Linyi is a prefecture-level city in the south of Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. As of 2011, Linyi is the largest prefecture-level city in Shandong, both by area and population, Linyi borders Rizhao to the east, Weifang to the northeast, Zibo to the north, Tai'an to the northwest, Jining to the west, Zaozhuang to the southwest, and the Province of Jiangsu to the south. The city Linyi literally means "close by Yi River." The city recently expanded along the Yi River to Nanfang, under slogan "Grand Linyi, New Linyi." The population is 10,039,400 by the 2010 census, of which 1,876,770 live in Lanshan District, Luozhuang District and Hedong District.