For the primitive worship of the sun and great mountains, Mount Tai is a holy mountain for emperors in all dynasties to hold worship ceremonies and offer sacrifice to Heaven. Enshrined by such worship ceremonies, Mount Tai has attracted believers of both Confucianism and Taoism, men of letters and celebrities whose residence and tour left numerous places of interest behind. The name Tai'an is derived from Mount Tai and the old idiom "The peace of Mount Tai ensures the peace of the whole country", implying that "The country is prosperous and the people live in peace".

Tai'an is blessed with unsurpassed tourist resources. "Chief of the Five Sacred Mountains", Mount Tai is a symbol of the great Chinese national spirit and an epitome of Chinese civilization. Combing magnificent natural views and a long and brilliant history and culture, it has been listed on the list of the world natural and cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Tai'an is "A National Sanitary City". Built along with Mount Tai, Tai'an has shaped into a harmony of old and new with the combination of ancient natural beauty and modern urban landscape.

Tai'an is a place of institutions of higher learning and scientific research. There are four universities and colleges famous home and abroad: Shandong Agricultural University, University of Science and Technology of Shandong, Taishan Medical College and Taishan College. There are also three academicians of the Chinese Academy of Science and Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Tai'an is one of the north-south transportation hubs in China. More than 87 trains call at the Tai'an station every day. Beijing-Shanghai Expressway and Beijing-Fuzhou State Highway join up here. West Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway also stops at Tai'an station.