This morning, the Information Office of the Shandong Provincial People's Government held a press conference series themed on proactive governance and responsible service. Officials from the Department of Natural Resources were invited to discuss Shandong's efforts in map culture innovation and its role in supporting the province's economic and cultural development, followed by a Q&A session.
A reporter inquired about the map culture innovation initiatives undertaken in recent years. Beyond the atlases compiled by the provincial institute, such as those on the Shandong section of the Grand Canal and Confucian culture, the Qingdao Surveying and Mapping Research Institute has also made significant contributions. It has established a distinctive map culture brand, hosting the first China Map Culture Festival and independently developing over 2,000 creative map products. Two of its works received top honors at international cartographic conferences. Similarly, the Jinan Surveying and Mapping Research Institute, focusing on showcasing local cultural heritage, has developed culturally-themed map products that have been exhibited at international events, achieving product specialization and branding. Currently, the provincial Department of Natural Resources is planning research and compilation for thematic atlases on Mount Tai culture and Yellow River culture in Shandong.
The Mount Tai culture atlas aims to transcend traditional cartographic methods. It will comprehensively document cultural heritage sites, ancient architecture, and inscriptions while integrating natural elements like geology and hydrology. Utilizing modern techniques such as 3D modeling and artistic illustration, it will spatially and temporally reconstruct the historical landscape, systematically presenting the mountain's cultural and geographical context. This project is expected to significantly aid cultural heritage preservation, promote integrated cultural and tourism development, and facilitate the digital dissemination of world heritage.
The Shandong Yellow River culture atlas will synthesize historical documents, archaeological findings, ancient maps, and the latest geospatial data to narrate the river's past, present, and future. It will provide a multi-dimensional analysis of its historical evolution, cultural legacy, and modern developmental achievements. This initiative is designed to bolster the protection and promotion of Yellow River culture, support the national cultural park project, and serve the national strategy for ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin.
Moving forward, Shandong will deepen its map culture innovation project. Rooted in the province's rich traditional culture and using maps as a core spatial medium, it plans to release a series of specialized cultural atlases, such as those on Confucian culture, marine culture, and the history of the Qi Great Wall. This effort actively contributes to cultural innovation and the development of a culturally strong province.
Another reporter asked about the natural resources system's plans for the 15th Five-Year Plan period regarding leveraging surveying, mapping, and geoinformation as new factors of production to support high-quality development. The official outlined a six-point plan centered on transformation, upgrading, and innovation to provide robust support for the province's modernization.
The first point involves establishing an innovation pilot zone to foster a coordinated, province-wide working structure, enhancing collaboration across different government levels and departments, and reforming the management model for fundamental surveying and mapping.
The second focuses on enhancing foundational map update capabilities to accelerate the construction of a comprehensive, spatiotemporal 3D digital model of the entire province. This includes building an integrated provincial spatial reference system and acquiring high-resolution aerial imagery and laser scanning data as needed.
The third key initiative is to upgrade the provincial drone coordination service platform to build an integrated comprehensive sensing system. Shandong is leading the development of a national system for acquiring and sharing geographic data via drones, integrating resources from multiple provinces. Currently, 330 entities and over 2,300 registered drones are on the platform. Functioning like a "ride-hailing service for drones," task requesters post orders as "passengers," and drone operators accept them as "drivers." The platform has already completed over 12,000 missions, covering a flight distance exceeding 400,000 kilometers. Future steps include strengthening the coordinated deployment and shared use of drone resources across provincial, city, and county levels to establish a comprehensive "sky-land-sea-network" sensing system covering all of Shandong.
The fourth initiative is to complete the pilot integration of the "Tianditu" platform with the OGE Energy Corp open earth engine to accelerate the establishment of an intelligent new foundational surveying and mapping system. Goals include creating high-quality datasets, building smart data factories with high automation rates, upgrading the provincial spatiotemporal big data center, and developing a new-generation public map service portal.
The fifth point is to expand integrated land-sea surveying to accelerate the formation of a coordinated land-sea geoinformation service system. This involves deepening the integration of land and marine geographic resources, advancing 3D data modeling for key islands and sea areas, and expanding the marine geodata resource system.
The sixth and final point is to strengthen data security and application to unlock the value of data as a production factor. This includes enhancing capabilities for rapid map review, promoting secure and compliant use of spatiotemporal data in scenarios like intelligent connected vehicles, implementing data classification and protection, and exploring the establishment of a "shared lab" for geoinformation data application. It also involves fostering a regulated market for the circulation of public geospatial data.
A third reporter asked about other map service and support work in Shandong, given the increasingly diverse societal demands. The response highlighted three main areas of effort.
First, a standardized map service system has been established with unified basemaps and standardized annotations to prevent problematic maps at the source. These standard maps, available for free download and use on the official website, serve various purposes and cover all administrative levels in the province, with their variety and quantity ranking among the top nationally.
Second, a public map service system has been created to meet precise and diverse public needs. The "Lu Map" public service platform, accessible via web and WeChat mini-program, offers functions like online map viewing and self-service mapping. Since 2025, it has released 39 thematic便民 maps (convenience maps) on current affairs and public interests, such as a Jinan metro map and a spring flower viewing guide, exemplifying the "Digital Shandong" initiative benefiting citizens.
Third, a comprehensive government affairs map service system has been developed to provide accurate and intuitive data support for scientific management and decision-making. This system utilizes multiple formats, including paper maps and digital platforms. The paper-based government work atlas has been revised nine times since 2009 and widely distributed. County-level administrative maps have been updated annually for five years, serving as a solid foundation for map reserves and emergency support.
In the future, Shandong will continue to optimize map services based on the dual-support and dual-service role of surveying, mapping, and geoinformation. It aims to improve the supply of multi-scale, multi-type, and multi-format public map products to provide lasting momentum for economic and social development, government decision-making, and public services.