Shandong people


The people of Shandong province or Shandong people refers to those who are native to Shandong province, the majority are classified as Han Chinese. They speak mainly three forms of Mandarin dialects: Jilu, Jiaoliao, and Zhongyuan.
Originating from a coastal province in eastern China that was home to ancient states like Qi and Lu, Shandong is regarded as the cradle of Confucianism, being the birthplace of Confucius and Mencius and many other scholars. Historically, Shandongese have been prominent in national migration movements, especially the Chuang Guandong migration into Manchuria, and many also became part of overseas Chinese communities. They made up 10% of Mainlanders in Taiwan, 90% of oversea Chinese in South Korea, and there is also a small Shandong community in Singapore and Malaysia. Shandong people are often stereotyped as physically strong, loyal, and straightforward, with a reputation for perseverance and fortitude, shaped by centuries of agricultural labor and frequent hardships like war, famine, and flood. As of 2010, 16- to 18-year-old male students in Yantai measured 176.4 cm, while female students measured 164 cm. Provincial average for both genders would be about 1 cm less.

History

Modern-day Shandong is primarily located in the territories of Qi During the Warring States Period. It was the last annexed kingdom by the Qin kingdom before Qin dynasty. After 15 years, the unified Qin Empire was toppled by peasant revolts and then split into Eighteen Kingdoms. On present day Shandong's territories, 3 feudal states came into existence, Jiaodong, Jibei and Qi. After about 5 years, the Han army led by King Liu Bang united those kingdoms and started Han dynasty.
After 400 years, the Han dynasty fell and the empire scattered and after the disintegration of the Cao Wei dynasty, the area of present-day Shandong was ruled by the Tuoba Clan of the Xianbei Tribe during the Eastern Wei. The Eastern Wei eventually fell to the Northern Qi dynasty which lasted 27 years before it was overtaken by the Northern Zhou of central China. Emperor Wen of Sui was able to recapture ruling power to the Han Chinese from the Xianbei and establish the Sui dynasty after centuries of Xianbei rule and division between different states, becoming Emperor Wen of Sui.
After unifying the Northern and Southern dynasties, the Sui dynasty paved the way for the Tang dynasty and many years of prosperity and peace. The Tang dynasty fell about 300 years after its inception. The empire again, fragmented, this time into many different states whose borders are roughly the outline of the present day provinces. During this time Shandong was known as the Later Liang (Five Dynasties) Kingdom.
Shandong people also played a central role in the Chuang Guandong migration, serving as one of the main source provinces for millions of Han Chinese who moved into Manchuria from the late Qing dynasty through the early 20th century. Driven by overpopulation, famine, and land scarcity, Shandong peasants sought better opportunities in the Northeast's vast, underdeveloped lands. Its proximity to the Shanhai Pass—the traditional gateway to Manchuria—made Shandong a natural starting point for this migration. Shandong migrants significantly shaped the cultural, linguistic, and agricultural landscape of Manchuria, and their legacy remains deeply embedded in northeastern Chinese identity today.
In Shandong cities throughout the 18th century, there were sizable foreign settlements by the British, Germans, Americans, and Russians. For 20 years prior to the end of World War I, the Germans controlled Shandong. After the defeat of Germany in WWI by the Allied forces, the cities of Chefoo and Qingdao were handed to the Japanese who used the port cities for their summer fleets. This led to the Shandong Problem which added to the ignition of the May Fourth Movement and the New Culture Movement— paving the way for the birth of modern China.

Dialect

Shandong dialects generally refer to the varieties of Chinese spoken within Shandong Province. The three main dialect groups used in the region all belong to the Mandarin branch of Chinese and are primarily divided into: Jilu Mandarin, spoken in the northwest of Shandong, Zhongyuan Mandarin in the southwest, and Jiaoliao Mandarin on the Jiaodong Peninsula. These dialects differ in various aspects, including pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. In neighboring regions such as the Liaodong Peninsula and northern Jiangsu Province—where Jiaoliao Mandarin and Zhongyuan Mandarin are also spoken—local dialects are sometimes referred to by Shandong people as "Shandong dialects" as well.

Cuisine

Shandong cuisine is one of the Eight Great Regional Cuisines" of China. It is noted for uses of fresh seafood, soy sauce, and spices.
Vast fertile plain enabled Shandong to be a major wheat-production zone in China, so many Shandong people enjoy wheat-based food. There is a stereotype that Shandong people like to eat giant Mantou or Jianbing.
There are 2 main variants of Shandong cuisine with vast differences: the coastal style and the inland style.
Inland-styled dishes are generally salty, with a prevalence of light-colored sauces, and renowned for its adept skills in slicing. Meanwhile, coastal-styled dishes are known for being fresh, tender and mellow.
Both styles of Shandong cuisine are representative among all Northern Chinese cooking styles and its techniques have been widely absorbed by imperial cuisine styles.
Notable dishes are:Dezhou Braised Chicken also known as "Dezhou Five-fragrant Boneless Braised Chicken" from the city of Dezhou.Clay Pot Braised Pork Belly the original Red braised pork belly which has now spread all over China, and is more popularly known as Chairman Mao's favorite dish. Different provinces have different variations of this dish. Tanzi Rou, literally means brewed pork in jar, as the dish is cooked in a porcelain or clay pot. It is said that the dish originated in the Jinan Fengjilou Hotel.Eight Immortal Soup a seafood stew popular among Shandong easterners and their settlements abroad.Fluffy Scallion Pan-Cake is a version of a scallion pancake that is much more dense, fluffier, and thicker than the more widespread southern style, Green-Scallion Oil Pancake. This type of bread can come either plain topped with sesame seeds, or stuffed with meat filling or glass-noodle or eggs and Chinese chives. Different variations exist.Shandong Fried Oyster Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallion Pulled-Caramelized Sweet Potato Shandong Dumplings Shandong style dumplings are notably plumper and traditionally made with Pork & Cabbage or Mackerel & Leek. Shandong dumplings typically have hearty fillings, bringing people with a great sense of satisfaction.

Culture

Evidence of the Beixin culture, the Dawenkou culture and the Longshan Culture was found in Shandong province, which provides evidence that comparatively advanced handcraft industry, agriculture and animal husbandry was prevalent in Shandong 4000 to 7000 years ago.
Additionally, Shandong is home to some of the oldest Chinese inscriptions: Dawenkou Pottery Inscription and Longshan Pottery Inscription; the largest prehistoric settlement found to date: Chengziya Archeological Site; the oldest section of the Great Wall in China: the Great Wall of Qi State; Huantai County oracle bone script, among the oldest found in China, were all found in Shandong. According to the research of archaeologists, Shandong was the main hub for silk manufacture from the Han dynasty to the Tang dynasty, and it was the start of the ancient Silk Road.

Chinese-Korean clans from Shandong

Due to their proximity, interactions between Korea and Shandong Peninsula are frequent. Some Korean clans trace their origins to Shandong, China, because their founding ancestors were Chinese immigrants who settled in Korea during various historical periods, such as the Tang, Song, Yuan, or Ming dynasties. These immigrants, often scholars, officials, or soldiers, were naturalized in Korea and established family lines. In Korean tradition, a clan's bon-gwan reflects the ancestral hometown of its founder, not necessarily where descendants currently live. Therefore, clans like the Cheongju Jeong or Laiyang Hwang derive their bon-gwan from cities in Shandong such as Qingzhou or Laiyang. Moreover, as for today's Chinese people in Korea, 90% of them are from Shandong.

Notable people

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