# Jinan travel guide (济南) Shandong Province · East China, China · 11 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/shandong/jinan ## Quick itinerary - **Day 1:** Daming Lake → Wulong Pool → Baotu Spring → Quancheng Square (watch the musical fountains, then have dinner on nearby Furong Street) - **Day 2:** Thousand Buddha Mountain → Shandong Museum - **Day 3:** Jiuru Mountain → Hongye Valley (Red Leaf Valley) ## The feel of the place - **Boldness:** Jinan 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. - **City of Springs:** Jinan is famous for its springs: the city has 72 springs, big and small, which earned it the nickname 'City of Springs'. Long ago, Baotu Spring was known for its sight of water 'leaping into the sky', and it was named the 'First Spring under Heaven'. Lao She's essay 'Baotu Spring' paints the beauty of the City of Springs so vividly that you feel as if you were there. It is little wonder that some readers, after reading his essay, have followed the sound of the springs and settled here. - **Street Sculptures:** Jinan is a city blessed with both remarkable springs and remarkable people. Xin Qiji, Li Qingzhao... and dozens more celebrated figures. Strolling along Jinan's streets, the sculptures of these famous people will set your mind wandering. ## The feel of the place ### Lantern-Releasing Custom In Jinan, people used to release lanterns on the night of the 30th day of the seventh lunar month. The lanterns were made from wet flour dough; once dried, they were filled with soybean oil, with wicks twisted from cotton. It was said to offer solace to the souls of those who had drowned. Today it has evolved into a folk recreational activity. ### Best Time to Visit Autumn is the most suitable time to visit Jinan. However, Daming Lake in winter snow and Baotu Spring in spring are at their most beautiful. ### Folk Festivals April: Peach Blossom Tourism Festival At Quancheng Square you can admire peach blossoms, watch performances and browse exhibitions of local specialty travel goods. July: Daming Lake Lotus Art Festival Within the Daming Lake scenic area there are activities such as a Lotus Fairy selection contest, a lotus lantern fair, a Qixi Festival gala, dragon boat races and a beer festival. August–September: Jinan International Wushu Festival Martial arts enthusiasts from around the world gather in Jinan to exchange skills and make friends. ### Preparation and Information ### Language Mandarin is widely spoken here as well. ### Climate and Best Seasons Four distinct seasons are the defining feature of Jinan's climate, and the transitions between them are especially quick, so first-time visitors may need a little time to adjust. July and August are Jinan's rainy season, as these two months account for 54% of the year's rainfall. Winters in Jinan are milder than in surrounding areas. Snow falls only about 10 days in a typical winter, spread between November and April. ## Getting there & around ### Getting There Shandong is a province with a very well-developed transport network. Road travel is the main link with neighbouring provinces and cities. Jinan also has flights to dozens of major cities across China, and its railway network is extensive. ### By Air Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport lies in the northeast of the city, about 30 km from the city centre. It takes only 2 hours by car from the airport to Mount Tai and Qufu, Confucius' hometown. There are flights to major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xiamen and Chongqing. ### From the Airport to the City Line 1: Airport → Jinan Zhan Square Bus Station (or Airport → railway and bus stations). Departs 9:00–20:00. Fare ¥20. Line 2: Jinan Jichang Zhan (济南机场站) → Yuquan Senxin Hotel. Departs continuously 9:00–20:00. Fare ¥20. Line 3: Jinan Jichang Zhan → Jinan Xi Zhan. Departs 9:00–20:30. Fare ¥20. From the City to the Airport Line 1: Jinan Zhan Square Bus Station → Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport. Departs on the hour 6:00–19:00. Fare ¥20. Line 2: Yuquan Senxin Hotel → Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport. Departs on the hour 6:00–21:00. Fare ¥20. Line 3: Jinan Xi Zhan Bus Hub → Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport. Departs every 30 minutes 7:30–19:30. Fare ¥20. ### By Train Jinan Zhan is located in the city centre. It is Jinan's oldest station and also its busiest. Jinan Dong Zhan is an auxiliary station to Jinan Zhan, mainly handling arrivals and departures of trains (EMUs) to Taiyuan, Dandong, Tonghua, Shijiazhuang North, Beijing and Qingdao. ### High-Speed Rail Since the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway opened, the Beijing–Shanghai Railway's Jinan Zhan has been linked to Jinan Xi Zhan on the high-speed line by a connecting line. High-speed trains departing from or stopping at Jinan Zhan include 51 pairs of 'G' trains and 89 pairs of 'D' trains. ### By Road As the provincial capital of Shandong, Jinan has a very well-developed road network. Nearly every township is served by bus, and buses run continuously. Road links also connect with neighbouring provinces and cities. Many people prefer to travel by coach rather than by train. Jinan's long-distance bus station is not far from the railway station; a rickshaw ride takes about 10 minutes and costs around ¥5. Jinan has 13 express bus routes. Regular buses cost ¥1; air-conditioned buses, mostly numbered with a K prefix, cost ¥2. There are also 9 sightseeing bus routes: 778, J2 (777), J3, J4B, J5, J6, J7, J10 and J13. ### Metro Jinan currently has Metro Lines 1, 2 and 3. The starting fare is ¥2. ### Taxi Fares Daytime: starting fare ¥8 for the first 3 km; ¥1.5 per km for 3–6 km. Night: starting fare ¥8 for the first 3 km; ¥1.7 per km for 3–6 km. - **Jinan Zhan (济南站)** — - **Jinan Dong Zhan (济南东站)** — - **Jinan Xi Zhan (济南西站)** — ## Eat & drink ### Famous Jinan Dishes ### 3. Jinan's Food Streets Jingshiyi Road Food Street: A Snack Street Weijiu Road Street: A Barbecue Street Quancheng Road: A Western Food Street Furong Street: Northern and Southern Snacks ### Local Snacks - **Jiuzhuan Dachang (Braised Pork Intestines)** — A traditional famous dish of Jinan, Shandong. After being blanched, boiled, deep-fried and braised, the large intestine takes on a glossy reddish hue and a soft, tender texture. It combines salty, sweet, sour and spicy flavours, is intensely savoury yet not greasy, and never tires the palate, no matter how often you eat it. - **Yellow River Carp** — Named after the idiom 'the carp leaps through the Dragon Gate', Jinan's Yellow River carp is sweet and sour with a rich garlic aroma, and it is wonderfully satisfying to eat. - **Caobao Baozi Shop (Puli Street Branch)** — A time-honoured Chinese brand whose signature 'Caobao buns' are a Jinan classic, with delicate, thin skins and juicy, flavourful fillings. The name comes from the founder, Mr. Zhang Wenhan, whose good-natured, straightforward character earned him the affectionate nickname 'Caobao'. (No. 15 Puli Street, Jinan, 0531-88880077) - **Meifei Restaurant (Sangyuan Road Branch)** — A Shandong cuisine restaurant that is a must-visit in Jinan, with a queue outside almost all the time. The must-order dishes are the duck egg yolk lion's head meatballs and the cucumber salad with youtiao (fried dough sticks), both hugely popular. (No. 9-1 Sangyuan Road, 0531-83179985) - **Luoxuan Gao (Spiral Cake)** — A spiral-shaped cake that stands out because it is made with peanut oil rather than animal fat. The finished cake is wrapped in noodles, giving it a golden exterior that is crisp and crunchy from the first bite. - **Tangsu Jianbing (Sugar Crisp Pancake)** — A Jinan specialty made by adding white sugar and flavouring to ordinary millet batter. This not only enhances the taste but also keeps the pancake from turning stiff and hard as it cools. Depending on the spices added, the flavours vary, including peanut, chestnut, pineapple, banana, mint and rose. The pancake is thin and crisp, sweet without being cloying, golden in colour and varied in type. It is nutritious and easy to digest. ## Nightlife In the evening, take a stroll around Quancheng Square. The square is very large and looks even more beautiful once it is lit up at night, and the nearby canal offers boat rides. ## Shopping The hosting of the National Games and the Garden Expo, the expansion of Daming Lake, the launch of the moat river cruises, the start of the Queshan Longhu project, and the successive openings of the Qilu Seven Sages Cultural City and phase one of the Qilu Cultural Industry Park have further catered to visitors' shopping needs. When visiting Jinan, don't forget to bring some local specialties home. Black pottery, woodfish stone, Zhangqiu green onions, Longshan millet, Minghu lotus root, Pingyin ejiao (donkey-hide gelatin, the home of ejiao in China), Pingyin roses, dough figurines and embroidery (Lu embroidery) are all good choices. ### Jinan's Shopping Streets Quancheng Road is Jinan's busiest shopping street. The areas around Daguanyuan, the People's Department Store and the South Gate are also lively shopping districts. ## Where to stay Jinan has countless hotels, guesthouses and inns, with nearly 50 star-rated hotels alone. - **Jinan Yizheng Building** — Very well located, with easy access to Quancheng Square, Baotu Spring, Quancheng Road and other sights. Good value and clean. (No. 110 Lishan Road, Lixia District, Jinan, 0531-85035888) ## Things to see - **Daming Lake** (★★★★): Admission Free entry; Chaoran Tower ¥40; sightseeing bus ¥10 per person; boat ride ¥10 per person; Opening hours 5：00—22：00; Time needed 4–5 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/daming-lake - **Baotu Spring** (★★★★): Admission ¥40; night square for tea-tasting by the spring ¥20; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/baotu-spring - **Wulongtan Park** (★★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours 7：00—22：00; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/wulongtan-park - **Shandong Museum** (★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours 9:00–17:00 (closed Mondays); Time needed 3–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/shandong-museum - **Thousand Buddha Mountain** (★★★★): Admission Thousand Buddha Mountain ¥30; Guanyin Garden ¥5; Wanfo Cave ¥15; Xingguo Temple ¥5; Opening hours 6：30—18：00; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/thousand-buddha-mountain - **Hongye Valley (Red Leaf Valley)** (★★★): Admission ¥80; ¥100 (October–November); Opening hours 7：30—17：00; Time needed 1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/hongye-valley-red-leaf-valley - **Jiuru Mountain Waterfalls** (★★★★): Admission Admission ¥89; lifetime pass ¥198; sightseeing shuttle one-way ¥20, round trip ¥40; Free; Free; Opening hours 8：00—17：00; Time needed 4–6 hours; 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/jiuru-mountain-waterfalls ## Day trips & beyond - **Lingyan Temple** (★★★★): Admission ¥40; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/lingyan-temple - **Zhujiayu Ancient Village** (★★★★): Admission ¥40; Time needed 3–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/zhujiayu-ancient-village - **Wufeng Mountain** (★★★★): Admission ¥40; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/wufeng-mountain - **Jinan Wildlife World** (★★★★): Admission ¥160 — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/jinan-wildlife-world --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 1321–1338. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.