Located in the eastern part of Shandong Province, Yantai is one of the first 14 open cities in the coastal areas and also a major open city developed by the State along the Bohai Economic Rim. It has also been an important export port for the northern part of China.

Yantai City shaped over 130 years ago, it has four districts, one county, seven cities at county level, one economy and technology development zone as well as one S&T garden under the cooperation with the ESCAP. It has a total population of 6.41 million and an overall area of 13,700 square kilometers. 1.544 million people live in city area covering an area of 2643.6 km2. The gross domestic product of Yantai in 1998 reached 74 billion-yuan RMB.

Yantai is a famous and attractive tourism city in China, with a good climate condition and many natural bathing places as well as a number of historic relics and scenic spots.

Yantai has been named Excellent Tourism City and Exemplary Environment Protection City and Garden City by the State.

In recent years, the city has seen environment protection work as a long-term strategic task and worked out a coordinating development target of "High Economic Growth with Low Environment Pollution".

The city regards environmental protection as an important part of economic growth and urban development. Environmental protection has been included in the city's national economic and social development plan.

Since 1988, the city has carried out environment protection system engineering. In 1998, it also implemented: "Improving Environment Quality System Engineering." It also issued environment management regulations for land water, offshore, urban air and urban noise control.

In the past several years, the city has refused to approve more than 200 projects that would cause major pollution.

Yantai has developed new and high technology industries and products in a big way while speeding up pollution control.

Yantai has spent more than 2 billion yuan (US$241 million) in pollution control and more than 30 major pollution sources, such as Yantai Cement Plant, Yantai Paper-manufacturing Mill and Yantai Steel Plant, have been closed, moved or undergone pollution-control renovations.

Yantai has strengthened controls on automobile emissions.

In 1998, the first phase of Taoziwan Urban Sewage Plant with a daily treatment capacity of 250,000 tons of sewage water went into operation. In 1999, Yantai spent more than 90 million yuan (US$10.8 million) to increase the capacity of its urban sewage system.

Attractions in Yantai

Climatic Features: has a pleasant climate with mild winters and moderate summer, frost-free period of about 200 days

Average Temperature: 12C annualy
Rainfall: 700 mm annually