Tai´an is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People´s Republic of China. Centered around Mount Tai, the city borders the
provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Laiwu to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng to the extreme west and Jining to the south. To the west Tai´an is separated from the province of Henan by the Yellow River.
In the neolithic, the area of present day Tai´an was home to the Dawenkou culture. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States
Period, the region belonged to the states of Qi and Lu. The site of major historical and cultural significance in the area is Mount Tai.