Shandong Vacations, Shandong Vacation Reviews, Tourism Guide

Shandong province sits on the eastern coast of China, near the Taihang Mountains. It's administrative capital and largest city is Jinan. The second largest region of China, it's home to around 92 million people, 99% of whom are Han Chinese.

As a result of it's coastal position, Shandong was particularly prone to the influences of the West, with the city of Qingdao being leased to the Germans in 1897 and Weihai was signed over to the British in 1898, though both are now under Chinese rule again. Between 1937 and 1945, the whole of the province was occupied and governed by the Japanese.

Shandong is one of the richest parts of China, famed for the production of electrical white goods, and is one of they country's most successful wine and beer production areas.

The city of Qingdao in Shandong will attract international interest in 2008, as it will host the Sailing events of the Beijing Olympic Games, despite being around an hour away by plane. Qingdao is also one of the country's most popular summer resorts, and with it's heavily Germanic influences, was favoured by Chairman Mao as a vacation spot.

Shandong has lots to offer - good food, impressive scenery, strong links to the ocean and two world heritage sites - the Confucian Temple and Cemetery in Qufu and the sacred mountain Tai Shan in Ta'ian.