Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong province, is growing into an international metropolis.

The city has a history of more than 2,600 years and is the birth place of Longshan Culture, a late Neolithic civilization in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River.

As one of China's first "national historical and cultural cities", Jinan is home to numerous cultural relics, such as the Great Wall of Qi, the oldest part of the Great Wall of China, the painted sculpture of arhats, a famous artwork from the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and the Four Gates Pagoda from the Sui Dynasty (581-618).

Jinan, also known as the "City of Springs", boasts more than 1,000 springs including 72 famous ones such as Baotu Spring, Black Tiger Spring, Moquan Spring and Shuyu Spring.

The city is also home to Daming Lake, the only lake in the world that's formed by springs, as well as the only city moat formed by springs. The winding springs represent Jinan's thousands of years of history and culture, the vitality and elegance of the city, and the local nourishment from the land of Jinan and its people.

Jinan is an open city. It is the first inland city to take the initiative to open its own commercial port in Chinese modern history. Now, the city is on its way to becoming an international metropolis.

Jinan has opened 12 Eurasian freight train routes, linking 46 cities in 19 countries in Europe and Asia. Up to now, the city has established sister city relations with 82 cities, and has more than 4,000 foreigners who are living and working in Jinan.

Jinan Start-up Area for Growth Driver Transformation became China's second of its kind, following the start-up area of Xiongan New Area in Hebei province.

Since it was approved by the Stated Council in 2021, the area has signed 116 high-end projects and attracted 22 Fortune Global 500 companies, with a total investment of 301.85 billion yuan ($45.3 billion).

Moreover, the city has hosted a series of international conferences such as the International Conference on Food Loss and Waste, the World Advanced Manufacturing Conference, the CICA Finance Summit, and the Conference of Great Business Partners. The 2022 World Laser Industry Conference will also be hosted in the city this June.

Jinan has won a number of international titles, which highlights the city's development. It received the highest honor at the 2019 International Award for Livable Communities in Rome and was also honored with the title of "2022 Culture City of East Asia".