Yantai History & Culture

Yantai was historically the territory of the Dongyi people, who established their kingdom here during the Xia Dynasty. In 1398, during the Ming Dynasty, to strengthen coastal defense, the Ming government established the Qishan Garrison, which was the earliest prototype of Yantai. A beacon tower, also known as the "Wolf Smoke Tower," was built on the northern mountain, from which Yantai derives its name. Yantai is a large city of type II, designated by the State Council as the central city of the Shandong Peninsula, an important port city in the Bohai Rim region, a national historical and cultural city, one of China's first fourteen coastal open cities, an internationally renowned coastal city, a second-tier city in China, an international wine city, a recipient of the UN Habitat Award, a "Gold Medal City" for investment environment in China, one of the most charming cities in China, one of the three core cities for Shandong's new and old kinetic energy conversion, a core city of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, one of the first pilot cities for carbon peaking, and a city of Olympic champions.