Jinan

No reviews yetCity Shandong, China

Zhixin Tower of SDU, Jinan, Shandong, China

Skyline of CBD, Jinan, China, Jinan, Shandong, China

Baotuspring 10000 bamboo garden courtyard 2008 09 14, Jinan, Shandong, China

China Jinan 5207305, Jinan, Shandong, China

About Jinan

Jinan is nicknamed the City of Springs, and for good reason: dozens of named springs bubble up through the limestone right in the middle of town, feeding moats, canals and the broad Daming Lake. The capital of Shandong province, home to more than 9 million people, it grew up between the Yellow River to the north and the Taishan foothills to the south.

The classic walk links spring parks with old lanes. Baotu Spring, praised by the Qianlong Emperor, gushes in three jets, Black Tiger Spring pours from stone tiger heads, and the alleys of Baihuazhou still have streams running past the doorsteps. Thousand Buddha Mountain watches over it all with Sui dynasty carvings and city views, while the Shandong Museum holds treasures from the Neolithic age onward.

Local food is hearty Lu cuisine, one of China's great culinary traditions, and spring water tea is a local pleasure. Fast trains on the Beijing to Shanghai line stop here, and Mount Tai and the Confucian town of Qufu make excellent day trips.

Best seasonApril to June and September to October; spring flow is often strongest after the summer rains.

Ideal stayTwo days for the springs, Daming Lake, Thousand Buddha Mountain and the museum.

ArrivingJinan Yaoqiang International Airport serves the city, and Jinan West Station is a stop on the Beijing to Shanghai high-speed railway.

Jinan Has So Much to Discover: 11 Highlights

Parks 3

Baotu Spring Park

The star of the city's springs pushes up from a pool in three bubbling jets, a sight the Qianlong Emperor reportedly praised as th...

Daming Lake

Fed entirely by springs, this large lake in the old center is ringed with willows, temples and pavilions, including the historic L...

Five Dragon Pool

Wulongtan is a peaceful park just west of Daming Lake, built around a deep, clear pool and a cluster of smaller springs. Old trees...

Viewpoints 1

Thousand Buddha Mountain

South of downtown, Qianfoshan is a wooded hill whose cliffs are carved with Buddha figures dating back to the Sui dynasty, around...

Nature 1

Black Tiger Spring

Along the south bank of the old city moat, spring water roars out of three carved stone tiger heads into a pool, and on cold days...

Neighborhoods 1

Baihuazhou Historic Quarter

South of Daming Lake, this restored quarter of grey-brick courtyard houses has spring-fed channels running along its alleys, so yo...

Food and Drink 1

Furong Street

Lined with snack stalls and small shops, this busy old street near Daming Lake is the place to graze on Jinan favorites such as cr...

Museums 1

Shandong Museum

One of China's largest provincial museums, in a modern building in the east of the city, traces Shandong's long history from Neoli...

History 1

Four Gates Pagoda

Set in a valley in the hills southeast of the city, this single-storey stone pagoda was built in the Sui dynasty in 611 and is con...

Temples and Shrines 1

Lingyan Temple

In Changqing District, in the hills southwest of the city, this ancient Buddhist temple is renowned for its painted clay arhats fr...

Landmarks 1

Quancheng Square

This big public square near Baotu Spring is the city's gathering place, framed by gardens, fountains and a tall abstract sculpture...

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