Prefecture-level city in Shandong, China
About Tai'an
Tai'an is a prefecture-level city in Western Shandong Province of the People's Republic of China. Centered on Mount Tai, the city borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng to the extreme west and Jining to the south. To the west, Tai'an is separated from the province of Henan by the Yellow River.
History
Tai'an is named after Mount Tai. In Chinese, Tai (泰) means "significant". Thus, the name Tai'an is derived from the ancient saying: "If Mount Tai is stable (安; ān), then the four seas (the world) are safe." Tai'an was home to the Dawenkou culture during the Neolithic era. During the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, the region belonged to the states of Qi and Lu. The site of major historical and cultural significance in the area is Mount Tai. It attracted multiple emperors throughout the dynasties to visit, offer sacrifice to the heaven gods and pray for harvest. Confucius, Sima Qian, Cao Zhi, Li Bai, Du Fu and other litterateurs visited here and many great works were produced. Taoist temples such as Dai Temple were built here and became pilgrimage sites. …
Geography
Tai'an is centered on the south side of Mount Tai. Dongping Lake is the biggest lake. Tai'an lies in the northern temperate zone and has a continental, semi-humid monsoon climate. The average annual temperatures are −2.1 °C (28.2 °F) (January), 12.8 °C (55.0 °F) (annual average), and 26.0 °C (78.8 °F) (July). The average annual precipitation is 681 mm (26.8 in).
Culture
Tai'an holds significant historical and cultural importance due to its association with Mount Tai, which is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Worship at Mount Tai began in prehistoric times where the religious Confucianism ritual Feng Shan would be performed by the kings of Zhou and later emperors of China. While the last traditional Feng Shan was performed in 1790, Tai'an holds an annual large-scale live performance called "Chinese Taishan·Fengshan Grand Ceremony". Tai'an is a tourist city, and the Tai'an government has also been trying to promote the development of tourism in Tai'an.
Transportation
Tai'an is served by Tai'an railway station on the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway and Taishan railway station on the Beijing–Shanghai railway. Tai'an is served by the G2 Beijing–Shanghai Expressway and on the Tai-Lai Expressway (west-east from Tai'an to Laiwu). There is a four-lane highway from Tai'an to the Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport. Within Tai'an there are large tree lined avenues throughout the city. The nearest major airport is Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport, about 120 km (75 mi) to the north.
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