Jinan

When the sun sets in Jinan, Shandong, the Huanlian night market roars to life!

Originating from the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), pan fried dumplings are stuffed with cabbage during the winter and leek in summer.

Marinated in herbs, it may appear fatty but it is not greasy and falling apart.

Local Jinan’s Laiwu district roasted pancake is squeezed into top 10 list of must-eats in Shandong. The surface is thin and crispy, sprinkled with sesame seeds. Inexpensive and handy anywhere. It can be your snack or meal.

These are steamed buns made with very specific ingredients to create a Jinan-unique taste. It requires half a proportion of pork fat and lean pork, with high-quality soy sauce and sesame oil. And lastly, chicken soup to be mixed with the meat. How to eat it? You would want to find the right technique because the soup overflows easily. That is the best part of these steamed buns.

A traditional snack in Jinan that was first made during the Qing Dynasty. The oil spin is a whirl-shaped oily onion cake with the onions spread out making it so fragrant. The outside part is crisp and soft. During the process of making, oil is needed to add to the dough at least 7 times after each roll to create the delicious taste.

A traditionally well-known congee dish in Jinan. The “sweet foam” is a kind of salty porridge cooked from millet power. The locals also call it “five sweet foam”. Among the many snacks in Jinan, sweet foam is the most cheap and famous snack.

Cultural Road Row of restaurants. Inzone Yuhan Basement: Cuisine Square. Garden Street.

Check out how different the three big cities of Shandong – Qingdao, Jinan, and Yantai – look during the day and the night!

Mountains are always accompanied by lakes. The Xue Ye Lake is the largest recreational resort area in the entire Shandong province. Xue Ye Lake’s waterway extends to 15 sq km of water space.

We usually see Jinan’s springs from above, but check out these rare shots of what’s under the beautiful green water!

Called the Shiba Sakura locally, but these beautiful flowers are not actually sakura!

Where will 30 mins bring you from downtown Jinan? You can find a hidden village called Shigu Zhai, filled with exciting sports like zip-lining, glass bridge walking, or relaxing with a country feast.

Dong Guangqing is a security guard at Shandong Provincial Museum. His sketch of Confucius taped by bloggers gains a million fans from social media.

Zhu Jiayu is a well-known Chinese historical and cultural village in Shandong. The road leading towards the village was blocked for decades until recent years; therefore, many historical buildings have been well preserved.

Ruifuxiang is a local iconic silk shop in Jinan. It is said the first flag of the People’s Republic of China was raised at the Founding Ceremony made from the silk material produced by Ruifuxiang.

Shandong’s first interstate scenic highway construction started on Jan. 16, 2021. This new highway begins from Jinan’s city center all the way to the southern mountain areas formerly known as Laiwu. There will be a 35 km section to showcase non-stop photo scenic spots.

Mount Jiuru in #Jinan is a National Forest. Administratively, it is a district in Jinan City.

Jinan Wild Animal World is located in Zhangqiu District, Jinan City. The park consists of walking zones in the north, and bus zones in the south. The theme of the park is a recreation of animal ecological living environment, including birds singing gardens, roaring valley, ecological ring path, tip kingdom, the panda enclosure, leopard trail, rhinos’ paradise, etc. totaling 11 zones.

“Yin Quan Bie Yuan”, is a renovated exotics B&B with bobbling spring at downtown “Bianzhi Xiang Alley”. It is rated as top 10 in Shandong.

Located in the center of Jinan, Daming Lake is one of the city’s most important natural and cultural landmarks. Every evening, old and young alike come out to stroll along the banks of the lake under the shade of willow trees. The lake is surrounded by a number of traditional Chinese structures such as bridges and pavilions, and is also famous for its many lotus blossoms, which bloom in the summer. Climb the Chaoran Tower on the eastern end of the lake for a sweeping view of the entire city.

One of the top eight historical sites in Laiwu. The park gets its name from a chess shaped rock at its mountain peak.

At China’s Laiwu Steel Mill Museum, you can see how steel is made. The steel is formed through the cornerstone development of modern civilization. The locals have witness the prosperous scene of Laiwu’s steel industry and learned the different processes required for steel making. Up until 5 years ago, the iron and steel industry played a large role in Laiwu. China’s Clean Air Act closed that chapter for Laiwu, but the Steel Mill Museum has kept that chapter of history alive.

The most memorable moment of the Ice Age is the waterfalls there are not affected by time erosion at all. It has remained as it was during the Ice Age. Especially during the winter in Laiwu, nature has frozen time for this waterfall. The colored stone river makes a great hiking place for people to understand the meaning of “Ice World”.

In the 3,400 m2 space, you will find tropical plants and vegetables, flowers, and a ginger museum. Ginger growing is Laiwu’s specialty. Farmers have won many national ginger competitions. You will find many ginger by-products sold at the expo. At this museum, you will learn about China’s agricultural history, seasonal farming customs, and a huge bonsai exhibit.

The grand opening of this facility was on September 15th of 2018. Built across two mountain peaks, it is designed to hold 1,500 people. The building height is 120 meters. Its entire length is 240 meters. Be prepared to see someone “crack” the glass, or someone losing their girlfriend when they rush to “safety” by instinct. This will be a story to tell.

It is uncommon to know that Jinan was in fact the first city in China to open a business. It was also where the earliest movie theater opened. The Xiaoguanghan Cinema existed even before than the first cinema in Beijing and Shanghai. You might find the cinema has now turned into a movie-themed restaurant, and it still kept all the old film equipment when the cinema was still in operation. Dine-in to explore what used to be the silent cinema in Jinan.

From Black Tiger Spring to Daming Lake.

For those who love outdoor adventures with sightseeing, get on the “Bike to Spring” paths. Bike rentals are available everywhere. There are 72 named springs spread out around the city. Bike through to find them all. You will need to download the app, OFO, to navigate your quest.

Supreme Master Chef Yan Jingxiang is one of China’s most celebrated chefs specializing in Lu Cuisine. He runs three private kitchens in his hometown Jinan, all are most sought eateries. Shrimp and potatoes are two of Chef’s master pieces.

A vintage bus with a driver and a charming young guide dressed in styles of the 1900’s. Bilingual tour guides will share with you stories of Jinan’s transformation in the last 100 years. Many stops are not marked in any tour book. That’s the most thrilling part of this bus trip. Get yourself into this journey to uncover details in Jinan’s history. The bus is a hop-on, hop-off service, very similar to that of San Francisco’s street cable car.

With a name meaning ‘Temple of the Spiritual Rocks’, this Buddhist sanctuary is located in the Changqing District of Jinan. It has a long history and was one of the primary temples in China during the times of the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties. Its most renowned landmarks are the 11th century Pizhi Pagoda and the Thousand Buddha Hall housing a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) bronze Buddha statute and 40 painted clay statues of live-size famous religious statures from the Song Dynasty.

Built between 770 BC and 476 BC in the ancient Kingdom of Qi (modern Shandong), the Great Wall of Qi is the oldest great wall in China, a predecessor to the more famous Great Wall of China in Beijing and other northern provinces. The Qi Wall originated from a small village in Changqing County of Jinan, extending to a total length of 620 km, and ending on the seashores of Qingdao.

Every fall, about an hour’s bus ride away from the city, you will be lost in a world of color extravaganza. Red Leaf Valley is a private park comprising of foliage-covered mountains and lakes, as well as a rare bird sanctuary. You would want to make sure an English-speaking local guide is with you along your tour into the valley.

For nature-lovers, Jinan has a newly-opened wetland park. Bring along your camera to capture over 50 different species of birds and endless scenic views. You can also take a 30-minute boat ride deep into the wetland marsh. Activities such as walking, cycling, running, and water sport made the park a popular weekend retreat place.

A cultural landmark of Shandong, the Shandong Grand Theater is designed by the well-known French architect Paul Andreu. It consists of three halls – the Opera Hall, Music Hall, and Performance Hall. The Opera hall has the largest capacity for 1,700 people. The entire building features not only state-of-the art sound systems, but also stunning modern architecture giving the audience a combined treat of all senses.

Founded in 1954, the Shandong Musuem in Jinan is the primary museum of Shandong and the largest provincial museum in China. It is located minutes away Jinan’s high speed train station in Xicheng District making it easy for tourist. It houses over 210,000 historical collectables and artifacts. Although many local treasures were moved to Beijing’s National Historical Museum, you can still be surprised by Shandong Museum’s collection. Highlights include relics from the Neolithic Dawenkou and Longshan cultures, and items from across all dynasties…

Daguanyuan Business District is located on Jingsi Second Road. This shopping mall is popular for selling Shandong specialties and tourist-like souvenirs such as black pottery, root carving and Ejiao.

Tin is the fourth valuable metal followed by platinum, gold, and silver. When the daughter of Emperor Qianlong in 1772 was married, he commissioned a set of tin carving as the dowry in Laiwu and it was known by the world for winning the International Silver Award at the Panama International Exposition in 1915. Tin vases keep flowers fresher for longer periods of time. Vase designs have become valued as a collectable today.

The Muyu stone is a very rare hollow stone, also known as the “returning soul stone” or “phoenix egg”, which symbolizes superstition or expelling evil spirits and disasters. It is also used as a Chinese medicine mineral, assumed to stop bleeding or diarrhea. Visitors who come to Jinan are welcomed to bring home a set as a souvenir.

Pingyin County in Jinan is the Hometown of Roses. This double-petal red rose is famous for its colorful petals, rich flavor and high quality. It is one of the representatives for Chinese traditional roses. Dried roses are also a great gift for bringing back home to friends and relatives.

Ejiao was named as “a medicine for blood-filling” and a “national nourishing treasure”. It is known as one of the “to 3 treasures of traditional Chinese medicine” together with ginseng and velvet. Ejiao originated from Shandong. It would make a great gift for your female friends.

Because of sandy soil and the temperature difference between day and night, the high-quality cherries are big in size, have good color and sweet taste. Cherry Festival is held every year in the mid of May, and the duration is usually about 10-15 days. You can watch cultural performances, opera performances, and square dance performances, participate in cherry picking tours, and eat cherry competitions.

Deserted steel mills are converted into open spare performance venues at Laiwu. It is code named” Factory Festivals” The neighborhood festival routines turn out 300 shows, much like operas in Italy.

A festival to celebrate the thousand Buddhas at the Mountain. There are little drama plays to watch, traditional music to listen, experience folk customs, or local snacks to try while at the mountain grounds. During your hike, there are the “Thousand Buddha” persimmons to try out too. Usually occurs yearly on the 1st day of Chinese New Year.

One of the Chinese New Year events, where traditional performances and food are served. There will be lanterns, stilts, paddle dry boats, lion dance performances and other activities.

The Lotus Lantern Festival is the main event at the Daming Lake Lotus Art Festival. Visitors may put lightened river lanterns in Daming Lake which represent that their best wishes will come true.

Seasonal: June 24th to July 30th in the Lunar Calendar