The Shandong Yellow River Basin City Cultural Tourism Alliance was launched on July 17 in Jinan, capital of Shandong province, in a bid to promote the culture, tourism and ecological protection of the Yellow River.

The alliance was co-sponsored by nine cultural and tourism bureaus of Jinan, Zibo, Dongying, Jining, Tai'an, Dezhou, Liaocheng, Binzhou and Heze.

The Shandong Yellow River Basin City Cultural Tourism Alliance is launched on July 17 in Jinan, capital of Shandong province. [Photo/WeChat account: jnslyj]

Under the guidance of the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the alliance will carry out systematic protection of cultural heritage along the Yellow River and build the Yellow River cultural tourism belt in a bid to boost high-quality development of the Yellow River basin.

Measures will be launched by the alliance to facilitate tourism promotion along the Yellow River and expand exchange and cooperation with other regions along the river.

The 5,464-km-long waterway is the cradle of Chinese civilization. It feeds about 12 percent of China's population, irrigates about 15 percent of arable land, supports 14 percent of national GDP, and supplies water to more than 60 cities.

The scenery along the Yellow River in Jinan [Photo by Huang Zhongming/e23.cn]