5.1.1 Jinan City History
Figure 5-2.Jinan Ancient City Wall
Figure 5-3.South Gate of the City Wall
Jinan is located in the central part of Shandong Province.It is named after the ancient water system “Ji”.According to the result of archaeology, the development history of Jinan area can be traced back to the Xia Dynasty, about 2070 BC-1600 BC.[1]Jinan has a superior geographical position, a long history of human activity, and is famous for its abundant underground springs.Adjacent to Tai Mountain in the South and across the Yellow River in the North, the terrain of Jinan is divided into three zones: The North is the rich agricultural area bordering the Yellow River.The central part is the plains area, and the South is a mountainous area.The height difference between North and South is more than 500 meters.The surface and groundwater are collected into the urban area, forming a rich natural spring system in the city center under the pressure of the underground strata.[2]The ancient city was originally built in an area of about 30 hectares in the Southwest corner of the moat, and gradually expanded due to population increases.During the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-771 BC) with the Spring Autumn and Warring States Period (770 BC-221 BC), the Jinan region belonged to the Qi State, close to Lu State.[3]Therefore, Jinan is also known as the cradle of Qilu culture.Jinan County was established in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-8 AD), the name ‘Jinan’ appeared for the first time in history at this point.During the Hui Zong era of the Song Dynasty, Jinan began to take shape.In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Buddhism flourished in Jinan, leaving behind the remains including the Four Gates, the Buddha Statues of the Qianfo mountain Grottoes among other artifacts.[4]In 1368, the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Shandong Province was established.Jinan was the capital of Shandong, becoming a political, military, economic and cultural center.The Ming Dynasty was the prosperous period for ancient Jinan, with reconstruction of the city wall and forming the basic pattern of the city with remains today (Fig.5-2, 5-3).In 1376, Government offices and residences gradually moved into Jinan, population increased and commercial life developed.The Qing Dynasty (1616-1912) expanded the city to the East, West and South.The outer city wall was built to enhance the defenses of Jinan (Fig.5-4).In 1904, Jinan city continued to be expanded to the west, and the business area was created out of the ancient city.During this time, Germany, Britain, Japan and other countries set up consulates in Jinan, and constructed schools, hospitals, shops and banks and so forth, with strong foreign architectural styles.[5]In 1929, new Jinan city was established.In 1986, Jinan was declared a national historical and cultural city by the State Council.The ancient city possesses a rich water system and beautiful scenery.Streets, buildings and natural resources complement each other.Famous people often gathered here, forming a strong culture and human history for Jinan.[6](https://www.daowen.com)
Figure 5-4.Jinan General Map in Qing Dynasty
Figure 5-5.Water System in Heihu