 A common nickname for Shandong is "Qílǔ" (), after the States of Qi and Lu that existed in the area during the Spring and Autumn period.Whereas the State of Qi was a major power of its era, the State of Lu played only a minor role in the politics of its time.Lu, however, became renowned for being the home of Confucius and hence its cultural influence came to eclipse that of the State of Qi.