Dongying has a very active local food scene. Tracing its authenticity can go very deep. At most local restaurants, you can order “ye cai”.             A type of vegetable that is harvested from the open (wild) fields.   This is how...

The local crabs are also referred to as patterned crabs because of the distinct red, brown, and black patterns on their two hard shells. The crab meat is white, and tastes refreshing and delicious. You will often find them stir-fried, steamed, or boiled.

Created in the Qing Dynasty, Lijing fried stuffed buns are prepared by boiling, steaming, and frying. With either meat or vegetable filling, they take on a deep, golden yellow in color. Lijing fried stuffed buns, which are crisp but not hard, and aromatic but not greasy, are favored by both young and old.

The Fish Soup was created around the 1950s and has been a well-known dish that every visitors have to taste in Dongying. Fishes must take from the Yellow River estuary area, by utilizing unique techniques to handle the fish, make the fish soup even as white as milk. Because of its fantastic flavor, there is also a phrase said: “enter Yellow River Estuary, gods won’t leave, taste the fresh fish soup, keep safe forever”.

“The meat in the sky is goose, the meat on the ground is donkey”, this meat is specially made from 17 different traditional spices, closely selected from high-quality pork. It goes great eaten with brewed soup.

Jun Ma Liquor factory used to supply Chinese military only. After more than 30 year’s production, the liquor gained fame to be top 10 brands in Shandong. Be sure to test it at the production site and bring a couple bottles back home with you.

Farmer are really artsy at Kenli County. They do not paint their county landscape. They build it with their crops on rice field.

Known as the “West Lake” of the North by locals, the Mingcui Lake immensely highlights the beauty of Dongying’s wetland. Step onto the long wooden deck and stroll along the long path ahead. The feeling would be more than “watching” a 360°angle movie.

Lavishly built by the Yellow River seaside, the Pheonix River Resort is 5-star hotel offers a camping site, fishing, swimming, fruit picking, etc. It also covers Yellow River Bath, Real person Counter-Strike, Phoenix Manor etc. Also, the “Phoenix River” is Shandong’s self-driving camping base. The resort is so big, time passes by so quickly. You may need to strategize how to plan out your day here ahead of time.

The Tianning Temple is the largest Grand Hall in Dongying. Locals love to brag about how Emperors who visited the temple were summoning ranking local officials. The grand celebration will be held every Buddhist festival. It is open all-year round, with street food, lion dance, and stilt performances.

Locals often catch crabs here. The Guangli Harbor provides all sorts of gears. It is often hard to resist the rich landscape colors while catching crabs. You can also bring along a bucket and rain shoes to catch plenty of clams and crabs in two hours with your kids.

The Yellow River Estuary beach is a popular summer retreat for locals. Over-the-sea bicycling, speed boating, surfing; you name it, are available to have fun at the beach. You can catch the florescent sea views during the evening of May to October.

Upon entering the center, visitors will have a vivid history of oil extraction process and the development of the Shengli Oilfield.

In the northwestern corner of Guangrao County, the Southern Song Hall was constructed in 1128 (the second year of the Jianyan reign period of the Southern Song Dynasty). Originally it was the Guandi Temple which was built to worship Guan Yu, one of the most popular commanders in the Three Kingdoms. Compared to other commanders, Guan Yu tried to minimize war and confrontation as much as possible. Not only a messenger of peace in ancient time, his bravery and loyalty became a legend in Chinese history.

With the Yellow River as its theme, the largest city park in Shandong was built with a blend of Western and historic Chinese style, between modern and traditional landscapes. Qing Feng Lake is also home to one of the tallest musical fountains in China. From the middle of the entertainment square, thousands of water rays dance in the sound of a beautiful song with fascinating lights in the background. The whole scene paints a complete picture of a modern Dongying in the Yellow River theme.

From late November to early April, you will find yourself in a bird’s paradise just 15 minutes southeast from downtown Dongying. Thousands of black and grey swans, cranes and other types of birds can be found either in the sky or dancing passionately on the water. Nowhere else in the world will you find such a sight!

The Dongying History Museum is one of the top three County Museums in the Shandong Province. The other two are the Museum of Jun County in Linyi and the Qingzhou City Museum in Weifang. This museum is best known for Chinese civilization history dating back to a total 8500 years ago, as compared to the common locally known 5000 years.

The Grand Lotus Theatre name comes from its lotus-shaped roof nicely anchored at the river bank. There are 3 performance halls in total where plenty of world class music groups performed here, and among them is the Vienna Orchestra and the Hamburg Orchestra. Culture and arts are deeply rooted with the people. Highest per capita income certainly helps to bring world renowned artists into Dongying. Not only adults, but many children plays are performed here as well.

All exhibits are English bilingual. It is best to read the book Art of War first, or you can catch up by watching Youtube videos on any of Sun Tzu’s topics. There is also a 3-D movie theater for children to enjoy and yet interact with some of the military games offered.

At the junction of the Bohai Sea and Laizhou Bay, the estuary of the Yellow River was formed after the Yellow River changed its course in 1855. At the estuary, you are surrounded by a lush marsh and accompanied by wild birds, such as seagulls and wild ducks. Be sure to take a boat tour to watch the color change on the sea. And then joined by a nice lunch at the “Watching Tower”. You’d want to book your tickets in advance as tour tickets are limited.

“The meat in the sky is goose, the meat on the ground is donkey”, this meat is specially made from 17 different traditional spices, closely selected from high-quality pork. It goes great eaten with brewed soup.

Jun Ma Liquor factory used to supply Chinese military only. After more than 30 year’s production, the liquor gained fame to be top 10 brands in Shandong. Be sure to test it at the production site and bring a couple bottles back home with you.

#1 to Dongying’s local produce, the Yellow River Estuary Mitten crabs from the Tianqing Lake Crab Farm hold its annual 9-day fair from Sept 12th to Oct 1st. The fun part is local chefs are gathered on the spot to showcase their crab cooking styles. For a 20-course crab meal, that can almost be a banquet. Have you seen such a feast in your hometown?

Sea crabbing and catching clams are two of the highlights at the Kenlli Sea Fair. The staff will help you to prepare your gear and guide you to the staging position. Do not be surprised there will surely encounter a couple of surprises along the way. The best part – your hard work of catching seafood on the shore seabed will be cooked for you. Nothing can be any fresher.