Shandong

Introduction
Land
- Relief
- Drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Population composition
- Settlement patterns
Economy
- Agriculture and fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Transportation
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Health and welfare
- Education
Cultural life
History

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Traditional Chinese temples with ornate, tiled roofs are set among trees and rocky outcrops on the summit of Mount Tai in Shandong province, China.

At a Glance

Shandong summary

Related Questions

How did Chinese emperors use Mount Tai for ceremonies honoring Heaven and Earth?
How did Daoist beliefs change the identity of Mount Tai’s most important deity?
How did Germany gain control of Qingdao and Jiaozhou Bay in the late 1800s?
How did Japan take control of German interests in Shandong during World War I?
How did Qufu become the center of Confucian pilgrimage in China?
How did deforestation and farming practices cause erosion in Shandong?
How did irrigation flood control and land reclamation improve agriculture in Shandong after 1949?
How did the Huang He change its course after the floods of the 1850s?
How is Shandong province divided between its inland region and its peninsula?
How is silkworm raising connected to the fabric called shantung?
What are the main characteristics of Shandong cuisine?
What role did Shandong play in maritime trade during the Six Dynasties period?
What were the feng and shan ceremonies performed at Mount Tai?
When did Chinese communists gain control of Shandong during the struggle against the Nationalists?
Where are Hui Muslim communities concentrated in Shandong?
Where are Shandong’s largest coal reserves located?
Where is Jinan located in relation to the Huang He and Mount Tai?
Where is Shandong province located within China?
Where was Confucius born and where did he spend the last part of his life?
Which animals are commonly raised in Shandong?
Which bodies of water surround the Shandong Peninsula?
Which crops are most important to Shandong agriculture?
Which groups make up most of Shandong’s population?
Which industries are important in Qingdao Jinan and Zibo?
Which mineral resources are mined near Zibo Laiwu and Nanding?
Which other four sacred mountains are traditionally grouped with Mount Tai?
Which religious and philosophical traditions built temples and monuments on Mount Tai?
Which seafood species are caught or raised in Shandong?
Which seasons bring most of the rainfall to inland Shandong?
Which types of soil are found in Shandong’s uplands and lowlands?
Why are Confucius and Mencius closely connected to Shandong province?
Why are Shandong peanuts especially useful for producing cooking oil?
Why are steamed breads important in Shandong cuisine?
Why did Great Britain lease Weihaiwei in 1898?
Why did millions of Shandong peasants migrate to Manchuria Inner Mongolia and Korea between 1923 and 1930?
Why did the 1919 decision about Japanese occupation of Shandong cause controversy?
Why does Shandong have a major ocean-fishing industry?
Why has the Shandong Peninsula historically relied on fishing mining and port activities?
Why is Mount Tai one of China’s most important sacred mountains?
Why is Qingdao an important port for Shandong’s economy?
Why is sea fog common along the coasts of the Shandong Peninsula?
Why was Mount Tai designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987?
Why was the Confucius temple tomb and family residence at Qufu designated a UNESCO World Heritage site?
Why were rituals performed at Mount Tai for harvests floods and earthquakes?
What caused the Russo-Japanese War?
Where was the Russo-Japanese War fought?
How did the Russo-Japanese War end?
Why was the Great Wall of China built?
Can you see the Great Wall of China from space?
What is the climate in Guangzhou?
What UNESCO World Heritage site is found at the heart of Beijing?
What are the major ethnic groups in China?

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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Shandong - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Shandong

province, China

Also known as: Shan-tung, Shantung

Written by

Baruch Boxer

Emeritus Professor of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. Author of "China's Environmental Prospects" in Asian Survey and other articles.

Baruch Boxer

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 8, 2026 •History

Shandong, northern coastal sheng (province) of China, lying across the Yellow Sea from the Korean peninsula. Shandong is China’s second most populous province, its population exceeded only by that of Henan. The name Shandong, which means “East of Mountains,” was first officially used during the Jin dynasty in the 12th century. The province consists of two distinct segments. The first is an inland zone bounded by the provinces of Hebei to the north and west,...

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