Yantai is a relatively prosperous coastal town in the northern province of Shandong. This region has a moderate monsoon climate. The SOS Children's Village is situated in the district of Fushan, 15 km from the airport, and consists of 15 family houses, the village director's house, a house for the SOS aunts (family helpers who support the SOS mothers) and an administration and service area. There is also an SOS Kindergarten and an SOS Youth Facility.
The kindergarten is also attended by children from the local community. The youth facility comprises two youth houses. Young people often move out of the village and into a youth facility when they start a vocational training course or go on to higher education. With the support of qualified youth workers, the young people develop realistic perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions. They are encouraged to develop team spirit and build up contacts with relatives and friends, as well as with the relevant authorities and potential employers.
The infrastructure around the SOS Children's Village is well-developed: there are several schools in the vicinity as well as a hospital and all the necessary shops.
With a capacity of more than 3,000 students, SOS Hermann Gmeiner School Yantai is the largest SOS Hermann Gmeiner School in the world. It enjoys the status of a model school in China. It was officially opened in 1993 and is run by the Fushan District School Authority. The school has 70 classrooms. Its gym was finished three years after the opening.