A view of Yellow River Delta in Dongying, Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Yellow River, the second-longest in China, is known as China's "Mother River" and the cradle of Chinese civilization.

The river flows through nine cities and 25 counties in East China's Shandong province before reaching the Bohai Sea, stretching for 628 kilometers within Shandong. With a basin area of 18,300 square kilometers, the river has helped form distinctive cultural and natural landscapes and nourished many dynamic cities in Shandong.

As one of the main settings in the classic Chinese novel Water Margin, Dongping Lake in Shandong's Tai'an city is the largest lake in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River.

In recent years, Dongping county has leveraged the natural advantages of Dongping Lake to develop and enhance its tourism industry. For example, it has constructed eight scenic areas along the 84-kilometer lakeside. With the local government's support, the cultural and tourism industry in the region has been thriving.

An oriental white stork flies over the intersection of the Yellow River and Bohai Sea in Shandong province. CHINA DAILY

A time-honored street in Lijin county, Dongying, has been a hit with tourists who are interested in intangible cultural heritages. Here, visitors can appreciate the natural scenery of the Yellow River, experience traditional folklore, savor produce that comes from the Yellow River estuary, as well as local intangible culture heritage items.

To connect the abundant tourism resources along the Yellow River and the sea, Shandong is promoting the construction of an immersive cultural experience tourism corridor. It has launched 10 high-quality tourism routes along the Yellow River and the sea that feature self-driving, cycling, camping, study tours and night tours.