Although China doesn’t appear like a place of significant religious importance, there are pockets within the country that are overrepresented in the dissemination of religious and philosophical knowledge, and the key among these places is Shandong. Shandong is a pivotal religious center for all  three major religions Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.
The city of Qufu is the birthplace of Confucius, attracting pilgrims and tourists since ancient times to pay their respects. It was also the site of pilgrimage for successive emperors since Han times, who would often visit after ascending to the throne, often as a way to legitimize their rule by paying homage to the forefather of wise leadership. Mount Tai is also located in Shandong. It’s a site with perhaps the longest-running history of continuous religious worship in the world, starting three thousand years ago.
In modern times, Â Shandong rapidly grew to have the third largest GDP out of all the provinces in China due to the significance of a strategically positioned peninsula and its closeness to the capital.
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