As the capital of Shandong province, Jinan is one of China's megalopolises and deputy provincial cities. It's the political, economic, scientific, educational and cultural center of Shandong province. The city is a traffic hub for railways, highways and aviation. The Beijing-Shanghai and Jiaozhou-Jinan railways link up there. With its 72 famous springs, Jinan is also known as the "Spring City" and for the fact that "Jinan springs are the best springs in the world". The springs spread everywhere and their water is clear, sweet and pure. The beautiful natural scenery and numerous places of interest make Jinan one of the most famous historical and cultural cities in China.

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 suburbs 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, and Jinan now has jurisdiction over seven districts and three counties.