Major Economic Indicators (2010)
Jining is situated in the southern part of Shandong Province. Lying at the intersection of Jiangsu Province and Shandong Province, the city borders Linyi, Shandong to the east, Heze, Shandong to the west, Zaozhuang, Shandong and Xuzhou, Jiangsu to the south and Tai’an, Shandong to the north. It faces Liaocheng, Shandong across the Yellow River to the northwest.
Jining is easily accessible by air, water or land. Jinan Airport is within 2.5 hours’ drive and the Jining Airport is scheduled to open for civil usage in 2009. Qingdao Port, the world’s seventh largest port by cargo traffic in 2007, and Lianyungang Port are located within 300 km of the city. Lianyungang Port is one of China's top 10 seaports by cargo traffic. In 2007, its cargo throughput rose 53.8% year on year to 85 million tons. The Beijing-Shanghai Highway, the Beijing-Fuzhou Highway, the Rizhao-Xi’an Highway, the Jinan-Heze Highway and the Jinan-Xuzhou Highway go through Jining, while the Beijing-Shanghai Railway, the Beijing-Shanghai Express Railway and the Beijing-Kowloon Railway all have stops in the city.
Jining has rich coal, electric power and freshwater resources. The proven coal reserves in Jining exceed 26 billion tons, amounting to one half of Shandong’s total. There are 46 power plants in the city, which have a total installed capacity of 9.48 million kilowatts.
Over 5,000 years ago, ancient tribes began to live in the current territory of Jining. From the Xia Dynasty (2100 BC-1600 BC) to the Zhou Dynasties (1100 BC-221 BC), it was called Reng State. It was changed into Rengcheng County during the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC) and became known as Jizhou during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (AD 907-960). In 1271, it was given its present name, which means “guarantee of safety and tranquility” in Chinese. Qufu, a county-level city under Jining, is the birthplace of Confucius, an important Chinese thinker and social philosopher in the Spring-and-Autumn Period (770 BC-476 BC). His philosophy and teachings have deeply influenced Chinese thought and life.
The Temple of Confucius (Kong Miao), the Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion of Qufu, which were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1994, are the hottest tourist destinations in Jining. Covering an area of 16,000 square meters, the Temple of Confucius is the second largest historical building complex in China, following the Forbidden City. It was originally built in 478 BC on the foundation of the former residence of Confucius. The Cemetery of Confucius, situated to the north of Qufu, was constructed in memory of Confucius. Every September, Qufu hosts the Qufu International Confucius Cultural Festival. Other popular attractions in Jining include the Temple of Mencius and the Mencius Family Mansion, which were built up in memory of Mencius, another important philosopher inform the Warring States Period (403 BC-221 BC). Both building complexes were first built during the Northern Song Dynasty (AD 960-AD 1127). The local dishes, including Zhao Da Bing Tian Mo (made of fried bean-curd, spinach and peanut), Yang Cheng Ren Fish Soup, and Zhao Ke Shun Beng Meat (stewed meat and rice in a round-bottom vessel), are delicate and worth trying.
Best Tourism City in China (2004, 2006)-National Tourism Administration of P.R. China
Historical and Cultural City (Qufu, 1982)-State Council of P.R. China
