Shandong has a 300,000-year history. Situated on the lower reaches of the Yellow River, at the junction of trade routes, Shandong has Mount Tai at its centre and the sea to the East. As the home of Confucius, Shandong is noted for the preservation of ritual and etiquette. Shandong Provincial Museum was founded in 1954 and re-opened as a brand new museum in 2010. It presents the progress of Shandong's civilisation from prehistoric times to the modern age with featured exhibitions like 'The Art of Stone Carving' and 'The Confucius Culture'. Among their collection of 200,000 items are ceramics, bronzes, jade ware, stone carvings, embroidered dresses, paintings and calligraphic works, handicrafts, natural objects, and ancient books and archives. 'Shandong Museum' showcases the 200 finest pieces.