A new metro line is planned to be constructed in Jinan, connecting the city's Zhangqiu district with its central urban area, according to the city's natural resources and planning bureau.

The first phase of the Line 8 project will cover about 63 hectares and span 22 kilometers. From Xingcun Station to Shandong University Station, the line is planned to include 12 stops.

The project will take six years to complete and will cost 11.83 billion yuan ($1.87 billion).

The line will link the Jinan Area of China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, and universities, research institutes and industrial parks such as National Supercomputing Center in Jinan, Shandong University Longshan Campus and Shandong University of Finance and Economics Shengjing Campus.

It will become an important transportation line connecting the city's eastern region and the city's central urban area.

Zhangqiu district in Jinan's eastern area has a history of 8,000 years and has a large number of intangible cultural heritages such as Zhangqiu bangzi, wuyinxi, a traditional opera and xinzi, a traditional form of juggling that originated during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).