Shandong Peninsula

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In the Paleolithic, the Shandong Peninsula area was covered by forest. In the Neolithic, about 7,000 years ago, a large number of Dongyi people inhabited the peninsula. The Dongyi had their own kingdom called the State of Lai. The peninsula later belonged to the State of Qi, which built the Great Wall of Qi, partially on the peninsula. During the Han dynasty, the peninsula belonged to the semi-independent feudatory Jiaodong Kingdom. During the late 19th Century, the Shandong Peninsula served as a base for the Beiyang Fleet. During the First Sino-Japanese War, the port of Weihaiwei was captured by Japan after a 23 day siege. During the Scramble for China, the German Empire annexed the Kiautschou Bay Leased Territory from 1898 to 1914, located around Jiaozhou Bay, where the village of Qingdao (Tsingtao) developed into a major seaport. In July 1898, the port of Weihaiwei was annexed by the United Kingdom. Japan seized the territory from Germany in 1914 in the First World War. In the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, instead of restoring Chinese sovereignty, the treaty transferred the leased territory to the Empire of Japan, resulting in the Shandong Problem and the May Fourth Movement. Shandong reverted to Chinese control in 1922 after mediation by the United States during the Washington Naval Conference, though Japan retained economic influence.

Reader's Guide

The Shandong Peninsula is the most developed region of the province and one of the most affluent regions in China. As early as the Spring and Autumn period in the 8th century BC, the fishing and salt industries had gradually emerged. During the Warring States period, the iron smelting industry and silk-hemp textile production had already reached a high level. In the Han dynasty, the region became known as the 'granary of the East.' In the Tang dynasty, Dengzhou and Laizhou were important ports for foreign trade. During the Ming and Qing periods, Jiaozhou was the largest trading port in northern China. After the Opium Wars, Qingdao and Weihai were successively occupied by Germany and Britain. After 1949, the region became a nationally renowned base for the production of peanuts, fruit, aquatic products, and tussah silk. Qingdao and Yantai are currently developing economic and technological development zones. Due to geographical reasons, the Shandong Peninsula is closely connected with Northeast China and South Korea. Historically, a large number of people migrated to the Northeast by boat, whereas in the present day many people from the Northeast 'return' to the Shandong Peninsula. After the People's Republic of China established diplomatic relations with South Korea in 1992, a large number of South Korean companies set up factories in the region. There are more than 200,000 Koreans living on the Shandong Peninsula, and South Korea has a consulate-general in Qingdao.

Did You Know?

• The Shandong Peninsula is the largest peninsula in China, covering 73,000 square kilometers.
• Geologically, it was once connected to the Korean Peninsula and the Liaodong Peninsula, but split starting around 27 million years ago, forming the Yellow Sea.
• During the First Sino-Japanese War, the port of Weihaiwei was captured by Japan after a 23-day siege.
• The 1919 Treaty of Versailles transferred the German leased territory to Japan, sparking the Shandong Problem and the May Fourth Movement.
• There are more than 200,000 Koreans living on the Shandong Peninsula, and South Korea has a consulate-general in Qingdao.