Culture of Shandong

Shandong is an important cradle of Chinese civilization, and has nurtured a galaxy of preeminent thinkers, statesmen, literary figures and inventors during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) and the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), shaping the great and profound Qilu culture.

Confucius, China's greatest thinker and educator, established Confucianism, which has exerted a widespread and far-reaching influence on Chinese civilization and become an integral part of Chinese traditional culture.

Many sages in ancient China, such as Confucius, Mencius, Mozi,Guan Zhong, Sun-Tzu, Bian Que, Zhuge Liang, Lu Ban, Jia Sixie, Liu Xie, Wang Xizhi, Li Qingzhao, Kong Shangren, and Pu Songling, accomplished much in the fields of ideology, philosophy, politics, military affairs, literature, art, science and technology, and medicine, remarkably enriching Chinese culture and leaving a variety of precious cultural legacies.

In modern times, Shandong people have been devoted to the Chinese national and democratic revolution, thus fostering the distinctive and valuable red culture. The Yimeng spirit, developed in revolutionary wars, is an integral part of the remarkable spirit of the Chinese nation.

In recent years, Shandong has been playing an active role in inheriting and revitalizing colorful Qilu culture, promoting cultural innovation, and developing cultural undertakings and industries. Shandong has been stepping up efforts to enhance grassroots public cultural services, establishing a public cultural network where cities are equipped with libraries, art galleries, and museums; counties are provided with libraries and cultural centers; towns have cultural stations; and villages and communities have cultural activity rooms or cultural courtyards.