Linyi

Linyi in Shandong Province is an exception. It inherited the south’s modernity and the north’s sense of dignity. Linyi proper has a population of 270,669 making it the 11th biggest city in Shandong. Located in the southeast of Shandong, it has jurisdiction over 3 districts, 9 counties, 3 development zones (including 2 national-level zones), and 1 tourist resort. With a population of 11.8 million and a land area of 17,200 square kilometers, Linyi is the largest city in Shandong by population and area.

Linyi, a prefecture-level city in Shandong Province, is located in the southeast of Shandong Province and on the west coast of the Yellow Sea. It is the junction of the Yangtze River Delta Economic Circle and the Bohai Rim Economic Circle , a key national development area in East Longhai, and a port industrial zone in southern Shandong.

Linyi is centered on Yi and Luohe, surrounded by mountains on the west, north and east, forming a fan-shaped alluvial plain to the south. The mountain terrain is high, generally above 400 meters above sea level. The mountain vegetation is dense, and it is the main base for the development of forestry, fruit, and animal husbandry. Hills are mainly distributed in the periphery of mountainous areas. The climate of Linyi is a temperate monsoon climate , with suitable temperatures, distinct four seasons, sufficient light, abundant rainfall, the same season of rain and heat, and a long frost-free period. Spring warms quickly, there is less rain and wind, and the climate is dry, often with severe weather such as drought, cold wave, and late frost; summer is high in humidity and heavy, with abundant rainfall, and it is frequent with severe southeast winds, floods, heavy, and hail.

Linyi literally means “by the Yi River.” Today the city is the largest in Shandong Province, in terms of both territory and population. The Yi River has played an important role in the city’s history, which can be traced back 2,400 years. The river itself is 300 kilometers long. It is fed by eight tributaries and flows united through Linyi before arriving at the sea. Mengshan Mountain rises in the north of Linyi, and the two geographic features have long battled for prominence in the minds of Linyi’s residents – the city is also known as “Yimeng,” literally “The Yi River and Mengshan Mountain.”

Linyi is connected to faraway locales via the Yi River. Both Jiangsu Province in the south and Hebei Province in the north are short journeys upstream. Waterborne contact ensured the city was influenced by both southern and northern regional cultures. Rivers may have been replaced by roads as modernity imposed itself upon China, but the syncretic culture of Linyi has remained intact to this day. As with many ancient towns in China, Linyi developed a culture of its own, by drawing on the venerable Wuyue, Dongyi and Qilu civilizations. The boom in arts and literature and highly developed education in the region gave rise to a number of academic luminaries and moral role models that have etched their names in the nation’s history.

The region continues to loom large in the Chinese people’s consciousness. In most people’s minds today, Linyi is synonymous with patriotism, fighting spirit and war. Much of this is thanks to the 42-episode TV drama Yimeng, which is aired by national and several provincial-level broadcasters. The drama depicts Linyi people’s sacrifices and dedication to combat, first against Japanese aggression and then in the civil war. The city seated the headquarters of the communist army in the province in the 1930s and 40s, and many founding fathers of the PRC, including late President Liu Shaoqi, worked and fought here.

Linyi’s history is long, and much remains in the city today to attest to millennia of cultural achievement. Chief among the cultural relics are surely the bamboo slips on which were written the original passages of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. The slips were unearthed in an ancient tomb in Linyi in 1972 alongside Sun Bin’s (a descendent of Sun Tzu) own Art of War. The city is the also birthplace of famed calligraphers Wang Xizhi of the fourth century and Yan Zhenqing of the eigth.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Ji Sunsi of Lu Guo and Qiu Shuai, the uncle Sun Zhou built Qiyang City as the southeast barrier of Lu Guo , and became the predecessor of this old city of Linyi. During the Warring States period, the Linyi region Zhu Feng Guo has for the merger Qi, Chu, to the late Warring States, is a southern Chu, the northern part of Qi. During the period of the Three Kingdoms, the area of Linyi belonged to Wei State. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Langya dynasty family in Linyi supported Sima Rui Nandu to establish the Eastern Jin Dynasty, forming a political pattern of "king and horse, sharing the world".

Among all the outstanding men born in Linyi, Zhuge Liang (181-234) is perhaps the most popular and influential. The statesman is recognized as having been the most accomplished strategist China has ever known. Today, he is worshipped by some as an incarnation of wisdom at its purest. Confucian tradition is strong in Linyi; indeed, Confucius himself was born not far away. Filial piety has always been a highly regarded virtue in the region, and Linyi natives contributed seven stories to the classic work 24 Stories of Filial Piety.

During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-1945) and the Civil War (1945-1949), Linyi was a key stronghold of the Communist-led army. Linyi was home to a whole generation of revolutionists. Among its 4.2 million-strong population at that time, 1.2 million gave their support in some form or another to the People’s Liberation Army during the Civil War. As many as 200,000 Linyi natives joined in the army; over 100,000 lost their lives in battle here.

In December 1994, the Linyi area was restructured into a prefecture-level Linyi city, divided into three county-level administrative regions: Lanshan, Hedong, and Luozhuang. The prefecture-level Linyi City has jurisdiction over 9 counties: Lanshan, Luozhuang, Hedong, and Tancheng, Lanling, Junan, Yishui, Yinan, Pingyi, Feixian, Mengyin, and Lintong.

War has left its mark on Linyi, but the visible scars have long faded. Today the city’s highrises and broad avenues attest to the economic success Linyi has enjoyed in recent decades. The river, as ever, figures prominently in local development. Plans are underway to construct new urban regions along its course.

Natural beauty and historical legacy place Linyi firmly on the tourist trail in China. The rolling mountain ranges, collectively known as Mt. Yimeng, stand tall as the local tourism star; their lower slopes burst forth in vivid green in spring, and hikers clambering up them can look down and spot flocks of sheep and herds of cattle lazily grazing their time away. Heading back to the city after a day on the mountain, the Yi River cools the evening breeze and makes for an idyllic backdrop to an evening meal.

Mengshan Mountain is the second highest peak in Shandong Province, overshadowed only by Mount Tai, one of China’s “Big Five” peaks. Confucius is reputed to have said that when standing on Mengshan Mountain, one feels the whole of Shandong Province is at one’s feet. But when standing atop Mount Tai, one gazes down upon the whole world.

Yimeng Mountain National Geological Park is also near the city. The park stretched over six counties and is home to many rare geological structures and scenic spots. The underground karst limestone caves in the park’s Yishui County are rarely seen in northern China. The size of these caves, the variety and quantity of mineral deposits and the rapid rate of water flow in the underground streams in them all make Linyi’s cave complexes something of a geological miracle. One has to travel thousands of miles south to see similar formations. In one of the caves runs the world’s longest subterranean river. Tourists with nerves of steel can go rafting down a two-kilometer stretch of the river.

The Inzone Tianmeng Tourist Area in Linyi, Shandong province features stunning natural views, folk culture, and a host of recreational activities. The area, a major part of the national 5A-level Yimeng Mountains tourist area, covers an area of 240 square kilometers and boasts over 100 popular sightseeing spots, including the 1001-meter-high Wanghai Tower, the world's longest suspension bridge for pedestrians, and the narrow plank circling the mountain. Wanghai Tower, sitting at the east end of the Yimeng Mountains, is 1001.2 meters above sea level and is the best place to watch the sunrise over the East Sea. It was first built during the Kaiyuan Reign of the Tang Dynasty (713-741)) and rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

The World's First Pedestrian Suspension Bridge, the area's other iconic attraction, connects Wanghai Tower and Jade Emperor Palace, a pilgrim destination for Taoists. It is the world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge and also has the widest main span of any bridge. The mid-span is 420 meters long, while the side spans are 38 and 47.5 meters long, respectively.

Part of the push is to bring traditional culture back into modern lives. In line with this goal, the government has sponsored a number of high quality cultural dramatic and musical productions that gained national airtime. The city also runs a calligraphy cultural festival and a festival to celebrate the achievement of Zhuge Liang. According to The Analects of Confucius, Zeng Ziyu, a disciple of Confucius, once described his perfect day to his master. He said: “It is late spring, and I shed winter apparel. I bathe in the Yi River and feel the breeze on the slope in the company of a dozen friends. After, we all walk back to town, singing along the way.” Confucius, on hearing Zeng’s ideal, exclaimed, “You know what? I agree with you.”

The agricultural and sideline products here are of high quality and large quantity. Linyi enjoys eight distinctive production bases of peanut, yellow tobacco, silkworm, wickerwork, ginkgo, honeysuckle, chestnut and tea. Vegetables and fruits are its competitive sectors. There are also many categories of mineral resources in Linyi. The dolomite reserve ranks first and reserves of adamas, silica sand and ceramic clay rank second in China.

Linyi Trade City is the largest market cluster in China covering the most logistic destinations and the largest logistics base in northern China. It aims to become Chinas largest wholesale center, logistics distribution center, e-commerce center as well as a new height for international trade of the Belt and Road Initiative and a new highlight for exhibition economy. The China (Linyi) International Trade and Logistics Fair held by the city each year has become a flagship brand of Chinas exhibition economy.

Linyi is the biggest timber plank production and trading base in China. The timber enterprises are mainly located in Lanshan district, and represent the main industry of the district. In order to reduce emissions, the district temporarily halted the supply of steam, causing more than 400 timber enterprises that have experienced multiple rounds of environmental inspections to suspend their operations.

To achieve an instant improvement of air quality, a district government in Linyi city, Shandong province, abused its power when it shut down or suspended a large number of restaurants, timber enterprises and parking lots for freight vehicles, the Ministry of Environment and Ecology found in September 2019. It was the "first shot" fired in the ministry's effort to crack down on one-size-fits-all approaches used by some local governments as a way to cope with air quality inspections.

In recent years, as inadequate efforts have been made to control air pollution in Linyi, the city has ranked low in the national air quality index. Linyi was 10th from the bottom from January to June this year, and it had the lowest ranking in Shandong. On July 15, after their poor performance on the most recent air quality rankings, seven cities in Shandong that ranked among the bottom 20 in the country-including Linyi and Jinan, the provincial capital-were ordered by provincial level officials to improve their air quality.