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| Introduction |
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Lying in central Shandong Province, Tai'an covers an area of 7,761 sq km and has a population of 5.48 million. It borders Jinan across Mount Tai to the north, Jining to the south, Laiwu and Linyi to the east and Liaocheng across the Yellow River to the west. The city is among the first few cities that the State Council opened to foreign tourists in 1982.
The transportation network in Tai'an is well established. The Beijing-Shanghai Railway goes through the city, while the Beijing-Shanghai Highway and the Beijing-Fuzhou Highway intersect in the city. The Jinan-Heze Highway and the Tai'an-Laiwu Highway link the city with other major cities in Shandong Province. The Beijing-Shanghai Express Railway has a stop in Tai'an. Jinan Airport and Qingdao International Airport are located about 90 km and 150 km from the city center of Tai'an, respectively.
Tai'an has abundant mineral resources such as coal, iron, copper, gold, and aluminum. The proven iron ore reserves in Tai'an are about 345 million tons, while the proven aluminum ore reserves are about 3.6 million tons.
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| Economic Features |
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The city's GDP grew 13.7% from a year earlier to RMB 205.17 billion in 2010. The private sector generated value-added output of RMB 136.05 billion, up 19% year on year, contributing 66.3% to the city's GDP,. Service industry is a rapid growing sector, accounting for 36.9% of the city's GDP, and contributing 45.5% to the city's economic growth.
The industrial value-added output from the enterprises with designated size and above increased 16.3% year on year..Value-added industrial output from both heavy industry and light industry increased 16.3%.
Coal mining, steel and steel-related products manufacturing, non-metal products producing, auto and auto parts, equipment manufacturing and fine chemicals are the major industries in Tai'an. In 2010, the city produced 27.17 million tons of raw coal and 2.91 million tons of steel products.
Taishan Construction Machinery, Shandong Yiteng Group, Ruixing Group and Shandong Chunchao Color Master-batch are the leading industrial groups in Tai'an. Tai'an Construction Machinery, lying at the foot of Mount Tai, was set up in 1996. It is a manufacturer and supplier of pipeline construction machinery. In the first half of 2009, the sales revenue and net profits of the company amounted to RMB 146.4 million and 19.37 million, respectively.
The total foreign trade value in Tai'an reached US$1.59 billion, up 47.7% year on year. The total export value and import value amounted to US$930 million and US$660 million in 2010, increased 31.3% and 79% year on year respectively.
In 2010, the city has approved 160 foreign-invested projects, with utilized FDI up 36.1% to US$120 million.
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| Cultural Highlights |
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About 5,000 years ago, Dawenkou Culture began near the Dawen River flowing through Tai'an. During the Spring-and-Autumn Period (770 BC-403 BC) and the Warring States Period (403 BC-221 BC), the territory was governed by the Qi State and the Lu State. The renowned battle of Changshao occurred in this region. Tai'an was an important political and economic center in ancient times. Mount Tai is of great historical and cultural significance in this region. Since the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC), twelve emperors have climbed up this mountain to host the Fengshan Sacrifices pray ceremony. Many poets and literary writers visited Mount Tai and wrote many poems and articles on it.
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| Tourist Attraction |
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As the first of the five sacred mountains in China, Mount Tai is the most popular tourism destination in Tai'an. It has been included in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites since 1987. The main scenic attractions of Mount Tai consist of the Temple of the God of Mount Tai (also known as Dai Temple or Daimiao), the Peach Blossom Ravine, the Azure Cloud Temple and the Divine Rock Temple. The Temple of the God of Mount Tai, located at the foot of Mount Tai, which was built during the Qin and Han Dynasties, was designed as a replica of the imperial palace. It is the third largest historical building complex in China, following the Forbidden City and the Temple of Confucius. Other recommendable attractions in Tai'an include the Dawenkou Museum in Dawenkou Town, the Culaishan National Forest Park southeast of Mount Tai, the Lashan National Forest Park in Dongping County and Feicheng Taoyuan World Scenic Area in the Liujiatai Village in Yiyang Town.
Tai'an offers diverse local snacks and dishes including Tai'an Pancake, Jiang Bao Gua (fried shredded vegetables), Jiang Mo Qie (fried mashed egg plant with traditional sauces) and Fried Red Phosphorus Fish. Tai'an is suitable for visiting all year round.
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| Honors |
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Historical and Cultural City (2007)
- State Council of P.R. China
National Hygienic City (1995)
- National Patriotic (Public) Health Campaign Commission of P.R. China
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