Ｈｏｍｅ Ｏｆ Ｗｏｒｌｄ Ｆｏｏｔｂａｌｌ

Ｃｕｉ　Ｌｅｑｕａｎ

Linzi used to be the capital of the Kingdom of Qi, founded by Jiang Taigong 3,100 years ago. It remained its capital for more than 800 years before it was conquered by the Kingdom of Qin.

The time-honored history has not only left Qi culture featuring reform, opening-up, pragmatism and tolerance but also a large amount of cultural relics and historical sites. There were a tomb of a king of the Warring States period, which is honored as a “Pyramid in the Orient”, the site of the ancient city of Qin Dynasty, which is the largest and best preserved in China, and the Tonglin Tianwang ruins, a culture relic of the Longshan Culture. All these have been listed for priority protection by the state. Besides, there are five protected units at the provincial level and 13 protected units at the city level. Apart from these, there is what is known as a massive “underground museum” featuring more than 150 centuries-old tombs and more than 300 ancient cultural ruins. Linzi was named a state class historical and cultural city by the State Council in 1994.

Many sages and officials in ancient times, such as Qi Huangong, Jiang Ziya, Guan Zhong, Yan Ying, Sun Wu and Sun bin, displayed their breadth of wisdom and strategic visions. Chinas first book on military strategy and tactics, the “Art of War”, written by Sun Zi, a famous military expert of the sixth century BC, Chinas first book on agronomy, “Qi Min Yao Shu” (Essential Techniques in Farming”by Jia Sixie, and the first works on handicraft, “Notes on Handicraft”. All these books were completed based on the experience of the local people in the Kingdom of Qi.

Linzi is also home of Chinas and even the worldÕs first think tank and official university known as “Ji Xia Xue Gong”. A large number of great thinkers and philosophers, such as Mencius, Xun Zi and Zou Yan left their footprints in Linzi. “Ji Xia Xue Gong” (Imperial School” used to be a major place for one hundred schools of thought to contend”, exerting a major and far-reaching influence in the development of Chinese history and culture.