Detailed guide for a 2-3 day in-depth tour of Qingzhou
A 2-3-day in-depth tour guide to Qingzhou, covering the four core attractions of Huanghua Creek, Qingzhou Ancient City, Qingzhou Museum and Qingzhou Flower Market, while integrating natural scenery, historical culture and food experience. The itinerary is flexible and adjustable:
Day 1: History and Ancient Rhyme Exploration
Morning: Qingzhou Museum
Highlights: As the only county-level national first-class museum in the country, it has a collection of more than 20,000 cultural relics. Must-sees include the champion paper of Zhao Bingzhong in the Ming Dynasty, the "Yi Zisun" jade disk of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the Longxing Temple Buddha statue known as the "Oriental Mona Lisa".
Tips: You need to make an appointment in advance through the official account and visit for free; it is recommended to reserve 2 hours and focus on visiting the antique building area of the new museum.
Noon: Qingzhou Ancient City Food Experience
Activities: Stroll from Fucai Gate to Ouyuan Street, check in at historical buildings such as Ming and Qing archways and Catholic churches along the way, and taste Qingzhou special snacks such as Longsheng pastries (honey three knives, peach pastries), Laohuai tree fried buns, and Qingzhou Xuanbing.
Recommended: The four strange stones of "Fu Shou Kang Ning" and the Jiangnan garden style in Ou Garden (ticket price NT$20).
Afternoon: Qingzhou Flower Market (Huanglou Town)
Features: "The First Flower Town in Jiangbei" is famous for its wide variety and affordable prices. You can buy succulents, phalaenopsis and other flowers, and participate in flower art workshops to experience flower arrangement.
Tips: The market is large, so it is recommended to set aside 1-2 hours, compare prices, and prepare cash or electronic payment.
Evening: Night tour of Qingzhou Ancient City
Experience: Enjoy the night view of the ancient city lights. Kuixing Tower and Fucai Gate are brightly lit, which is suitable for shooting ancient style blockbusters; there are folk music performances on the bar street, where you can have a drink and relax.
Day 2: Nature and Landscape Tour
Morning: Huanghuaxi Scenic Area
Highlights: Famous for its waterfalls and canyon landscapes, you can see waterfalls of various shapes along the plank road. It is recommended to pass behind the waterfall in the "Water Curtain Cave" and overlook the mountains after reaching the top.
Tips: The entire hike takes about 2 hours. It is recommended to wear non-slip shoes and bring light snacks. Spring and autumn are the best time to visit.
Afternoon: Yunmen Mountain
Must-see: The giant "Shou" character carved on the top of the mountain (7.5 meters high) means "live as long as the Southern Mountains"; you can overlook the panoramic view of Qingzhou from the top, and the whole climb takes about 1 hour.
Combined tour recommendation: If you have enough time, you can go to Tuoshan Grottoes (the largest grotto group in Shandong, with 638 statues) or Jiulongyu Scenic Area (glass suspension bridge, natural scenery).
Day 3 (optional): Cultural in-depth and leisure
Morning: Fangongting Park
Humanities: Combining nature and history, it houses the former residence of Fan Zhongyan and the Li Qingzhao Memorial Hall. It is particularly pleasant in spring when the cherry blossoms and peonies are in full bloom.
Tips: It is open to the public free of charge and is suitable for a slow walk. It can be visited together with the adjacent museum.
Afternoon: Yangtian Mountain or Jiulongyu
Yangtian Mountain: famous for its Thousand Buddha Caves and winding mountain roads, it is a good place to explore the Buddhist relics from the Song Dynasty. The mountain top has a wide view and is suitable for self-driving enthusiasts.
Jiulongyu: Challenge Asia's longest glass suspension bridge (ticket price: 100 yuan) and experience the thrill of high altitude. There is also a petrified wood geological park in the scenic area.
Must-try specialties
1. Breakfast Recommendations
Old Sophora japonica fried buns
This century-old brand is located in the middle section of Ouyuan Street in Qingzhou Ancient City. It is famous for its thin skin, rich fillings, crispy outside and tender inside. Beef filling and vegetarian leek filling are recommended. A bowl of tofu pudding or spicy soup in the morning is a great way to enjoy the homely atmosphere.
Zhengmu Shaobing
Qingzhou traditional noodles, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a strong sesame aroma. We recommend the salty scallion oil sesame cake or the sweet sugar crispy sesame cake, which can be purchased at the stalls on Beiying Street in the ancient city.
2. Meal selection
Qingzhou Xuanbing
A local specialty similar to Roujiamo, with crispy crust, braised pork belly or braised beef in soy sauce, and chopped green pepper to relieve the greasiness. I recommend the "Wang Jiaxuan Cake" near the south gate of the ancient city, which costs 15 yuan per person.
Chaotian pot
A traditional Weifang delicacy, it is based on pork bone soup and served with thin pancakes wrapped with pork head and offal. The "Old Brand Chaotian Pot" on Dongmen Street in Qingzhou Ancient City is an old shop frequented by locals.
3. Special snacks
Long Sheng Pastry
This is a time-honored brand with intangible cultural heritage. Its signature dishes are Mi San Dao (fried cakes wrapped in syrup), Tao Su and Mung Bean Cake. The main store is located on Ouyuan Street in the ancient city, which is suitable as a souvenir.
Qingzhou glutinous rice cake
The sweet porridge made with red dates and glutinous rice is sticky, sweet and warms the stomach in winter. You can try the freshly cooked version at the Old Town Night Market or at stalls near Fan Gongting Park.
4. Drinks and desserts
Hawthorn products
Qingzhou is rich in hawthorn, and candied haws, hawthorn cake and hawthorn juice are recommended. Shanzhafang on Zhaode Street in the ancient city offers a variety of innovative flavors.
Sugar painting
A traditional handicraft, it uses boiled brown sugar and then painted into animal or text shapes. It has both ornamental and edible value and is commonly seen at the Ouyuan Street Night Market in the ancient city.