Shandong province, with another name "Lu", is an important coastal province in East China. Located on the lower reaches of the Yellow River, it borders on the Bohai and Yellow Seas. Shandong faces Japan and the Korean Peninsula to the east, and is contiguous with Hebei Province in the northwest, Henan Province in the southwest, and Anhui and Jiangsu provinces to the south. Shandong and Liaodong peninsulas almost encircle the Bohai Sea. This special geological location makes Shandong an intersection linking the Yellow River Economic Belt, the Bohai Ring Economic Area, North and East China. It occupies a significant position in the Chinese economic structure. With a total land area of 156,700 square kilometers, Shandong makes up 1.6 percent of Chinese territory, and is the 19th biggest province in the country. Shandong is the second most populated province in China with a population of 90,410,000 among which 39.2% of the people live in cities and towns.

Shandong enjoys a long history with numerous cultural relics and historic sites. It possesses beautiful mountains and clear waters within the province, which have formed unique tour routes and sightseeing lines. There are about 493 scenic spots of natural beauty and man-made landscapes; more than 13,000 ancient structures and ancient historic sites, including 27 state-protected sites for their historical and cultural value; and another, 379 major cultural and historic sites to be protected under provincial level. The centuries-old history and brilliant civilization form a unique style of tourism in Shandong province.

The central part of Shandong is a ridged mountainous region, and there are rolling hills in the eastern and southern parts of the province. In the north and northwestern parts of the province is the alluvial plain of Yellow River, which is part of the North China Plain. The highest point of the province is at the center of Mount Tai which is 1,545 meters above sea level. The lowest point is the Yellow River Delta in the northeast, just 2 to 10 meters above sea level. Rivers and lakes are interlaced in a dense network within the province. More than 100 rivers have trunk streams of more than 50 km long. The Yellow River, which is honored as "the mother river of the Chinese nation", enters the province in the southwest, crosses more than 610 km, and then flows into the Bohai Sea in the northeast. The famous Beijing-Hangzhou Canal flows 630 km from the southeast to the northwest through the plains in west Shandong. Two comparatively large lakes in Shandong are the Nansi Lake and the Dongping Lake. The Nansi Lake, consists of the Weishan, Zhaoyang, Dushan and Nanyang lakes, covers an area of 1,375 square km, and is one of the 10 biggest freshwater lakes in China.

The capital of Shandong province is Jinan which is located in central Shandong and is a famous historical and cultural city. It is also called the "Spring City" because of its abundant springs. Qingdao, which lies in the east part of the Shandong peninsula, is a famous coastal city specifically designated as an economic zone in the state's economic plan at the sub-provincial level, and was also the host of the 2008 Olympics Sailing Regatta. Jinan is a leading city in the province's drive to open up Shandong to world markets. It is also a famous coastal tourist city.