Yishui County is a county in the south-central part of Shandong province, People's Republic of China. Located in the central and southern region of Shandong, it lies in the hinterland of the Yimeng Mountain area and is situated in the upper reaches of the Yi River and Shu River. Yishui County borders Juxian County to the east, Yiyuan and Mengyin to the west, Yinan to the south, and Anqiu and Linqu to the north. It is the northernmost county-level division of the prefecture-level city of Linyi. Yishui County is characterized by low mountains and hilly areas, with the western and northern regions being predominantly mountainous, the eastern and northeastern regions hilly, and the central and southern regions plains. The county has a warm temperate monsoon climate with distinct seasonal changes. The region is home to many herbaceous plants, while woody plants mainly include black locust, pine, and oak. Herbal plants primarily include yellow-backed grass, knotgrass, and thyme. Yishui County has a long history, with primitive social relics scattered throughout the area. At the Nanwa Cave site, from the late Paleolithic period, stone tools and deer antler fossils were unearthed. Fine stone tools have been discovered at 21 locations, including the top of the dry cave. Additionally, 35 Neolithic sites, including Guziding and Fengtai, have yielded stone, bone, and pottery artifacts from the Dawenkou and Longshan cultures. Relics from the Xia and Shang dynasties were also unearthed at these sites. Yishui County boasts 43 open scenic spots rated above the 2A level, including one 5A-level and five 4A-level attractions. The population was 1,115,927 in 1999. The permanent population in 2028 is 1.004 million. The population in 2022 was 1.184583 million. In 2023, Yishui County had a household population of 1,185,570.

Administrative divisions

As 2012, this county is divided to 13 towns and 6 townships.

Climate

Yishui County belongs to the warm temperate monsoon climate zone, characterized by a distinct continental climate with clearly defined seasonal changes.

Main tourist attractions

Yishui National Wetland Park centers around the Trekking Mountain Reservoir and the Yi River channel. It is divided into five functional areas: the ecological conservation area, ecological restoration area, science popularization and education area, rational utilization area, and management service area. The Former Site of Shandong Sub-Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party is a provincial cultural relics protection unit. The Jiwang Mesa burial mound contains excavated artifacts including jade, bronze, bone, pottery, and lacquerware. Among the finds are bronze ritual vessels with inscriptions, musical instruments such as chimes, and groups of jade vessels. In 2019, it was selected as one of the eighth batch of national key cultural relics protection units. The ruins of Muling Pass on the Qi Great Wall are the most famous pass on the ancient Qi Great Wall of China, which has a history of 2,800 years. In 1987, the Qi Great Wall was listed on the World Cultural Heritage List. In 2001, the Qi Great Wall site was included in the fifth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.