This is a site we went to last fall(Nov. 2013).
The Four Gates Pagoda(Simenta, 四门塔) is located at the foot of Qinglong Mountain, near Liubu Village, in Licheng District of Jinan. There used to be a well known temple called Shentong Temple near the pagoda. Now the pagoda is perfectly preserved, however the temple is all in ruins. You can still see the remaining foundations of the Shentong temple. The ruins were blocked from visitors and some cleaning work was going on, so we were wondering if people there plan to rebuild the temple-- that would be too bad.
The Simenta scenic area is also well known for its grottoes (Tang dynasty) and stupas (from Sui and Tang to Qing dynasty). Most of these are well preserved and easy to get to.
From Jinan downtown area, you can take a taxi to go to Simenta, which will cost about 100 yuan. You can also check google map for bus schedules. So far, this is one of best tourist attraction I've ever seen in Jinan. I think it's even better than Daming lake or Baotu springs. This site is quiet but not too remote, not crowded, definitely real and beautiful historic treasures (not reconstructed yet), and also you can enjoy a little hiking on the hills nearby.
The Four Gates Pagoda(Simenta, 四门塔) is located at the foot of Qinglong Mountain, near Liubu Village, in Licheng District of Jinan. There used to be a well known temple called Shentong Temple near the pagoda. Now the pagoda is perfectly preserved, however the temple is all in ruins. You can still see the remaining foundations of the Shentong temple. The ruins were blocked from visitors and some cleaning work was going on, so we were wondering if people there plan to rebuild the temple-- that would be too bad.
The Simenta scenic area is also well known for its grottoes (Tang dynasty) and stupas (from Sui and Tang to Qing dynasty). Most of these are well preserved and easy to get to.
From Jinan downtown area, you can take a taxi to go to Simenta, which will cost about 100 yuan. You can also check google map for bus schedules. So far, this is one of best tourist attraction I've ever seen in Jinan. I think it's even better than Daming lake or Baotu springs. This site is quiet but not too remote, not crowded, definitely real and beautiful historic treasures (not reconstructed yet), and also you can enjoy a little hiking on the hills nearby.