Qi–Lu culture (), also known as Haidai culture (), is a regional culture that originated and developed in Shandong Province, China. The Qi–Lu Cultural District is centered around the Taiyi Mountains and encompasses the region east of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in present-day Shandong Province, northern Jiangsu Province, and the Liaodong Peninsula. This cultural area aligns with the Jiaoliao Mandarin District and the Jilu Mandarin Districts within Shandong Province.
To the west, it is bordered by the Grand Canal and the Central Plains Culture, while to the south, it is adjacent to the Jianghuai Culture in the Jianghuai Mandarin District. Qilu culture can be further divided into two subregions: "Western Lu culture" and "Jiaodong culture."
Composition Qi–Lu culture is deeply connected to Guan Zhong and Confucius. Their influence played a crucial role in shaping its origins, laying a strong foundation for the subsequent flourishing of Qilu culture.
Qi culture State of Qi is located in the northeast part of Shandong, with capital in Linzi, Zibo. Guan Zhong was a statesman and philosopher from the state of Qi, as well as a prominent representative of Legalism during the Spring and Autumn Period. His key ideas were later compiled and recorded in the book Guanzi by subsequent generations.
Lu culture State of Lu was located in the southwest part of Shandong, with capital in Qufu, Jining. Confucius, an educator and philosopher from the state of Lu, was the founder of Confucianism.Yi Xue is the knowledge about the "Book of Changes" and the changes in things. His teachings on benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust had a profound and lasting impact.
Area The Qi–Lu Cultural District is centered around the Taiyi Mountains,Taiyi Mountains, an important mountain range in eastern China. Located in the central part of Shandong Province, it is divided into Taishan Mountains, Yishan Mountains, Mengshan Mountains, and Culai Mountains. The main peak, Yuhuangding, is 1532.7 meters above sea level. and its scope roughly includes the area east of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in present-day Shandong Province, northern Jiangsu Province, and the Liaodong Peninsula. It corresponds to the Jiaoliao Mandarin District as well as the Hebei and Shandong Mandarin Districts in Shandong Province.
To the west, it is bounded by the Grand Canal and the Central Plains Culture; to the south, it is adjacent to the Jianghuai Culture in the Jianghuai Mandarin District. To the north, it stretches across the Bohai Strait, and in the Liaodong Peninsula, it borders the Northeastern Culture in the Northeast Mandarin District.
History
The prehistoric culture of Shandong, known as Dongyi culture, is one of the oldest civilizations in China. The characters of the Dongyi people are believed to be one of the important sources of oracle bone inscriptions from the Shang dynasty.逄振镐, "从图像文字到甲骨文——史前东夷文字史略" , 《中原文物》2002年第2期 Characters such as "Dan," "Jin," "Huang," "Feng," "Jiu," and "Pai" are still in use today.
According to Chinese classics, the Dongyi people invented the bow and arrow and possessed advanced pottery-making technology. They were also the first tribe in China to use copper and iron. Research on Longshan culture suggests that the Dongyi people were the inventors of rituals, signifying the development of their social hierarchy and the establishment of early states.
Chinese archaeologist Yu WeichaoYu Weichao (1933–2003), male, was born in Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province. Archaeologist, graduated from the Department of History of Peking University majoring in Archeology, and has served as lecturer, associate professor, and professor in the Department of History and Archeology of Peking University. has noted that "if it were not for the great flood more than 4,000 years ago, the Dongyi people might have established China’s earliest dynasty."Yu Weichao: "The Mystery of the Decay of Longshan Culture and Liangzhu Culture", "Proceedings of the International Academic Symposium to Commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Excavation of the Chengziya Site", Qilu Publishing House, 1993
From the founding of the states of Qi and Lu in the early Western Zhou dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Period, the Qi culture (Jiaodong culture) and Lu culture (Western Lu culture) gradually took shape. Qi culture was primarily influenced by Dongyi culture, with Zhou culture as a secondary influence, whereas Lu culture was predominantly shaped by Zhou culture, supplemented by elements of Dongyi culture.
Qi culture was characterized by its utilitarian and rational approach, which led to the emergence of numerous intellectual traditions and figures. These included military strategists such as Sun Wu and Sun Bin, astronomers like Gan De and Zou Yan, medical scientists like Bian Que, logicians like Gongsun Long, and Yin-Yang school represented by Zou Yan. Additionally, it fostered Taoists, renowned scholars, legalists, peasants, politicians, and other pragmatic schools of thought.
In contrast, Lu culture emphasized etiquette and feudalism, with Confucianism advocating for the restoration of feudal hierarchies and societal order. However, opposing schools of thought also arose, such as Mohism, which promoted logic and stood in opposition to Confucian ideals.
During the Warring States Period, Qi culture began to dominate over Lu culture, with Legalism and Mohism playing a significant role in shaping its intellectual landscape.
During the Han dynasty, Emperor Wu officially recognized the Confucian system. Following the policy of "deposing hundreds of schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone," Confucianism became the cornerstone of China's social framework and values.
At the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, two prominent Confucian scholars, He XiuHe Xiu (129–182), courtesy name Shaogong, was born in Renchengfan (near Qufu) in the Eastern Han dynasty. and Zheng Xuan, emerged from Shandong. During the Eastern Jin and Southern dynasties, many renowned noble families who resettled south of the Yangtze River, such as the Langya Wang family, the Lanling Xiao family,The Xiao family of Lanling was a gentry family with the surname Xiao in medieval China, with Lanling County as its commandery. the Gaoping Xi family, the Langya Yan family, and the Taiyang family,The Taiyang clan, also known as the Taiyang clan, is a noble family with the surname Yang in Taishan County in ancient China. It has been active in the political and military arena from the Eastern Han dynasty to the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern dynasties. originated from the Qilu region.
After the Wei and Jin dynasties, however, Qilu culture gradually lost its independence.
Feature
Literature In August 2011, Mo Yan's novel Frog won the 8th Mao Dun Literature Award. On 11 October 2012, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his "fusion of folk tales, history, and contemporary times with hallucinatory realism," becoming the first writer from the People's Republic of China to receive this honor.
Art Representative works of Shandong folk songs include Liang Fu YinLiang Fu Yin, also known as Liang Fu Yin, is a folk song spread in Liang Fu Mountain, Shandong Province in ancient China. from the Han dynasty, Bai Xue Yiyin"Baixue Yiyin" is a collection of folk songs from the middle of the Qing dynasty in China. It was compiled and completed in 1804 and published in 1828. from the Qing dynasty,黄志良，〈白雪遗音研究〉，东吴大学中国文学研究所硕士论文，1992年7月 and the modern Yimeng Mountain Minor. Local folk art forms feature , Shandong Kuaishu, and Lu opera.
Religion The main religions currently practiced in Shandong Province are Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Christianity (Protestantism).
Buddhism and Taoism have a history of over a thousand years in Shandong. Islam began to develop in the region after Hui Muslims migrated there in the 13th century. Catholicism and Christianity spread rapidly, primarily following the Opium War.
In 1990, Shandong Province had 1.2 million religious believers, 3,040 religious activity sites, and 2,578 religious personnel.
Language The Shandong dialect classification by Qian Zengyi and Li Rong. Eastern DistrictWest DistrictDonglai DistrictDongwei DistrictXiqi DistrictXilu DistrictJiaoliao MandarinJilu MandarinCentral Plains Mandarin The Shandong region features diverse dialects, with variations in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. Scholars such as Qian Zengyi classified the Shandong dialect into two major areas and four sub-districts, while Li Rong divided it into three areas: Jilu Mandarin, Jiaoliao Mandarin, and Central Plains Mandarin.
The Shandong dialect spoken by Hou Baolin belongs to Jiaoliao Mandarin, whereas the Shandong dialect used in Shandong Kuaishu falls under Hebei-Shandong Mandarin. The Mandarin dialects of Hebei and Shandong include subcategories such as the Liaotai groupLiaotai Xiaoping (according to "Chinese Language Atlas" and "Research on Chinese Mandarin Dialects") is a branch of Hebei-Shandong Mandarin Shiji Pian, distributed in southwestern Hebei Province and central Shandong Province. (e.g., Jinan dialect), and the Huang Le groupHuangle Xiaopian (according to "Chinese Language Atlas" and "Research on Chinese Mandarin Dialects") is a branch of Hebei-Shandong Mandarin Canghui Pian, distributed in southeastern Hebei Province and northern Shandong Province. (e.g., Wudi dialect). The Central Plains Mandarin dialects include the Jining and Zaozhuang dialects.
The Jiaodong dialect is more complex and closely resembles the Dalian and Dandong dialects of Liaoning. It belongs to Jiaoliao Mandarin, which is the most distinct dialect group from standard Mandarin in East China. Jiaoliao Mandarin includes the Denglian,Denglianpian is an area of Jiaoliao Mandarin dialect of Chinese Mandarin, mainly distributed in Liaodong Peninsula, Shandong Peninsula, Changshan Islands, Miaodao Islands, and there is also a dialect island in Hulin, Heilongjiang. Qinglai,Qinglai Pian, formerly known as Qingzhou Pian, is an area of Jiao Liao Mandarin, the Mandarin Chinese dialect, mainly distributed in the Jiao Lai Plain area of Shandong Peninsula and Ganyu County, Jiangsu Province. and Yingtong subgroups, with approximately 30 million speakers. The Qinglai subgroup is further divided into four smaller areas: the Qingdao area, Qingqu area, Laichang area, and Juzhao area.
Folk customs Shandong folk customs are divided into two styles: Qi and Lu. Qi customs reflect the cultural traditions of Dongyi, showing less influence from clan structures and Zhou rituals, with some elements of a developing commodity economy. Lu customs, on the other hand, were shaped by Zhou rites, focusing more on structured practices and agricultural life.
Cultural characteristics vary across the region. The Shandong Plain is known for its farming culture, with Weifang kites and Yangjiabu New Year paintings being prominent examples.
The Jiaodong coastal area features fishing customs that are lively and straightforward.
The western Shandong region is notable for its strong traditions and its association with Confucius and Mencius.
Diet
Shandong cuisine ranks first among the four major cuisines in China and has been famous since the Spring and Autumn period. After the Song dynasty, it became a representative of northern cuisine. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Shandong cuisine was the mainstay of royal cuisine and became very popular in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, and Northeast China, having a significant impact.