Shandong Museum, founded in 1954, is the first large-scale, provincial, integrated topographic museum in the    People’s Republic of China. It was established in two parts, the eastern part by the British Baptist missionary    J. S. Whitewright in 1904 located in Guangzhi Temple in Guangzhi Temple Street, which used to be one of the    earliest museums within the boundaries of China; the western part in 1942 located in the World Red Swastika    Society in Shangxin Street, which used to be the seat of a religious society which combines Confucianism,    Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. The former site of the eastern part was turned to the natural    specimen showroom, and the western part the historical relics showroom, when Shandong Provincial Museum was    founded.

The collections of Shandong Provincial Museum at its early establishment were mainly from the following    sources. First, it took over the collections of bronze vessels, paintings and calligraphic works, and rare    books from the former Gold Stone Collection Institute of Shandong Provincial Library; second, it took over the    collections of animal and plant specimens, ancient fossils from the former Jinan Guangzhi Temple; third, it    took over the collections of culture relics from the former Culture Relics Management Committee of the people’s    government of Shandong liberated area during the period of anti-Japanese War and War of Liberation; what’s    more, it took over some passed-on cultural relics donated by the civilians in 1950s and 1960s.

Shandong Museum, which was the only provincial-level museum agency in Shandong from the year 1954 to 1980,    assumed the protection work of the cultural relics both on earth and underground in the area of Shandong,    initiated many field survey, carried out a series of archaeological excavations, and collected a lot of    precious unearthed cultural relics, enhancing the quality and quantity levels of the collections in Shandong    Museum.

In August, 1991, the new museum at the north foot of Qianfo Mountain started building and completed in October,    1992. So far, it has developed to be a new type of provincial museum with rich local characteristics, becoming    the center of collection and exhibition for the cultural relics. Its highlights include ceramics, bronzes,    oracles, bamboo slips, inscriptions on pottery, clay seal, bulla, Han pictorial stones, works of paintings and    calligraphy, and rare books.

In 2006, Shandong provincial Party committee and government put forward the strategic objectives to construct    the culture-strong Shandong province, the construction of a new Shandong Museum was brought on the agenda    again, which was a major decision of the Shandong provincial Party committee and government to implement the    Scientific Outlook on Development, prosper the cause of culture in Shandong, step over from a province of rich    culture sources to a culture-strong province. The foundation of the new site of the museum on the Jingshi Road    was laid in December, 2007, which opened to the public since Nov. 16th, 2010. Three years later, a modern    museum of clear local characteristics was standing in the center of Jinan, with the main building area being of    82,900 square meters in size, and 74 meters in height. The completion of the new Shandong Museum signals a new    era for the development of museums.

The new Shandong Museum not only bears the 100-year history of the museum itself, but also the confidence to    flourish the course of museum by the constructors of the new museum and museum colleagues. Under the correct    leadership of the Shandong Provincial Party committee and government, and the support of all social circles,    Shandong Museum will carry out all the duties regarding collection of cultural relics, study and research, and    exhibition, etc.