History and Culture
( 2003-09-14 13:41) (chinadaily.com.cn)
Jinan was one of the
birthplaces of Chinese civilization. Cultural relics representing the Xihe
Culture (7,300-8,400 years ago), especially pottery, have been discovered in the
city. Chengzi Cliff in the eastern suburbs has yielded traces of the Longshan
Culture of the late New Stone Age (4,000-4,600 years ago), marked by distinctive
black pottery. About 200,000 sq.m of the remains of a settlement indicate that
Jinan has a history of over 4,000 years.
Jinan has a large number of
cultural relics and historical sites, such as the cultural relics of the Shun
Culture, including Mount Shungeng, the Shun Well, the Eying River and the Shun
Temple; the part of the great wall built by the State of Qi (in the third
century B.C), which was built before the famous Great Wall constructed in the
Qin Dynasty; the Stone Shrine at the Guo Family Mausoleum (built during the Han
Dynasty in the first century B.C) on Xiaotang Hill--the oldest surviving surface
edifice in China; the Four-Door Pagoda at Liubu, dating from the Sui Dynasty
(581-618)--the oldest stone pagoda in China; and the colored art sculptures of
the Song Dynasty (960-1279) in the Lingyan Temple, known as the "foremost
sculptures in China."
Jinan has produced many celebrities in Chinese
history, such as Bian Que, the founder of traditional Chinese medicine, Master
Zou Yan, the founder of the yin and yang five-element school (metal, wood,
water, fire and earth, used in traditional Chinese medicine to explain various
physiological and pathological phenomena), Fang Xuanling and Qin Qiong, founders
of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Li Qingzhao, Xin Qiji, Zhang Yanghao, Li Kaixian
and other noted Chinese writers, Zhou Yongnian, the founder of China's public
libraries, and Wei Xiang, a leading architect. In addition, many outstanding
writers and poets, such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Su Shi and Zeng Gong, once lived in or
visited Jinan. Hence it is also called the "city of celebrities."
While
carrying forward the old cultural traditions, Jinan's modern culture is
developing vigorously. In recent years, Jinan's cultural exchanges with the
outside world have made great progress. The city's acrobatic troupes and other
art ensembles have visited more than 30 countries and regions, and foreign art
troupes come here to give performances every year. The item "kicking the wooden
bench" executed by the Jinan City Acrobatic Troupe won gold medals at the London
11th World Acrobatic Championships and the Pairs 10th World "Tomorrow" Acrobatic
and Circus Festival.
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