Shandong has a long history, rich culture, brilliant humanistic resources, and beautiful natural environment. The modern, fashionable, livable and economically favorable urban landscape and the new business, new experience and new landscape brought by the construction of all-for-one tourism enabled Shandong to appear brand new. 

As an important channel connecting Shandong to developed provinces and cities such as Suzhou, Zhejiang and Shanghai, the Shandong section of the Grand Canal is reputed “Rhine in Shandong” by its people. Its prosperity and development is the result of the relentless efforts of the governments along the river and the shipping professionals in Shandong. The Shandong section of the Grand Canal flows by Jining, Zaozhuang, Dezhou, Liaocheng, and Tai’an. The heavy cultural foundation, rich tourist resources and long history and human culture are passed on along the river. 

Jining is an important place of origin of Chinese culture, and the place where Confucian culture originated. The Grand Canal extends 230 kilometers in Jining, and there are eleven World Cultural Heritages here. Jining is also the place of birth of the five saints: Confucius, Mencius, Yanzi, Zengzi, and Zisi, and the ancestor of Chinese Yellow Emperor. The charm of the Grand Canal Historical and Cultural Street remains, and the yamen of the Governor General in charge of rivers is situated here. 

The Dezhou section of the Grand Canal has a long history, primitive landscape, rich cultural heritages, and rich folk culture. It is the only section of the Grand Canal with a thousand years history in Shandong Province, it is the highland for cultural exchange between China and foreign countries, and it is the sacred place where the Grand Canal cultures integrates. “A city of ancient charm and clear water; a river of thin mist and small sailers.” The Yellow River culture and the Grand Canal Culture integrate to form the “the Great Dezhou City, the place of Confucius and Charm”.

“Sacred City, Culture, and Village of Water” are the three name cards of Jining. The Grand Canal starts from Beijing in the north, flows to Hangzhou in the south, and passes by Jining in the middle. It is the longest artificial canal in the world, a historic book with a thousand years history, and a cultural corridor with great brilliance. Weishan Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Jiangbei. In Weishan Island, Ancient Town in Nanyang Island, Lotus Pond, Reed Pool, the waters and skies merge in one color, a vase expanse of misty water rolls, forming a natural scene with unique attraction.

Liaocheng, which is called “the watery city in Jiangbei, the ancient city along the Grand Canal”, is located in the west of Shandong Province. It is a national historical and cultural city and first class tourist city in China. Over the Ming and Qing Dynasties, people said: “In the south there is the beautiful city of Yuhang; in the north, there are the garden cities of Linqing and Zhangqiu. Also during that period, Dongchang Prefecture is called “the throat of water and land transport, the elbow and armpit of the capital city, and the metropolis in Jiangbei”, substantially demonstrating the important status of Liaocheng.

Tai’erzhuang Canal is called “a living canal”, and is close to the ancient city of Tai’erzhuang, where the cultures of the south and north, China and foreign countries integrate. Nearby, there are elven key sites protected for historical and cultural value, and Tongzhou Gangshang Ruins is elected “Top Ten Archeological Discoveries in China in 2021”, showing the in-depth humanistic foundation of the regions along the Canal. The surging Canal is magnificent and majestic, the ancient towns along the Canal are fascinating and charming, the humanistic foundation is in-depth and glorious.

The total length of the Dongping section of the Grand Canal is 43 kilometers. Along the Canal, there are eighty nine gates, dams, ferries, and cultural relics. Of which, two of them are World Cultural Heritages, four of them are national sites protected for historic and cultural value, thirteen of them are provincial sites protected for historic and cultural value, twenty four of them are municipal sites protected for historic and cultural value. In Dongping Musuem, more then ten thousand cultural relics are stored which possess great historic, artistic, and scientific value.