As the birthplace of Qi culture, Zibo has a history of over 3,000 years and produced many notable historical and cultural figures, such as remarkable statesmen like Guan Zhong, Yan Ying, and Fang Xuanling, as well as outstanding writers such as Pu Songling, Zhao Zhixin, and Wang Yuyang.
It has given birth to the earliest government-run university in China – the Jixia Academy in Warring States Period (475-221 BC), the first Chinese management encyclopedia – Guanzi, the classic book on military strategy – Sun Tzu's Art of War, and the world-famous short story collection – Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio.
Zibo is a fantastic city for tourists. It boasts numerous cultural and historical sites, such as the ruins of the ancient Qi state and the sacrificial horse pit in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BC), and is known to be the place where soccer first originated. It's also home to the folklore of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and Zhoucun, a century-old commercial port town.
The Great Wall of Qi [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Qi culture, namely "openness, tolerance, innovation, mercantilism, and law-abidance", is one of the important sources of Chinese civilization and fits the reform and innovation era. Various model citizens have emerged here, such as Jiao Yulu, the role model for county Party secretaries, Zhu Yanfu, the "Model of the Times" and Meng Xiangmin, the "Environmental Protection Guardian".
