Jinan (济南) is a capital city of Shandong province located in Eastern China. The city is situated between the Yellow River to the North and mountains to the South, so Jinan’s territory is stretched from the South-West to the North-East. It will take you about 4-5 hours to get from here to the coastal cities by car.

In Chinese, Jinan is also called 泉城 Quancheng, literally the “City of springs”, because there are a lot of them, especially in the central area: Baotu Spring (趵突泉), Heihu Spring (黑虎泉) and many others. You will find the blue monument symbolizing local springs in the central square of the city.

Climate

There are two main seasons in Jinan: summer and winter because spring and fall are too short. In summer it is hot like in hell here, so the city is called “one of four great Chinese stoves” (四大火炉) because of notorious heat. Winters are dry and snow is rare. In winter the houses are usually warmed with central heating. Air conditioners are common too because they provide warmth in winter and coolness in summer. There is a short story by Chinese classic Lao She called “Winter in Jinan”, he believes that local winter is much warmer and pleasant than in other regions of North China.

Population

The population is about 9 million. Local people speak standard Mandarin with a little bit of different pronunciation. More than 90% are Han Chinese. The population is mostly secular, but there are some Buddhists and Christian as well. There are some minorities, the biggest of all is Hui, the so-called Chinese Muslims. One of their quarters (回民区) is located close to Baotu Spring. In that area, you will find many mosques.

Universities

Jinan has many universities, including Shandong University (山东大学), Jinan University (济南大学), Shandong Normal University (山东师范大学), Shandong University of Finance and Economics (山东财经大学), and many others, most of them accept foreign students. Some campuses are located near the city center, some campuses are in quite distant areas, like Changqing (长青), Zhangqiu (章丘) or Laiwu (莱芜). In recent years, there is a big influx of students from Pakistan.

Attractions

The central square of Jinan is called Quancheng square (泉城广场). The Spring monument is located there, and under the square, there is a shopping mall. To the west from the Quancheng square, there is a Baotuquan park. In the eastern part of the square, you will find a big fountain that activates a few times per day, for example at 3 PM and 8 PM. Behind the fountain, there is an arch with statues of famous people from Shandong province: philosopher Confucius, strategist Sun Tzu, writer Pu Songling, and others. At the Quancheng square, you will usually see a bunch of people doing some funny and weird things, like flying kites, dancing, whipping tops, and singing.

Another interesting attraction is the Daming Lake (大明湖) located in the city center. Though the lake is not very huge, it’s still pleasant to walk down the shore enjoying the scenery. Here you can get on the small boat and have a good look at bridges and islands. Daming Lake is famous in China because there was a series in the 1990s called “My fair princess” (还珠格格) about a local girl who got in love with the emperor.

To the south from Daming Lake, lies the best spot of Jinan, the Old Quarter. It consists of smaller parts, including Baihuazhou (百花洲), Qushuiting (曲水亭), and others. The area is full of clean streams, narrow streets, small shops, cozy cafes, and has the atmosphere of the old Chinese cities. The local food street is also nearby.

For traditional Chinese souvenirs, you need to go to the Hero Mountain Cultural Market (英雄山文化市场). They have many old cups, badges, books, cups, calligraphy accessories, whatever you need. In the back of the market, there are shops where you can buy plants, and near the front, there are some spots for pets lovers. Turtles, rabbits, fish, and even scorpions – come here and see.

By the way, if you like animals, there is a zoo in Jinan, it looks a bit old-fashioned with the animals kept in cages, but it is not too big, so it’s a good place to spend few hours. They have pandas, giraffes, lions and many more, and you can buy some carrots to feed bears and rabbits. And by the way, near the entrance, there is a Ferris wheel. 

In Jinan, you can also find some European-style buildings. Unlike Qingdao, they are dispersed across different areas of the city. The most famous one is Hongjialou Cathedral (洪家楼天主教堂). This Catholic Cathedral was built in the neo-gothic style by Germans in 1905. It is usually open and they have sermons on Sundays and holiday masses on Christmas and Easter. 

Food

In Jinan, the local cuisine is called Lu cuisine (鲁菜), and it is similar to other regions of North China. It is famous for dumplings, noodles, and big dishes with vegetables, eggs, and meat. Among the most common dishes preferred by locals, are dumplings, beef noodles, hot pot. The dishes are not that spicy compared to other Chinese regions. Because Shandong is a coastal province, fresh seafood, like shrimps, clams, oysters, is also available.

The heart of Chinese cities lies in their food districts. In Jinan the are two main food streets: the old crowded Furongjie (芙蓉街) and the new fancy Kuanhouli (宽厚里). The first one is located in the old quarter and is good for eating some food on the go, and the second one is better for taking pictures and has more cafeteria and bars.

Transportation

Jinan is a major transportation hub, it’s located in the middle between Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, and Zhengzhou. The city has Yaoqiang airport (遥墙机场), and four railway stations: Jinan Station (济南站), Jinan West Station (济南西站), Jinan East Station (济南东站), and Daminghu Station (大明湖站). There are regular and high-speed trains departing in all directions.

The city transportation mostly consists of buses and taxis. For taxis, the basic tariff starts from 9,5 yuan. The subway infrastructure in Jinan is still under development.