Administration of Yimengshan UNESCO Global Geopark is a county-level government institution dispatched by the Linyi Municipal People’s Government. Authorized by the CPC Linyi Municipal Committee and the Linyi Municipal People’s Government, the administration is responsible for the protection, planning, supervision and publicity of Mengshan and Yimengshan UNESCO Global Geopark.

The administration consists of eight offices and two centers, namely General Office, Personnel Office, Resource Protection Office, Planning and Development Office, Law Enforcement and Supervision Office, Supervision and Assessment Office, Scientific Research and Popularization Office, Publicity and Communication Office, Protection and Development Center of Mengshan and Law Enforcement Supervision Service Center of Yimengshan UNESCO Global Geopark.

Additionally, to better perform its duties and functions such as supervision on ecological protection and external liaison, the administration approves four sub-centers across core areas of Mengshan in Yinan County, Pingyi County, Feixian County and Mengyin County.

Yimengshan UNESCO Global Geopark is located in Linyi City, Shandong Province, composed of Mengshan, Diamond, Daigu, Menglianggu and Yunmenghu, with a total area of 1,804.76 km².

Yimengshan UNESCO Global Geopark is situated on the Luxi Block, to the west of Yishu fault zone. The very old strata and the Archean massive intrusive rock series honestly record the evolution of the early crust in North China. The unique “Money Stone” here actually is a kind of porphyritic ultrabasic rock resulted from the hydrothermal alteration of ancient intrusive rocks. The earliest primary diamond mine is located in the Geopark, yielding diamonds up to 1,800,000 karats. The Geopark is the naming place of Daigu (castle-shaped) landform, with dense clusters of typical castle-shaped landforms. With peaks towering to the sky, streams and waterfalls, the natural scenery here is fascinating. Here is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization and the center of Dongyi culture, converging site of the Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Yimengshan UNESCO Global Geopark is a special site with perfect combination between the culture and natural landscape, as well as the recent significant Yimeng spirit.

Location and Transportation

Yimengshan UNESCO Global Geopark is situated in Linyi, Shandong.Linyi is a city in southeast Shangdong province. It neighbours on Rizhao in the east, Qufu in the west, Tai An and Weifang to the north, and Jiangsu province to the south. The grade II National Linyi Airport provides air connections to many major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Jinan, Qingdao, Dalian, Shenyang and Wuhan. For rail travel, Linyi is the interchange point for Xinxiang-Rizhao Railway, Shanxi–Henan–Shandong Railway, Jiaozhou-Xinyi Railway, Zaozhuang-Linyi Railway, Dongdu–Pingyi Railway and Pinglan Railway. In the future, the Southern Shangdong High Speed Railway will converge with the Beijing-Shanghai Express Railway, and a Binzhou-Linyi-Huai'an Express Railway is now planned. The city is also served by an extensive road network. The Beijing-Shanghai Expressway, Rizhao-Dongming Expressway, Changchun-Shenzhen Expressway, Zaozhuang-Linyi Expressway and Qingdao-Lanzhou Expressway, as well as national highways 327, 205 and 206¸ all pass through Linyi. This all-encompassing transport system makes visiting Yimengshan UNESCO Global Geopark easy and convenient.

Topography

Yimengshan UNESCO Global Geopark is set in rolling lowlands surrounded by hills in the west, north and south. The central area is flat. Extending in north-west and south-east trendings, Mount Mengshan is the major range of the geopark. Guimengding Peak, its highest summit, towers 1,156m above sea level. It is the second highest peak of Shandong Province. Gu landforms (also known as table-shaped mountain) of Yimengshan UNESCO Global Geopark stretch for miles and miles, especially in Daigu in the northern part of the geopark.

Affected by a combination of tectonic activities, bedrock properties, climate and river distribution, Yimengshan UNESCO Global Geopark is characterised by elevated terrains in the south and north and lowlands in the central area. Three rivers flow within the geopark: Dongwen River, Zihe River and Menghe River. General altitude is 200-600m; lowest elevation is 120m East Xishiguzhuang Village, Duozhuang Town); highest elevation is 1,156m (Guimengding Peak).

Climate and Hydrology

Yimengshan area falls within East Asia warm-temperate zone, influenced by the continental monsoon climate. Affected by montane topography and forest communities, the geopark has distinct seasons. Spring is dry and windy; summer is hot and rainy; autumn is cool and fine; winter is cold and dry.

Annual average temperature of the geopark is 13.1°C. The highest temperature is recorded in August, averaging 25.3°C with an extreme high of 40°C. The lowest temperature is recorded in January, averaging -0.52°C with an extreme low of -22°C.

The geopark is set in a region of rivers and rich in water resources. Average annual volume of surface water resources is 51.6 x 10⁸m³; volume of subterranean water resources is 23.6 x 10⁸m³; and total reservoir capacity is 36.73 x 10⁸m³. In particular, Yunmenghu in northern Mengshan boasts the biggest capacity: 7.82 x 10⁸m³.

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History and Culture

As one of the cradles of ancient Chinese civilization, Yimengshan UNESCO Global Geopark goes back a long way in history. Human cultural relics dating from the Paleolithic Age, known collectively as Yishu Microlithic Culture, were unearthed within the geopark and its peripherals. In the Neolithic Age, Yimeng Culture developed into Dongyi Culture. Beginning with the Houli Culture 8,300 years ago, the Dongyi Culture evolved over different stages ―Beixin Culture, Dawenkou Culture, Longshan Culture and Yueshi Culture ― all accretions of the Dongyi people. Inside the geopark, you will find cultural heritage sites, such as the “Hilltop Lookout Where Confucius Saw the Small Lu Kingdom”, Guzhai mountain stronghold site and Baishou Rock Cliff Carvings, alongside religious heritage attractions like Wanshou Palace, Jinquan Buddhist Temple and Cuiyun Taoist Temple (Rain God Temple).

During its long history, Yimengshan area has bred many unique folk customs. Examples are turned wood toys, lantern of the Eight Immortals and the annual Mengshan worship ceremony. These colourful traditions have enriched the cultural connotation of Yimengshan UNESCO Global Geopark.