East China's Shandong: a fertile land of humanity brimming with renewed traditions

BEIJING, Nov. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China.org.cn on the culture of Shandong province in China:

East China's Shandong: a fertile land of humanity brimming with renewed traditions

https://youtu.be/GBk7pa3Y33M

Shandong, as an important birthplace of Chinese civilization, is known for its splendid history and culture. Nowadays, the province is promoting the creative transformation of excellent traditional Chinese culture, revitalizing time-honored traditions on the fertile land of humanity.

Shandong is the hometown of the ancient Chinese philosophers Confucius and Mencius, and culture is nurturing everything subtly like water. Jining City, the important birthplace and inheritance hub of Confucianism, is also a key part of the Grand Canal culture. The three Confucius sites (the Temple of Confucius, Cemetery of Confucius and Kong family mansion) in Jining's Qufu City was included in the World Heritage List by the United Nations in 1994.

Nishan in Qufu is the birthplace of Confucius, and has become Confucianism's Mecca since ancient times. As a high-level platform for exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, Nishan Forum on World Civilizations has been held for nine times and plays an increasingly important role in promoting dialogues among civilizations on earth.

Shandong is also a must-visit place as it's the location of the most renowned member of the Five Sacred Mountains in China, which boasts a magnificent sunrise. As the globe's first site of both world cultural and natural heritages, Mount Taishan bears rich geographical, historical and cultural connotations of China. Tai'an City in central Shandong is named after and famed for Mount Taishan.

In recent years, Tai'an has given full play to the Mount Taishan culture by organizing live performances of the grand ceremony of ancient emperors' worshiping heaven and earth at Mount Taishan, and building unique cultural projects such as international cultural big data (Taishan) industry hub, Taishan press and publication town, and Taishan Shigandang cultural park, which has enabled the inheritance and development of excellent traditional Chinese culture.

Time-honored traditions make culture profound, and innovative practices keep inheritance always active. More than 2,500 years ago, Zibo in central Shandong was the former capital of the State of Qi and the birthplace of Qi culture. Nowadays, Zibo is home to the Great Wall of the ancient State of Qi, a world cultural heritage, and 14 national-level intangible cultural heritage projects. By promoting the integrated development of Qi culture and various industries, Zibo has enlivened cultural tourism, handicrafts, catering and other fields.

The innovative inheritance makes Qi culture gain wider influence with forays into modern life and more publicity across China and beyond. Shandong cuisine, the most renowned variety of China's eight major culinary styles, also originated in Zibo. Nowadays, Zibo barbecue, which features the essence of Shandong cuisine, is popular throughout the country with considerate cultural travel services.  

A table of delicious "barbecue,"enticing in color and rich in varieties -- and it's made of glass! The glass cultural creative product resembling the popular barbecue in Zibo City went viral on the Internet.

Shandong makes Chinese culture go global with a high-spirited and open-minded stance. For friends who enjoy exploring the world, it's worth visiting Shandong to taste its charm, cuisine and culture.