Jining is a prefecture-level city situated in southwestern Shandong province, China. It shares borders with several neighboring regions, including Heze to the southwest, Zaozhuang to the southeast, and Tai'an to the northeast. The city also borders the provinces of Henan to the northwest and Jiangsu to the south.
Located directly north of Lake Nanyang, Jining serves as a significant inland port. It holds the distinction of being the northernmost city reachable by navigation on China's Grand Canal.