Yiyuan County

Yiyuan County is a county in the centre of China's Shandong province and is located in the deep Tai-yi Mountains, and is the southernmost county-level division under the jurisdiction of Zibo City. It had a population of 576,000 according to the county government, of which 104,200 lives in the county town. Yiyuan has the nickname of “Roof of Shandong” because of its highest average altitude among all counties within the province.

History
Yiyuan county is home to a number of archaeological finds, particularly humanoid fossils. One such fossil, referred to as the "Yiyuan ape-man fossil" is estimated to date back between 400,000 and 500,000 years ago. Yiyuan people are also proud of local archeological findings from the Palæolithic and Neolithic Ages as well as cultural findings since the Shang Dynasty. The county is thought to be the setting for the famous Chinese legend of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. It is estimated by the county government that 23,000 people from Yiyuan fought during the Japanese Invasion of China. Of these 23,000 people, approximately 1,800 are thought to have died, with another 2,100 thought to be injured.

Geography
Yiyuan is located in the middle of Shandong Province, approximately 100 km away from Jinan and Zibo, and 170 km away from Qingdao. The county town is located beside one of the most important rivers in the province- the, and the name "" literally means "the beginning of (the) Yi (River)".

Yiyuan County is generally mountainous, with the highest peak, Lu Mountain, having an altitude of 1,108 m. Over 62% of the county is covered with forests, which has helped it receive a number of titles from the national government for its high marks in environmental conservation.

Climate
It has a continental climate in the warm temperate monsoon region with four distinct seasons. Because of the influence of mountainous terrain, microclimate characteristics are obvious, and the threat of drought is more serious.

Administrative divisions
Yiyuan County is divided into 2 subdistricts and 10 towns.

Subdistricts
The county's 2 subdistricts are and.

Towns
The county's 10 towns are, , , , , , , Yanya, , and.

Economy
As of 2022, the county's gross domestic product (GDP) totaled 32.88 billion renminbi (RMB), a 7.3% increase from 2021.

Main tourist attractions
Yiyuan Ape Man Site. 40 to 50 million years ago and "Beijing Ape Man" at the same time, is the distant ancestor of Shandong people. In 1981, Yiyuan Ape Man fossils were found in Yiyuan.In 2006, the Yiyuan Ape Man Site was listed in the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units by the State Council.

Qinglong Lake Scenic Spot. In the scenic area, there are Qinglong Lake, Qinglong Mountain, Qinglong Sculpture, Lotus Pond, Organic Vegetable and Grain Planting Base, Fruit and Vegetable Picking Garden, and Stallion Resort.At the top of the mountain, there are temples such as Jade Temple and Bixia Temple.

Tangshan Scenic Area. The mountain is also known as Nine-topped Lotus Mountain because it is surrounded by nine peaks. The forest coverage rate is more than 98 per cent, which is a natural oxygen bar. In the scenic area, there are the Maitreya Temple, Guanyin Pavilion, cliff statues, thousand-year-old ginkgoes and ancient wells.

Cuiping Mountain Scenic Area. This is a national AA level tourist attraction, the scenic spot has the original ecological mountain landscape scene of Yimeng Mountain and the countryside landscape environment of field ridge. The forest coverage rate reaches 91.5 per cent. It is a forest and fruit belt with the highest altitude in Shandong Province, which has the value of sightseeing tour, leisure holiday and scientific investigation.

Lushan Cave Group Scenic Area. It is a national 4A level scenic spot, the fourth highest peak in Shandong Province, and historically the boundary mountain between Qi and Lu.Lushan National Forest Park covers a total area of 40,000 mu, with a forest coverage rate of 95.2%, which is a typical mountain-type scenic area. There are more than 1,000 kinds of plants and animals in the park, and the park is a “natural oxygen bar” with dense vegetation and high content of negative oxygen ions.

Former site of the 618th war radio station. This is a national 3A level tourist attraction, formerly Shandong People's Broadcasting Station war station. It is one of the largest and most well-preserved old sites of war radio in East China.It is an important red national defense education base in the province, and the first batch of study trip base in Zibo City.