History

Jinan is included in the national famous historical and cultural city list released by the State Council. Its name was derived from the Jishui River and it is located to the south ("nan" in Chinese pinyin) of the river, so it was called Jinan.

According to archaeological excavations, as far back as the early Neolithic Age, or 9,000 years ago, ancestors were living there. The Longshan culture, which was characterized by its polished black pottery 4,000 to 4,500 years ago, was named after the site where its relics were found in 1928 – Longshan town in the eastern suburb of Jinan.

In February 1994, Jinan was officially designated as a sub-provincial city. In December 2016, Zhangqiu was changed from a city to a district of Jinan. On Dec 26, 2018, the State Council approved the adjustment of the administrative divisions of Laiwu city. Laiwu city was abolished, and its jurisdictional area was transferred to the administration of Jinan. Laiwu officially became a district under the jurisdiction of Jinan in January 2019. Jinan now has 10 districts and two counties.