East China's Shandong province held a tourism promotional event titled "Friendly Shandong, Remarkable Shandong" in Vienna, capital of Austria, on May 2 to attract more tourists from Europe.

Shandong hosts a tourism promotional event in Vienna, capital of Austria, on May 2. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Hosted by the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the event gathered more than 100 guests, including government officials from both areas, media outlets, as well as representatives from Italian travel agencies, airlines, hotels, overseas Chinese communities, and culture and art circles.

During the event, guests from China and Austria exchanged views on friendship and cooperation. They also offered suggestions for further China-EU cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

Although Shandong and Europe are thousands of miles apart, they have been linked by people and culture since ancient times, said a senior official from the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

A senior official from the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism delivers a speech at the event. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Shandong is a large province in terms of population, economy, culture, and tourism that is located along the east coast of China. It has a population of more than 100 million and is the third largest economy in the country.

As one of the birthplaces of the Chinese civilization, it boasts rich cultural tourism resources. The genealogy of China's 5,000 year civilization is clear and its chain is complete, with archaeological evidence of all different ages found in Shandong.

There are four World Cultural Heritages in Shandong: Mount Tai; the Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion; the Great Wall of Qi; and the Grand Canal.

Shandong is also known as the province of museums, with 721 different types of museums dotted across the province, showcasing the evolution of human civilization.

Mount Tai in Tai'an is the first of the five sacred mountains in China, while Laoshan Mountain in Qingdao enjoys the reputation of the most famous sea mountain in China.

The Yellow River, the mother river of China, flows through nine cities in Shandong and presents spectacular views.

Shandong also boasts a beautiful coastline in northern China, offering soft beaches and boundless waves for tourists.

Shandong has a coastline that is 3,345 kilometers long. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Shandong is a favourite with tourists due to its many attractions. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Shandong boasts rich cultural and tourism resources. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]