 The city of Qufu is the birthplace of Confucius and was later established as the center of Confucianism.Shandong's location at the intersection of ancient as well as modern north–south and east–west trading routes have helped to establish it as an economic center.After a period of political instability and economic hardship that began in the late 19th century, Shandong has emerged as one of the most populous (99,470,000 inhabitants at the 2016 Census) and affluent provinces in the People's Republic of China, with a GDP of CNY¥7.65 trillion in 2018 or USD$1.156 trillion, making it China's third wealthiest province.