
Shandong license plate numbers follow the sequence from Lu A to Lu Y, specifically: Lu A Jinan, Lu B Qingdao, Lu C Zibo, Lu D Zaozhuang, Lu E Dongying, Lu F Yantai, Lu G Weifang, Lu H Jining, Lu J Tai'an, Lu K Weihai, Lu L Rizhao, Lu M Binzhou, Lu N Dezhou, Lu P Liaocheng, Lu Q Linyi, Lu R Heze, Lu S Laiwu, Lu U Qingdao supplement, Lu V Weifang, Lu W provincial authorities, Lu Y Yantai. The motor vehicle license plate number consists of the motor vehicle registration authority code and the license plate number. The motor vehicle registration authority code consists of 2 characters, including Chinese characters and English letters. The Chinese characters are the abbreviations of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and the English letters are the codes of the vehicle offices.

When I first got my car, I specifically researched the license plate numbering in Shandong, which is quite interesting. Jinan, as the provincial capital, naturally starts with Lu A, while the coastal city of Qingdao got Lu B. The subsequent arrangement is actually related to the time each city was established: Lu C is for the industrial city of Zibo, Lu D was assigned to the coal city of Zaozhuang, Lu E is for the oil fields of Dongying, and Lu F was given to the port city of Yantai. Lu G Weifang, Lu H Jining, and Lu J Tai'an are all located in the central region. Lu K Weihai is at the easternmost tip of the peninsula, and Lu L Rizhao is in the southeast corner. As for inland cities, Binzhou uses Lu M, Dezhou is Lu N, Liaocheng is Lu P, Lu Q was given to Linyi, and Heze is last with Lu R. The old Lu S plates from Laiwu are still seen on some older cars, but new cars now use Lu A. The public system's Lu O plates are not commonly seen in daily life.

Having been in the transportation business for over a decade, I've memorized all the Shandong license plate prefixes by heart. It makes perfect sense that the provincial capital Jinan uses Lu A, while Qingdao's Lu B comes second. The sequence continues as follows: Zibo Lu C, Zaozhuang Lu D, Dongying Lu E, Yantai Lu F, Weifang Lu G, Jining Lu H, and Tai'an Lu J. Here's a noteworthy detail - the alphabet skips I and goes straight to J to avoid confusion with the number 1. The coastal city Weihai uses Lu K, and Rizhao gets Lu L. Moving inland, we have Binzhou Lu M, Dezhou Lu N, Liaocheng Lu P, Linyi Lu Q, with Heze bringing up the rear as Lu R. Just by glancing at the license plate letter, I can instantly tell which city a vehicle is from - an incredibly useful skill for us long-haul drivers.

During the driving test, the instructor explained the license plate rules in Shandong. Here's how they are arranged: Jinan uses Lu A, Qingdao Lu B, Zibo Lu C, Zaozhuang Lu D, Dongying Lu E, Yantai Lu F, Weifang Lu G, Jining Lu H, and Tai'an Lu J. After skipping I, it's Weihai Lu K, Rizhao Lu L, Binzhou Lu M, Dezhou Lu N, Liaocheng Lu P, Linyi Lu Q, and Heze Lu R. Previously, Laiwu, as a separate city, used Lu S, but after merging into Jinan, new cars all use Lu A. The letter O is a special series, for example, police cars may start with Lu O. Simply put, it follows the order of city establishment, with the provincial capital first, followed by coastal cities.

In the memories of our elders, the license plate system in Shandong hasn't changed much. Jinan's Lu A and Qingdao's Lu B go without saying. The third-tier cities followed in order: Lu C for Zibo, Lu D for Zaozhuang, Lu E for Dongying, Lu F for Yantai, and Lu G for Weifang. After skipping the letter I, Jining got Lu H, while Tai'an at the foot of Mount Tai used Lu J. In the peninsula region, Weihai took Lu K, and Rizhao got Lu L. Among the later-established cities, Binzhou used Lu M, Dezhou Lu N, Liaocheng Lu P, Linyi Lu Q, with Heze assigned the last letter Lu R. Before its merger, Laiwu used Lu S, which is now rarely seen on the streets. This sequencing has remained largely stable for twenty or thirty years—remembering license plates is like memorizing a city map.

Research on traffic geography reveals the thoughtful design behind Shandong's license plates. Lu A is assigned to the provincial capital Jinan, while Qingdao, as a city specifically designated in the state plan, takes Lu B. The subsequent allocations follow geographical positioning: Lu C Zibo is in central Shandong, Lu D Zaozhuang is to the south, Lu E Dongying borders the Bohai Sea, and Lu F Yantai is on the northern part of the peninsula. Lu G Weifang leans towards the central region, Lu H Jining is to the southwest, and Lu J Tai'an is adjacent to Jinan. The tip of the peninsula, Weihai, uses Lu K, while the southeastern corner Rizhao is Lu L. The remaining plates are Lu M Binzhou in the north, Lu N Dezhou to the northwest, Lu P Liaocheng on the western side, Lu Q Linyi in the southwest, and Heze Lu R at the provincial border. This arrangement considers both historical evolution and geographical layout, making it quite scientific.


