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Jinan
Capital of Shandong, China

Jinan

Jinan is the capital of the Shandong province in Eastern China.

Plan a trip to Jinan→From Beijing

With a population of 9.2 million, it is one of the largest cities in Shandong in terms of population. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilization and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub. The city has held sub-provincial administrative status since 1994. Jinan is often called the "City of Springs" for its famous 72 artesian springs.

Get in

Getting to Jinan

Jinan is the hub of traffic for the region and province so you'll likely end up here if heading elsewhere in Shandong, notably Qingdao and Yantai. High speed rail runs on both north-south and east-west lines through Jinan. You can fly to Jinan, but the airport is 40 km northeast of downtown. A taxi will take an hour and cost about ¥150.

  1. 01
    Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport

    A small but modern airport far to the north-east of the city center.

  2. 02
    Daming Lake Station
  3. 03
    Jinan East Station

    Jinan East Station serves trains to Shijiazhuang.

  4. 04
    Jinan Station

    Jinan Train Station is on the Qingdao-Jinan High-Speed Railway and is most convenient for traveling to stations further east in Shandong such as Zibo and Qingdao.

See

Worth seeing

Travellers on a short trip to Jinan are likely to gain most by focusing on the city center, particularly the north-south stretch from Daming Lake through Quancheng Square to Qianfo Mountain, and by adding a trip to the City Government District if time permits. While many museums are free to visit it is always recommended to carry identification such as a passport or risk being refused entry.

  1. 01
    Confucius Culture Museum
  2. 02
    Daming Lake Park
  3. 03
    Jinan Old Town

    A neighbourhood of alleys and traditional Chinese buildings immediately east of the Jinan Confucius Temple, an expansion with new faux-traditional Chinese architecture was completed in 2016.

  4. 04
    Memorial Temple of Xin Qiji

    Daming Hu Road, Lixia District (West side of Xia Garden, south bank of the lake).

  5. 05
    Minghu Art Gallery

    An impressive modern pagoda standing on an island near the center of the lake containing examples of traditional Chinese arts.

  6. 06
    Baotu Spring Park
Do

Things to do

  1. 01
    Jinan International Convention & Exhibition Center
  2. 02
    Minghu Ju

    Qing Dynasty theater showing traditional operas with a restaurant and tea house.

  3. 03
    Shandong Acrobatics Troupe Theatre
  4. 04
    Shandong Grand Theatre Opera Hall
  5. 05
    Huashan Lake
Eat

Where to eat

Opportunities to eat in Jinan are plentiful; from luxury restaurants to farmers cooking at the road side, you will find an enormous variety of prices and standards. The majority of traditional restaurants may be difficult for non-Chinese speakers who will at the best need to choose by pointing at pictures in a menu; more convenient options for these visitors include canteens, food halls, and restaurants within…

  1. 01
    Furong Street

    Jinan's famous food street, a long narrow alley with traditional buildings holding scores of restaurants, canteens, bakeries and stalls.

  2. 02
    Muslim Quarter

    The authentic Muslim Quarter (Huimin Qu) is set among busy alleys in the city block immediately to the West of Baotu Spring.

  3. 03
    Daguanyuan
  4. 04
    Liancheng International Shopping Centre

    Multi-storey shopping centre with a range of restaurants including a second branch of Tales of a Small Town, plus a food hall in the basement.

  5. 05
    Meishi Street

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.