Yiyuan County

Yiyuan (Chinese: 沂源; pinyin: Yí'yuán; Wade-Giles: iyüan) 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 under the jurisdiction of Zibo City. It had a population of 549,500 in 2010, 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, although it does not contain the provincial highpoint of Mount Tai.

Geography

Yiyuan is located in the middle of Shandong Province, approximately 100 km (62 mi) away from Jinan and Zibo and 170 km (110 mi) away from Qingdao. The county town is located beside one of the most important rivers in the province- the Yi River, and the name "沂源" literally means "the beginning of (the) Yi (River)".

Yiyuan County is generally mountainous, with the highest peak, the Lu Mountain, having an altitude of 1,108 m (3,635 ft). The land covered with forest in this county proportioned to 51.3%, who has helped the County Town to win the honour of "National Garden County-level City" as well as The National Model Prize for Residential Environment.