and the lower reaches of the Yellow River, and bordered by four provinces, Hebei, Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu, from the north to the south, with a total area of 157,900 square kilometers. It has a total area of 157,900 square kilometers; the terrain is mainly plains, spanning five major water systems; the Shandong Peninsula is surrounded by the sea on three sides, protruding from the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea, and confronting with the Liaodong Peninsula; it has a warm-temperate monsoon climate. As of the end of December 2023, Shandong Province has 16 prefecture-level cities and 136 county-level units under its jurisdiction, with a resident population of 101,229,700 people.
Shandong Province has a long history and culture, is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization, the center of ancient Chinese culture, the birthplace of Confucian culture and thought, known as "the hometown of Confucius and Mencius, the state of etiquette", the formation of Qilu culture, with 10 national historical and cultural cities. Shandong people are rich in revolutionary traditions, Shandong is one of the earliest provinces in China to establish the Party, and is the only old revolutionary area named by the central government as a province.
Shandong is a large economic and industrial province, with Jinan Metropolitan Area and Qingdao Metropolitan Area, an important industrial base in China and a strategic pivot for the economic development of the northern region, the first provincial demonstration area for strong transportation, a demonstration province for the integration of health care, a comprehensive pilot area for the transformation of old and new kinetic energies, and an advanced area for green, low-carbon and high-quality development. It connects the two world-class city clusters of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Yangtze River Delta, links Japan and Korea in the east and Eurasia in the west, has the first mileage of high-speed railroad operation in the country, and is the first populous and economically powerful province in the north, with its population and economy accounting for more than 1/5 of that of the northern region.
In 2023, the GDP of Shandong Province will reach 9.2 trillion yuan, an increase of 6% over the previous year, continuing to rank at the forefront of the country, and Yantai will become the third trillion-dollar city in Shandong Province. 2023, 15 cities in Shandong Province will be selected as the "Top 100 Cities in Digitalization"; 11 cities will be on the list of the "Top 100 Cities in Innovative Capability"; 13 cities will be on the list of the "Top 100 Cities in Innovative Capability"; and 13 cities will be on the list of the "Top 100 Cities in Innovation". In 2023, 15 cities in Shandong will be selected as "Top 100 Digital Cities"; 11 cities will be listed as "Top 100 Cities in Innovation Capability"; 13 cities will be listed as "Top 100 Cities in Advanced Manufacturing"; and 14 cities will be listed as "Top 100 Cities in Livability Index".
