Qingzhou Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Jun)

Qingzhou Smile---Qingzhou Museum

If you have a passion for history and culture, you should visit Qingzhou Museum at least once in your lifetime. Not for anything else, but to see the "Qingzhou Smile". An unexpected discovery of a cellar over 60 square meters unearthed several hundred Buddha statues! It's astonishing how each and every one of them is a national treasure, spanning from the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang and Song periods. The process of Sinicization of Buddhism is very well embodied in these statues. Standing in front of these Buddha statues, seeing the gentle smiles on their faces, you will feel an inexplicable touch. It might be an unnamed force deeply moving your heart.

Travel Guide | A Day Trip Strolling Through Qingzhou!

| A Day Trip Strolling Through Qingzhou!. Last Friday, I went to Qingzhou with my bestie for a day. Below, I will provide a guide on aspects such as route, transportation, attractions, and food. Around 20,000 steps, the walk was long but the route itself is not difficult, and it's also suitable for bringing along the elderly and children in the family! The cost per person is 150+ I. Route Planning D1: Qingzhou City Station → Qingzhou Ancient City (Ou Garden, Christian Church, Catholic Church) → Qingzhou Zhaode Ancient Street → Qingzhou Museum → Longxing Temple II. Transportation We took a green-skin train because it's close to Jinan and we didn't take the high-speed train, after all, it's about saving money haha Jinan-Qingzhou outbound ticket: April 19, 2024, 06:10 Daming Lake Station → April 19, 2024, 07:45 Qingzhou City Station (K411), duration 1 hour 35 minutes. Ticket price: 23.5 RMB For the return trip, we also focused on saving money, thinking of staying in Qingzhou a bit longer, we bought tickets for a later time. There were no direct trains left, so we bought a transfer ticket with a 50-minute layover in Zibo Qingzhou-Jinan return ticket: First leg: Qingzhou-Zibo April 19, 2024, 18:49 Qingzhou City Station → 19:07 Zibo Station (G1080), duration 18 minutes. Second leg: Zibo-Jinan April 19, 2024, 20:01 Zibo Station → 21:09 Jinan Station (K8280), duration 1 hour 08 minutes Ticket price: 27.5 RMB (first leg 11 RMB, second leg 16.5 RMB) III. Attractions Overview Qingzhou Ancient City: An ancient city with Ming and Qing architectural styles. We arrived early in the morning when there were not many people, which was perfect for taking photos. The churches allow for panoramic shots. Ou Garden requires a ticket of 20 RMB which can be bought online, and inside there are many flowers, suitable for a leisurely stroll in a small garden. Besides the main street, Qingzhou Ancient City also has many small alleys to explore, which are closer to the real life of the locals. If you come to the ancient city in the afternoon, you can dine here, but in the morning, it seems that the food stalls open late, so there's not much for buying food. Qingzhou Zhaode Ancient Street: This ancient street is a residential street, like a path in a small village. Opposite the entrance of Zhaode Ancient Street, there is a shop selling Qingzhou's specialty 'Longsheng Pastries'. Their honey treats are particularly famous. Qingzhou Museum: In 2008, it was rated as one of the first batch of 'National First-Class Museums', and is the only county-level comprehensive museum among the first 83 national first-class museums. Qingzhou Museum is the most worthwhile attraction in Qingzhou, in my opinion. The three treasures of the museum are a must-see, especially the Longxing Temple statues, which are truly beautiful. There is a place selling stamp collection cultural products in the museum, and I bought them at the 'Zhuangyuan School' on the first floor. This is where you can get all the stamps at once, and there are also vending machines at the entrance of the museum selling stamp collection books, which seem to require you to find and stamp them yourself. Longxing Temple: This Longxing Temple is not the one where the unearthed statues were found; the original site has been turned into Longxing Temple Ruins Park. This Longxing Temple has been rebuilt according to the scale and specifications of the ancient Longxing Temple as researched by experts. Although it looks good and is quite large, it takes about an hour to visit. IV. Food The internet recommends going to the museum's restaurant for food, and indeed the taste is good, but to be honest, considering the portion size, it's not very cheap, can I say that... V. Tips 1. On Alipay, go to 'Travel' → 'Bus' → find 'Qingzhou Kaicheng Electronic Bus Card' 2. Qingzhou's public transportation is not very convenient, and it requires a long wait. We only took the bus from the station to the ancient city and back to the station; for other trips, we called for rides, otherwise waiting for the bus would take too long and affect the schedule. 3. When entering attractions, it's good to look online for tickets, as there are generally discounts. That's the summary of the one-day trip to Qingzhou. Everyone can refer to it comprehensively and then make arrangements according to their own situation.

Departing from Qingdao, a leisurely two-day and one-night trip to Qingzhou

Itinerary time: Depart from Qingdao at 7:30 on April 13th, arrive at Qingzhou Museum at 10 o'clock, parking at the museum is free, but capacity is limited. The Qingzhou Museum requires a reservation three days in advance, and tickets for Saturday are released at midnight on Thursday. Start from the fourth floor and work your way down, spending an hour and a half to visit two floors, then go directly to the restaurant on the first floor for a meal. After the meal, visit the second and first floors as well as shop at the cultural and creative store. Arrive at the ancient city at 2 pm, check into Muqing Courtyard, and park at the Ximen Orchard parking lot, parking is free! Rest at the guesthouse for two hours, stroll around the ancient city at 4 pm, have dinner at 5:30 pm, Dongge's Chicken. Finish dinner at 7:30 pm, enjoy a stroll in the night ancient city with a gentle breeze. The next day, April 14th, get up at 6:30 am, go out at 7 am to visit the ancient city in the early morning, get a full view of the ancient city, the people are very nice. The ancient city is so beautiful. At 7:30 am, walk to Wang Zhiyong's breakfast shop, eat beef pancakes, beef stuffed buns, and steamed beef buns. After breakfast, walk to Ding Mama's rice cake shop, but it's too early, only sliced cakes are available, didn't buy, passed by a Xingsheng pastry shop, bought a crispy red bean cake, delicious. On the way back to the guesthouse, stopped by Longsheng pastry shop near the east gate of the ancient city and bought honey san dao and square pastry. After a short rest, visit Ou Garden at 10 am, visit the garden and then check out of the guesthouse. Drive to Old Street Impression for a meal, after the meal it starts to rain, return to Qingdao, because there are children and expectant mothers on this trip, so it's quite leisurely. Arrive in Qingdao at 4 pm, without delaying the child's school the next day.

The museum in this county is no less impressive than the provincial museums! Come and visit Qingzhou during the New Year!

Qingzhou Museum, although located in a county town, is a national first-class museum. Compared with the Shandong Museum in Jinan, it has more artifacts and the collections are more contemporary. I spent almost four hours in the museum and even had a meal there; the restaurant was quite good. Explanation: Upon entering, you can choose to rent an audio guide or hire a human guide. I rented an audio guide, but didn't find it very useful. Scanning a QR code with your phone to listen is just as good. If you have no background knowledge and are very interested in figurative art, I still recommend hiring a human guide. Tour sequence (in terms of excitement): 4F (Gilded and painted statues unearthed from Longxing Temple - the highlight of the museum, definitely worth a close look) 2F (Includes the examination paper of the top scholar and the 'Yi Zi Sun' jade wall) 1F (Stone steles and carvings) 3F (Calligraphy, paintings, and the Han tombs of Xiangshan, which include a version of the Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival by Qiu Ying, definitely worth a close look, it's like watching a TV series) The three treasures of the museum: 1. The Ming Dynasty top scholar Zhao Bingzhong's palace examination paper Zhao Bingzhong's palace examination paper from the 26th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty is unique in the country. The paper consists of nineteen folded pages, divided into two major parts. The first part is a resume of the author and his three ancestors, written in imitation Song typeface, with four lines. The first fold has the seal 'Seal of the Ministry of Rites' in seal script at the top. This part is sealed, with a watermark of 'Sealed for Protection' on the seal strip. The second part is the main text, consisting of fifteen folded pages, with a total of 2460 characters written in small regular script of the imperial library style. Following the main text are the official titles and names of nine examiners, including Grand Secretaries and Ministers of Rites, War, and Revenue. Zhao Bingzhong was careful with his ink in the palace examination, writing fluently and correctly without a single mistake. The most eye-catching part is the handwritten inscription by Emperor Wanli himself, indicating the top rank of the first class. It's unclear how this examination paper was leaked. What I enjoy most about visiting museums is looking at calligraphy and paintings. I find it magical that we can understand the words left by ancient people, as if having a conversation through time. 2. Eastern Han 'Yi Zi Sun' jade bi The 'Yi Zi Sun' jade bi was discovered in 1982 in Majiazhuangzi Village, Tanfang Town, Qingzhou City. Made of high-quality Hetian jade from Xinjiang, the jade is warm and the carving is exquisite. It is a typical bi with an outer contour, round at the bottom, decorated with bulrush patterns and 158 nipples inside, and chi dragon patterns outside. Above the contour, there is a relief of double dragons among auspicious clouds, with the seal script 'Yi Zi Sun' in the center, which is an auspicious phrase meaning 'may it benefit the family and descendants'. This jade bi is currently the only large Han Dynasty jade bi with Chinese characters in China's museum collections. 3. Buddhist statues from Longxing Temple In October 1996, more than 400 statues were unearthed from the buried treasure of the Longxing Temple site in Qingzhou. Due to the large number, variety, well-preserved gilding and painting, exquisite carving, and long span of time, they were rated as 'One of the Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries in China in 1996' and 'One of the Hundred Major Archaeological Discoveries of the 20th Century in China'. Among them, the 'Qingzhou Smile' is also known as the 'Mona Lisa smile of China'. The downside of the museum is that there are very few resting chairs, and not many cultural and creative products. Qingzhou Museum

Ancient Shandong....

Qingzhou Ancient City (青州古城) is conveniently located between both Ji'nan and Weifang, making it a good option for travelling to for a day trip. You can travel here by car or local bus, but the easiest option is to take a train and just get a taxi from the train station, taking around 15 minutes. Arriving at the majestic front gate, walk through the arch to the main street, where you can find restaurants, pavillions, gardens and temples. The small alleys all meet at the main street. It is very picturesque during the day or night, however it is usually busier in the evening when the buildings are lit up and there are also performances. Make sure you try the local delicacy, the meat bingze...it is a savory snack that is perfect to eat while walking around the attractions here. You can do all of the city In a just a couple of hours. This place is definitely worth a visit if you like old buildings and learning about local history. #2023travelwish #mytripvlog #tripblazers

Weifang Qingzhou Ancient City

From Zhoucun Ancient City, we headed straight to Qingzhou Ancient City. The difference in scale is quite significant. Qingzhou Ancient City covers a large area. The bluestone roads have been polished by the years to an exceptional cleanliness. The ancient trees are lush, and the flowers bloom brilliantly. Many old wooden storefronts are also preserved. There's a main road in the middle, with side roads branching out in all directions that can also lead out of the city. We followed the main road to the end, turned right to exit the city gate, and circled back to the parking lot. We ate the famous Da Huai Tree pan-fried buns. The bun tops are edible. There were too many people waiting in line, so it's better to come at an off-peak time. After exiting the city gate and turning right, we bought the famous Longsheng pastries, which are only available at this store with no branches. We bought a lot as gifts. The flavors are very traditional. We also bought a bunch of milk-flavored baked buns. They smell very fragrant when freshly baked. Those who like solid wheat foods might want to give it a try

Qingzhou, the foremost of the ancient Nine Provinces, is a must-visit in Shandong

📍 Located in Weifang, Shandong, Qingzhou is a county-level city that many may not have heard of. However, as an ancient historical city, Qingzhou once had a very brilliant and splendid history❗️ 🌟 Highlights: It was once the leader of the ancient 'Nine Provinces,' the Qi County of Qin dynasty, the Qingzhou City of Western Han, the Beihai County seat during the Sui and Tang dynasties, and the Qingzhou Prefecture seat during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Its historical status is extremely important〽️ ✅ From the Eastern Han to the Three Kingdoms period, Qingzhou was always an important city in China. It was the hinterland of the Dongyi, a key town of the three Qis, and after the decline of the Qi capital Linzi, Qingzhou served as the political center of the Shandong region for over 1400 years‼️ Today's Qingdao, Yantai, Jinan, Weifang, and other places were once under the jurisdiction of Qingzhou. ✅ Qingzhou is also one of the earliest regions where Buddhism was introduced into China, with a variety of Buddhist sects such as Pure Land, Zen, and Esoteric Buddhism, leaving behind a large number of precious relics. Because of such a glorious history, Qingzhou was selected as a national historical and cultural city, and the ancient city of Qingzhou was selected as a national 5A-level tourist attraction🔆 ✅ The ancient city of Qingzhou was founded during the Western Han dynasty and has ancient streets from the Ming and Qing dynasties such as North Gate Street, East Gate Street, Ou Garden Street, North Camp Street, South Camp Street, and Zhaode Street. There are hundreds of existing ancient streets and alleys, most of which, like 'Qingzhou,' have been using their ancient names for hundreds or even thousands of years📚 ✅ There are many attractions such as Ou Garden, Hengwangfu Archway, Qingzhou Prefecture Tribute Institute, Prefecture Yamen, Prefecture Wen Temple, Mosque, Christian Church, Catholic Church, Peizhen Academy, Kuixing Tower, and the former palace of Li Qingzhao⛩ ❤ Recommended reason: Having visited many ancient cities, I originally came to Qingzhou for the 【Qingzhou Museum】, without high expectations for the ancient city, but it gave me so many surprises☺️ ✅ Without excessive commercialization, the ancient city still retains its original streets and alleys, and the original residents still live among them💕 ✅ If you have time, and if you like cultural history, Qingzhou is worth spending a few days to slowly explore and enjoy💕 🚉 Travel tips: Take the high-speed train🚄 to Qingzhou, and you can take a bus or taxi directly to the ancient city, which is quite convenient.

Weifang Three-Day Two-Night Nanny-Level Guide

👉Weifang Three-Day Two-Night👈 Nanny-Level Travel Guide❗❗ Weifang, you really know how to enjoy yourself. Guys😎, today I bring you a three-day two-night travel guide to Weifang🎈, ensuring you have a great time and satisfy your appetite😋! 📍Day 1: Morning🌄: After arriving in Weifang, check into a hotel near Kuiwen Gate🏨. The location is convenient for transportation🚇, and there are many delicious foods nearby🍱. Afternoon🌅: Visit the Kite Square to experience Weifang's kite culture🎏, admire various exquisite kites, colorful kites dancing in the sky🎐, as if waving at you🙋, inviting you to feel the joy of freedom😄. Evening🌙: Head to the night market to taste a variety of snacks😍, and experience Weifang's nightlife. The fragrant grilled skewers🍖, steaming hot wontons🥟, every bite immerses you in the world of delicious food😜. 📍Day 2: Morning☀: Visit the Kite Museum👀, learn about the history and craftsmanship of kites. Here🧐, you will be amazed to find that the evolution of kites is so colorful🎊, from simple shapes to complex patterns🎨, each kite contains the hard work of its maker👏. Afternoon🌤: Head to Shihu Garden🎉, admire this Suzhou-style garden. Stroll in the garden🚶, feel the breeze on your face🎋, as if you are in the water towns of Jiangnan🏞. Evening🌒: Walk on the ancient city wall of Kuiwen Gate🚶, enjoy the beautiful night view. The ancient city wall looks particularly solemn under the lights🛤, making you feel as if you have traveled back to ancient times🤩. 📍Day 3: Morning🌅: Drive to Qingzhou Ancient City🌇, experience its long history and culture. Afternoon🌓: Stroll around the ancient city🛍, admire the intangible cultural heritage techniques. You can make an intangible cultural heritage item by hand🎁, feel the charm of traditional culture🤝. Key Check-in Spots: 👉Kite Square: Various uniquely shaped kites🪁, making you feel as if you are in the ocean of kites🐳. 👉Kite Museum: The museum houses many precious kites👍, a great place to understand kite culture📚. 👉Shihu Garden: The exquisite garden🏞, a different view at every step🖼, stunningly beautiful🤩. 👉Qingzhou Ancient City: The ancient city walls🛣, the simple streets🛤, full of historical charm👣. Food Recommendations: 🥙Chaotian Pot: A variety of ingredients cooked in a big pot🥘, fragrant and mouthwatering😍, making you drool😋. 🥪Weifang Meat Bun: Crispy on the outside🥠, juicy and delicious filling🥩, every bite leaves a lingering fragrance😜. 🍜Hele: The soup is fresh and tasty🥣, the noodles are chewy🍜, making you unable to stop👏. 🥒Weixian Radish: Crisp and refreshing🥒, sweet and juicy🍐, with an excellent taste👍. 🐔Mustard Chicken: The chicken is tender🐔, the mustard flavor is uniquely stimulating🎭, bringing you a different taste experience👅. Weifang, this charming city🏙, with its rich history, culture, and food🎊. Here, you can fully enjoy the fun of traveling🎡, feel the unique charm of Weifang🤩. Come to Weifang🙌, you will surely fall in love with this city💗💗💗!

Ancient city Qingzhou | Li Qingzhao lived for 20 years

Qingzhou, Shandong, is one of the ancient nine provinces Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, and Fu Bi have all been prefects here It can be seen that it is famous in history Li Qingzhao lived here for 20 years with her husband Zhao Mingcheng There is also a county-level museum of the same level as the Forbidden City - Qingzhou Museum 2 hours high-speed rail distance from Beijing 🍓Places to go: ◾️Qingzhou Ancient City: There are Ou Garden, the memorial hall of landscape painting master Li Cheng, churches and city towers in the ancient city. Overall, it is quite comfortable to stroll around. There are many snacks inside. ◾️Camel Mountain and Longxing Temple: Go to climb Camel Mountain in the morning, there are the so-called Shandong's first grotto statues on it, it is quite tiring to climb the mountain, you need to bring more water, there are no shops on it. You can overlook Longxing Temple from the high point of Camel Mountain. Although Longxing Temple is a newly built temple, it is still very magnificent. The Buddha statues inside are tall and solemn, and there are many small stone monks on the ground outside, which are very cute. ◾️Qingzhou Museum: If you go to Qingzhou, you must go to Qingzhou Museum. When taking a 🚗, the master asked, are you going to the museum? (Laugh) Although it is a county-level museum, due to the discovery of more than 600 Buddhist statues from the Northern Wei to the Northern Song Dynasty at the Longxing Temple site in 1996, it was one of the "Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries of the Year" and became a national first-class museum. "If National Treasures Could Talk" also has a special episode about the smiling Buddhas. You can understand the changes of Buddha statues from the Northern Wei to the Song Dynasty. If you look closely, each Buddha statue has a different face. Many Buddha statues have suffered a great deal of damage, but they all maintain a smiling expression, which is very shocking. The champion scroll and Qiu Ying's version of the Qingming Shanghe Picture should not be missed. ◾️Fan Gongting Park: It seems to be a citizen leisure park inside. But the Three Sages Temple (Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, Fu Bi) and Li Qingzhao's former residence (under renovation) are located here. The lotus flowers are in full bloom, and the trumpet creepers are also blooming. Adults hide under the green wisteria trees to cool off, and children use lotus leaves as umbrellas. There is also a studio for learning to make rubbings in the Three Sages Temple. ◾️Others: There are also Yunmen Mountain (a huge Shou character), Huanghua Creek, and the Sleepless City that I didn't have time to go to. 🚗Transportation: Usually take a taxi, not expensive. 🍱Eating: I found that many of the foods here are halal, and there are many Hui people's shops on the road. It is said that these people settled down after a big migration. Qi Ji soil chicken rice noodles are in the ancient city, there are a lot of people, but it is really delicious. Breakfast at Wang Zhiyong's breakfast shop. The local dishes of the Old Street Impression are not used to eating, the halal Longsheng pastries are a bit too sweet...

The time came unfortunately, and it was catching up with the Sanxian large-scale maintenance, scaffolding and warning belts everywhere. As soon as I entered the door, I saw Fan Gongting standing on the road. This park is named after this. Fan Gongting is actually a pavilion built by a well. On the pavilion facing the pavilion, there is a pair of couplets engraved: the well-being is infinite, and the source is inexhaustible. The words are simple and meaningful, showing the heights of future generations of Fan Gong.

There is a park in the west of Qingzhou City, Shandong Province. Since the Northern Song Dynasty, it has been built. In order to commemorate a known state in Qingzhou during the Northern Song Dynasty, this person was Fan Zhongyan, and the park was named Fan Gongting Park. is separated from the park by the wall. It is the old city of Qingzhou. From the Western Han Dynasty to the early Ming Dynasty, the city of Qingzhou is considered to be brilliant. In the middle, it has been a capital of one country for 12 years. When the political center of Shandong Province moved to Jinan in the early Ming Dynasty, the city also fell. There are many monuments in the Fan Gongting Park. The most essential part is in Sanxianyu, which is surrounded by key protection and ancient trees. This park is named after a pavilion. This is the Fan Gongting in Sanxian. Sanxiantun commemorates three Zhizhou, who are officials in Qingzhou during the Northern Song Dynasty, Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu and Fuyu. There are 2 species of Tang dynasty in Sanxian, with a tree age of more than 1300 years, a tree height of about 15 meters; 3 songs of Song dynasty, the age of the tree is nearly 900 years, the tree height is about 20 meters, and the trunk is thick and needs several people to hold together. Feng Yuxiang In May 1934, when he worshipped Fan Gongting, he wrote a link in the stroke: the armor is rich in the chest, and he teaches him to ride and fly, and he is afraid of Fan Xiaozi; worrying about the world, wishing today He is excited and he is studying this show. Fang Gongyu is in the middle, with Fan Zhongyan statue inside. Both Fugong and Ouyang Gongyu were built around Fan Gongyu at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

The art of cave temples between the sea and the mountains

Mount Tuo and Mount Yunmen are both famous mountains in Qingzhou, Shandong. Both mountains are located not far southwest of Qingzhou city center, standing opposite each other. Both mountains have cave temples built around the same time, and they are part of the same national protected unit entry as two sub-projects. Both mountains are over 400 meters high, with roughly the same elevation. In terms of climbing difficulty, Mount Tuo is relatively steep, while Mount Yunmen is comparatively gentle, with climbing times ranging from half an hour to about an hour. The two mountains are quite far apart, and there was a cable car service, but it has not been open recently, so you need to take a taxi or drive there. 👍Most recommended: Mount Tuo is named for its resemblance to a camel lying down when viewed from a distance. On the southern cliff halfway up the mountain, there are 5 cave temples and 1 cliff carving from the Northern Zhou to the Sui and Tang dynasties. The largest among them, Cave No. 3, carved in the late Northern Zhou period, has a 6.5-meter-tall Amitabha Buddha statue at the front, with a full face and robust body, wearing a double-collared cascading robe, exuding great beauty. The Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva on both sides also have a strong Northern Dynasties style. 📝Note tips: Several cave temples on Mount Tuo are covered with protective wire mesh because the caves face west to east. In the strong morning sunlight, the shadows of the wire mesh are clearly cast on the Buddha statues, significantly affecting the photo quality of the statues. Compared to Mount Tuo, Mount Yunmen is more famous and attracts more visitors. The most famous site here is the huge character for 'longevity' at the top of the mountain, which has become a must-visit spot for blessings. The Yunmen Mountain cave temples are located on the sunny side of the mountain that bears the 'longevity' character. The condition of these caves is not as good as those on Mount Tuo, with 5 large caves and several small niches, housing a total of 270 statues of various sizes. Most of the statues here are relatively intact, but their heads have been damaged. Additionally, among the cliffs and near the caves of Mount Yunmen, there are many inscriptions by literati from various dynasties, with well-preserved characters. The Yunmen cave in the middle of Mount Yunmen connects both sides and offers a distant view of the entire Qingzhou city, making it a worthwhile spot for sightseeing and lingering.

The largest and best-preserved group of grotto statues in eastern China

Many people mention Qingzhou, the first thing they think of is the exquisite Longxing Temple statues. However, the Tuo Mountain Grottoes in Qingzhou, compared to the "perfect" Longxing Temple statues, bring a deep and peaceful beauty, worth savoring the inner beauty. Unlike the Longxing Temple statues that hit the eye, the statues of the Tuo Mountain Grottoes are more like a cup of aged wine. During the Sui Dynasty, most of China's important grotto statues were located in Shandong. There may have been many sculpture activity centers in central and eastern Shandong. The Sui Dynasty statues were mostly located on the slopes near important temples. The artistic level of the works left by these sculptors is uneven. The good works undoubtedly represent the sculptural quality of the Sui Dynasty. The Tuo Mountain Grottoes are known as the "crown of the Qi and Lu grottoes", which began to be excavated from the Northern Zhou Dynasty and completed in the middle of the Tang Dynasty, lasting nearly two hundred years. During the Yuan Dynasty, due to the dispute between Buddhism and Taoism, Tuo Mountain was once occupied by Taoists, causing some damage to the statues. The ticket for climbing Tuo Mountain in Qingzhou, Weifang, Shandong is 40 yuan, and it is free for people over 60 years old. The mountain is not high, but the steps are steep, all are steps carved out of mountain stones, there is almost no flat part, and the whole journey takes about two hours. There is a Buddha-viewing platform halfway up the mountain, where you can see the opposite mountain peak, like a Buddha's head lying on his back, which is very spectacular. When you climb to the top of the mountain, you can see the most recommended Tuo Mountain Grottoes in Qingzhou. This is the largest and best-preserved group of grotto statues in eastern China. There are a total of 5 caves here, each of different sizes, and you can still vaguely see the colored patterns on the grottoes a thousand years ago, and the Buddha statues in the grottoes are solemn and shocking! Coming out of the grotto and going up, there is a Taoist temple-Haotian Palace. This is a place for the Quanzhen Taoist cultivation, and there are still Taoist priests practicing inside, and there is a stele forest at the door, which is forbidden to take pictures. To appreciate the thousand-year-old grottoes, Tuo Mountain is the best choice, it is very worth a visit!

Ancient city Qingzhou | Li Qingzhao lived for 20 years

Qingzhou, Shandong, is one of the ancient nine provinces Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, and Fu Bi have all been prefects here It can be seen that it is famous in history Li Qingzhao lived here for 20 years with her husband Zhao Mingcheng There is also a county-level museum of the same level as the Forbidden City - Qingzhou Museum 2 hours high-speed rail distance from Beijing 🍓Places to go: ◾️Qingzhou Ancient City: There are Ou Garden, the memorial hall of landscape painting master Li Cheng, churches and city towers in the ancient city. Overall, it is quite comfortable to stroll around. There are many snacks inside. ◾️Camel Mountain and Longxing Temple: Go to climb Camel Mountain in the morning, there are the so-called Shandong's first grotto statues on it, it is quite tiring to climb the mountain, you need to bring more water, there are no shops on it. You can overlook Longxing Temple from the high point of Camel Mountain. Although Longxing Temple is a newly built temple, it is still very magnificent. The Buddha statues inside are tall and solemn, and there are many small stone monks on the ground outside, which are very cute. ◾️Qingzhou Museum: If you go to Qingzhou, you must go to Qingzhou Museum. When taking a 🚗, the master asked, are you going to the museum? (Laugh) Although it is a county-level museum, due to the discovery of more than 600 Buddhist statues from the Northern Wei to the Northern Song Dynasty at the Longxing Temple site in 1996, it was one of the "Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries of the Year" and became a national first-class museum. "If National Treasures Could Talk" also has a special episode about the smiling Buddhas. You can understand the changes of Buddha statues from the Northern Wei to the Song Dynasty. If you look closely, each Buddha statue has a different face. Many Buddha statues have suffered a great deal of damage, but they all maintain a smiling expression, which is very shocking. The champion scroll and Qiu Ying's version of the Qingming Shanghe Picture should not be missed. ◾️Fan Gongting Park: It seems to be a citizen leisure park inside. But the Three Sages Temple (Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, Fu Bi) and Li Qingzhao's former residence (under renovation) are located here. The lotus flowers are in full bloom, and the trumpet creepers are also blooming. Adults hide under the green wisteria trees to cool off, and children use lotus leaves as umbrellas. There is also a studio for learning to make rubbings in the Three Sages Temple. ◾️Others: There are also Yunmen Mountain (a huge Shou character), Huanghua Creek, and the Sleepless City that I didn't have time to go to. 🚗Transportation: Usually take a taxi, not expensive. 🍱Eating: I found that many of the foods here are halal, and there are many Hui people's shops on the road. It is said that these people settled down after a big migration. Qi Ji soil chicken rice noodles are in the ancient city, there are a lot of people, but it is really delicious. Breakfast at Wang Zhiyong's breakfast shop. The local dishes of the Old Street Impression are not used to eating, the halal Longsheng pastries are a bit too sweet...

The stone-built houses of Jing Tang ancient village

Jing Tang ancient village is an ancient architectural complex with Ming Dynasty architectural style and residential characteristics of the western mountainous area, and it is one of the better-preserved ancient villages in Shandong Province. The entire village is surrounded by ancient defensive walls, which are made of bluestone, and several castles (gun towers) have been built with self-defense functions. The stone-built houses are the most characteristic buildings in the ancient village, mainly made of local bluestone. The craftsmen used local materials and skillfully applied primitive manual techniques to construct the stones in an orderly and interlocking manner. In the gaps, they would also patch with iron and stone pieces, making the entire building tight and seamless, not only aesthetically pleasing but also very practical. The architectural style of the stone-built houses also fully integrates the local folk customs and geomancy culture. You can see that these houses are built according to the mountain terrain, constructed to take advantage of the situation, reflecting the life philosophy of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. In the 1980s, villagers had already moved out of the ancient village, so now, in addition to some houses that are still maintained for visits or used as shops, there are also many old houses that only have stone walls left, becoming dangerous buildings or ruins.

Qingzhou Jingtan Ancient Town, a village that dates back to the Ming Dynasty

📍 Jingtan Ancient Town is located in Qingzhou City, under the jurisdiction of Weifang. This is a small village with ancient charm, famous for a young woodcutter with the surname Wu from the village who became the son-in-law of Prince Heng during the Ming Dynasty. 📍 Surrounded by mountains on all sides, Qingzhou has an inexhaustible supply of stones, hence the locals invented stone houses that are well adapted to the environment. The stones are hard and thick, which keeps out the cold in winter and the heat in summer, making the houses warm in winter and cool in summer. 📍 The number of young people in the ancient village is dwindling, and many stone houses are in disrepair due to age. It seems as if the village is being forgotten by time. I sincerely hope that more people will come forward to ensure that every stone here can exude vitality. 📍 The preserved houses in the ancient town include the Wu Family Courtyard, Sun Family Courtyard, Zhang Family Quadrangle, Folk Customs Museum, Wedding Customs Museum, Botanical Museum, Zoological Museum, Tofu Workshop, Black Bean Cake Workshop... 📍 When visiting the ancient town, you can bring some walnuts, hawthorns, persimmon cakes, black dates, wild dates, sophora flower tea, wood carvings, odd stones, and hand-woven baskets.