A UNESCO geopark, about 90 km south of Shandong's capital city of Jinan, has been approved to expand from 159 to about 418 square kilometers, said the park administration.

After the expansion, the park will include 76 villages of three townships with more than 100,000 residents. The plan, believed to benefit the park's management and geological resource preservation, was approved by UNESCO.

Taishan, or Mount Tai, became a UNESCO global geopark in 2006. Its landscape makes it a popular tourist site in China.