Shandong Peninsula

The Shandong Peninsula, also referred to as the Jiaodong Peninsula, is situated in eastern China’s Shandong province, with the Bohai Sea to its north and the Yellow Sea to its south. It is the largest peninsula in China, extending 290 kilometers from east to west, with a width ranging from 190 kilometers at its broadest to 50 kilometers at its narrowest, and covering a total area of 73,000 square kilometers. Geologically, it was once connected to both the Korean and Liaodong peninsulas, but this land bridge began to separate around 27 million years ago, leading to the formation of the Yellow Sea.

The peninsula’s waters include Laizhou Bay to the northwest, which opens into the Bohai Sea, and the Bohai Strait to the northeast, which connects to the Yellow Sea. Its territory comprises three prefecture-level cities: Qingdao in the southwest, Yantai in the north and center, and Weihai at the eastern tip.

History

Historically, the area was forested during the Paleolithic era. By the Neolithic period, about 7,000 years ago, the Dongyi people inhabited the peninsula and established the State of Lai. Later, it became part of the State of Qi, which built the Great Wall of Qi, partially on the peninsula. During the Han dynasty, it was part of the semi-independent Jiaodong Kingdom.

In the late 19th century, the peninsula served as a base for the Beiyang Fleet, and during the First Sino-Japanese War, Japan captured the port of Weihaiwei after a 23-day siege. During the Scramble for China, Germany annexed the Kiautschou Bay Leased Territory from 1898 to 1914, centered on Jiaozhou Bay, where Qingdao developed into a major seaport. In July 1898, the United Kingdom annexed Weihaiwei. Japan seized the territory from Germany in 1914 during World War I. The 1919 Treaty of Versailles transferred the leased territory to Japan rather than restoring it to China, sparking the Shandong Problem and the May Fourth Movement.

Shandong reverted to Chinese control in 1922 after U.S. mediation at the Washington Naval Conference, though Japan retained economic influence. The peninsula is closely connected to Northeast China and South Korea due to geography; historically, many people migrated by boat to the Northeast, and today many from the Northeast return.