Great Wall of China: Qilu Culture -- The Cradle of Eastern Thought

Author: Liu Zhenqing, Editor-in-Chief
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Publishing Time:
Features: Located by the sea, Shandong Province lies east of the Yellow River and is renowned for Mount Tai, the Eastern Tai, as well as being the birthplace of Confucius. The Confucianism founded by Confucius has not only influenced China but also spread to East Asia. However, if one traces the footsteps in detail, the number of thinkers born in the Shandong region during the state of Qi and Lu—three thousand years ago—and their profound impact on Chinese culture are truly astonishing. How could this phenomenon be purely coincidental? As early as five to six thousand years ago, the splendid Shandong culture was unveiled by the pottery inscriptions of the Dawenkou culture—one of the earliest writing systems in China—as well as the thin, eggshell-like black pottery of the Longshan culture. The profound cultural accumulation and superior geographical location allowed the states of Qi and Lu to shine brightly during the era of the Hundred Schools of Thought. The two Confucian masters, Confucius and Mencius, were the fruits of the fusion of Eastern thought and the Central Plains culture of the middle Yellow River. Zou Yan’s theory of the Five Elements and the Yin-Yang School, along with the alchemists who fantasized about (immortal beings) traveling in the vast sea, also contributed significantly to the birth of Taoism. The diverse schools of thought of the Jixia Academy further added a brilliant hue to the intellectual landscape of Shandong and China. Moreover, Sun Tzu, whose art of war continues to fascinate the world, was another great figure. This list alone demonstrates the extraordinary status of Shandong in the history of Chinese thought.
With the passage of time, the prosperity of the Han Dynasty, the spread of Buddhism, the settlement of Muslims, and the influence of Jiangnan culture have made the local culture of Shandong even more diverse. Today, this land embodies the qualities of being respectful of tradition, simple yet bold. It should be noted that studying regional culture requires demonstrating the general location of the region, the distribution of cultural relics, and the evolution of cultural heritage. For this reason, the compilers of this book have included relevant diagrams. These diagrams hold academic reference value, though they may not be as complete as standardized maps. To respect the original work and facilitate reader understanding, the simplified Chinese edition retains all the diagrams for reference purposes.