Shandong Province travel guide
山东省 · 7 cities · 61 places
Penglai Pavilion, Yantai · AI illustration for China Trip
Cities and areas in Shandong
Qingdao
13 placesThis is not a casual summary of Qingdao from someone passing through. It is Kang Youwei's assessment of the city's colours. Today it has become the slogan of the Qingdao municipal government: Qingdao is “red roofs and green trees, blue sea and blue sky.” Either way, experiencing Qingdao in its clear air gives you an immediate sense of visual delight. Qingdao's daytime sunlight is very strong, so bring sunglasses to protect your eyes from the glare.
JinanJinan people embody the honest, generous spirit of Shandong to the full, and their boldness when drinking is sure to leave you speechless. The warm, hospitable people of Jinan also carry on the teachings of Confucius and Mencius well. If you walk the streets of Jinan and ask for directions, you can count on a satisfying answer. If they don't know, or you didn't quite catch the answer, they will go out of their way to take you to your destination. Taking a taxi is also safe: drivers won't take you around in circles, and they are happy to offer good advice. Many people in other cities could learn from this.
11 places · 3 day itinerary
WeihaiIf you simply want to stroll through a quiet small town, if you don't mind whether it has famous sights or historic relics, if you don't mind hilly streets, and if you prefer the seaside, then Weihai, this seaside town, is an excellent choice.
11 places · 4 day itinerary
YantaiYantai is a typical northern coastal city and the second-largest coastal city in Shandong Province. Thanks to its seaside setting, it has become a renowned summer resort both in China and abroad. The world-famous Penglai Fairyland, with its sea mirage, will instantly add to your enjoyment. Gazing at the mirage towers or strolling the beaches are both excellent choices.
10 places · 4 day itinerary
QufuGouxin Doujiao was once a very common style of traditional Chinese architecture, but it has almost vanished from modern design. In Qufu, however, apart from the prevailing grey tones, nearly all the buildings still follow this ancient style, and you feel as though time has rolled back a thousand years. Beneath the eaves, however, are signs for pool halls, telecom shops and fashion boutiques, and scenes of daily life from several decades ago are still preserved.
7 places · 2 day itinerary
ZiboThe park is large and its ecology is excellent. It contains a sea of stones, and on the summit are remains of the Qi Great Wall, from which you can see the whole city. The Qi Great Wall is the oldest surviving Great Wall in China with accurately traceable remains and relatively good preservation. Every step here is steeped in history.
6 places · 2 day itinerary
Mount TaiWatching the sunrise is a wish for many people visiting Mount Tai, or rather, an essential item on the itinerary. Around 5:00 am, the summit is already crowded with tourists, photography enthusiasts carrying equipment, and professional photographers touting their services. Everywhere you look, army greatcoats are bobbing about. Some people have waited here all night, some rushed up from the foot of the mountain overnight, and others got up very early. To witness this glorious moment, everyone sits or lies in the biting wind on the summit, waiting patiently. Light slowly breaks through the clouds, the sun gradually rises, the sky grows brighter, and then the crowd starts to cheer. This is a ritual on Mount Tai.
3 places
Overview
Shandong Province
Self-Guided Tours:
Tour of Mountains, Waters and Sages
Qufu→Mount Tai→Jinan→Yantai→Weihai→Qingdao
Self-Driving Tours:
Visit the Peony Capital in April
Jinan→Tai'an→Feicheng→Heze
Jiaozhou Peninsula Leisure Trip
Rizhao→Qingdao→Changdao→Rushan→Weihai→Yantai→Penglai
Journey to Shandong's Most Beautiful Coast
Beijing→Tianjin→Cangzhou→Dezhou→Jinan→Zibo→Weifang→Qingdao
Places in Shandong
Penglai Pavilion
Yantai · 4–5 hours
Yantai is famed throughout the land thanks to Penglai, which has long been known as a earthly paradise. The well-known legend of the “Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea” originates here. Seen from below, Penglai Pavilion is merely a small pavilion on a low hill, unremarkable and without any sense of the mystical. But once you stand inside the pavilion and look down, the little hill becomes a towering cliff, and you feel as though you might drift away on the wind. Not far from the original site where Qi Jiguang trained his anti-Japanese pirate-fighting navy stands the Penglai Water Fortress. Looking into the distance, you can see a hazy cluster of islands, which is the Changdao archipelago.
Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea Scenic Area
Yantai · 2–3 hours
Located on the Yellow Sea coast north of Penglai, the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea Scenic Area faces Danya Mountain, Penglai Pavilion and the Changshan Islands across the water. It is a distinctive scenic spot on the Jiaodong Peninsula. Set against Daoist culture and Penglai mythology, with the legend of the Eight Immortals as its theme, it combines classical architecture with artistic gardens. The surrounding sea is wide and the views are spectacular. The scenic area has nearly 40 main attractions, including the Stone Forest, a bird and animal hall and Seal Island, and it is well suited to children.