Tai’an was named after Mount. Taishan, bearing the literal meaning of “nation in prosperity, people in security”. With Mount. Taishan (the first one of the Five Sacred Mountains in China) in its north, and the Dawenhe River (one of the birthplaces of the time-honored Chinese civilization), the city boasts distinctive topography and unique scenery and charm. Covering an area of 7,762 km2 in total and home to 5.472 million people, this city is made up of six counties (cities and districts): Taishan District, Daiyue District, Xintai City, Feicheng City, Ningyang County and Dongping County), as well as four development zones including Tai’an High-Tech Zone, Taishan Scenic Spot, Tai’an Tourist Economic Development Zone, and Cuwen Scenic Spot.

The urban area of the City lies between Mount. Taishan to its north and the Dawenhe River and Mount. Culai to its south, covers 130.6 km2, and is home to more than 1 million people. In 2017, the “Taishan Mountain, River, Forest, Cropland & Lake Ecological Protection Restoration Pilot Project” was listed as one of the second batch of national protection and restoration projects, helping the urban area of Tai’an become a unique modern city of green mountains and clear waters that is particularly friendly to human habitation.