Never would have thought, Jining could be this beautiful!
Jining, Shandong, a seriously underestimated "Eastern Holy City"! It's not just Qufu and the Confucius Temple; these 6 places are stunningly beautiful, and 90% of people haven’t even been to the 5th one!
Hello everyone, I’m Danqing, a seasoned travel blogger specializing in curing “aesthetic fatigue from popular tourist spots.”
I’ve traveled through the water towns of Jiangnan and the deserts of the Northwest, but whenever someone asks me, “Besides Qingdao beer and Taishan pancakes, where else can you go in Shandong?”
I always confidently throw out one name—Jining!
Don’t think it’s just “Confucius’ hometown,”
this low-key ancient city hidden in southwestern Shandong,
is the only city in China that simultaneously has the “Sage (Confucius), Sacred Water (Grand Canal), Sacred Mountain (Yishan), and Sacred Site (Liangshan),”
and it’s also a millennium-old port on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal,
half scholarly, half lively; half history, half folklore.
Here you’ll find:
📖 The Confucius Temple’s Dacheng Hall, 300 years older than the Forbidden City
🌊 The “breathing” northern water town—Weishan Lake’s ten-thousand-acre lotus pond
⛰️ Yishan, the “Little Taishan” where even Emperor Qin Shi Huang checked in
⚔️ The real Water Margin Liangshan ruins, taking you back to the gathering hall of the 108 heroes
⛩️ A hidden millennium-old temple, so popular that even phone navigation fails…
But the reality is—
many people just visit the “Three Confucian Sites,” snap some photos, and leave,
resulting in: ❌ missing the most beautiful sunrise over the water ❌ not knowing you can boat and pick lotus pods on Weishan Lake ❌ treating Liangshan as just an ordinary hiking spot ❌ eating an overly salty braised pork rice and crying for help…
Don’t worry! This 2024 latest Jining full guide
✅ is perfect for culture lovers, family trips, photographers, and self-driving enthusiasts
✅ includes transportation + accommodation + off-the-beaten-path activities + food tips
✅ all tested and practical, after reading you’ll instantly become a “Qilu insider”!
📍1. Where is Jining? Why is it worth visiting?
Location: Southwest Shandong Province, bordering Tai’an to the north and Xuzhou to the south
Core tags: birthplace of Confucian culture + important canal hub + hometown of Water Margin + millennium-old city
Keywords: Confucius, Mencius, Grand Canal, Weishan Lake, Liangshan heroes
👉 In one sentence:
Jining = Shandong’s cultural heart + a forgotten poetic water town,
If you’re tired of crowded trendy cities,
come here, drink a bowl of braised pork soup, boat among lotus flowers, listen to the morning bell at the Confucius Temple,
and you’ll realize: “slow life” has long been written into China’s DNA.
📅2. Best time to travel
Season Features Recommendation
------ ----------- --------------
March–May Spring blossoms, full of scholarly atmosphere ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
June–August Weishan Lake lotus in full bloom, perfect for boating and lotus viewing ⭐⭐⭐⭐
September–October Crisp autumn, many cultural festivals, great for deep travel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
December–February Quiet winter, fewer tourists, great for hot springs ⭐⭐⭐
📌 Tip: Avoid peak student study tour seasons during winter and summer holidays, or the Confucius Temple will be full of kids in Hanfu reciting the Analects.
🗺️3. Six must-visit spots (with hidden activities)
Qufu “Three Confucian Sites” — World Cultural Heritage, Confucian holy land
📸 Confucius Temple + Confucius Mansion + Cemetery of Confucius, a step through a thousand years
✨ Highlight: Dacheng Hall’s yellow glazed tiles and double eaves, majestic; Confucius Cemetery is the world’s longest continuous family burial site
💡 Hidden activity: Enter at 6:30 AM, watch the morning light shine on the palace walls, no crowds, instantly feel like a time-travel drama lead
Weishan Lake Tourist Area — Northern China’s largest freshwater lake, summer romance
📸 Lotus area over 100,000 acres! Peak bloom late June to August
✨ Highlight: Ride a black awning boat through lotus ponds, pick lotus pods, fish for crayfish, experience “endless green lotus leaves reaching the sky”
🚤 Recommended route: Weishan Island → Railway Guerrilla Memorial Park → Lotus Wetland Boardwalk
Water Margin Liangshan Scenic Area — pilgrimage site for Water Margin fans
📸 Climb Song Jiang’s fortress, check in at Loyalty Hall and Broken Gold Pavilion
✨ Highlight: Daily “Heroes Welcome” performances, try on armor and be a “Timely Rain” hero for a day
🐎 Bonus: Horse riding patrol, kids’ favorite!
Yishan — “The wonder south of Mount Tai,” wilder than Taishan
📸 The first mountain Emperor Qin Shi Huang visited, rugged rocks, deep caves
✨ Highlight: Undeveloped, hiking feels like an adventure, great for family light trekking
🧘♂️ Artsy vibe: There’s a “Baiyun Palace” on the mountain where Taoists brew tea for guests, super atmospheric
Taibai Tower & Jining Grand Canal Memory District — the city’s artistic heart
📸 Li Bai once got drunk and wrote poetry here, now a cultural landmark
✨ Highlight: Come at dusk, canal lights up, bars, creative shops, and food stalls buzz with life
🍻 Must-try: Order a “Taibai craft beer,” listen to the resident singer perform “Bring in the Wine”
Mencius Temple and Mansion (Zoucheng) — hometown of the “Second Sage,” peaceful and profound
📸 Slightly smaller than Confucius Temple but more scholarly
✨ Highlight: Ancient towering trees, many stone inscriptions, perfect for quiet strolls
🧠 Fun fact: Mencius said “The people are the most important, the state next, the ruler least,” still a hot quote today!
🚆4. How to get there? Full transport guide
✈️ Option 1: Plane + High-speed train
Fly to [Jinan Yaoqiang Airport] or [Heze Mudan Airport] → transfer to high-speed train, 30 minutes direct to Qufu East Station
🚄 Option 2: High-speed train (most convenient, recommended)
Direct trains from major cities nationwide to [Qufu East Station] or [Jining North Station]
Shanghai 3h, Beijing 2h, Zhengzhou 1.5h, super convenient!
🚗 Option 3: Self-driving for more freedom
Navigate to “Qufu Confucius Temple” or “Weishan Lake Scenic Area”
Attractions are spread out, renting a car or chartering a driver is recommended (about 300 RMB/day)
🏠5. Best places to stay?
Type Recommended Location Advantages
------ ------------------ -------------------------
Cultural theme hotels Qufu Nishan Guesthouse, Queli Academy Hotel Han and Tang dynasty style, windows open to ancient buildings
Canal-side homestays Jining Grand Canal Memory District Night lights dazzling, night market right outside the door
Lake view rooms Weishan Lake Heyuan Resort Windows open to lotus ponds, cool and romantic in summer
🔥 Highly recommended: “Queli Book Fragrance” and “Lotus Fragrance Cottage” — full of artistic vibes, perfect for photos!
🍽️6. Must-eat food list (40 RMB per person to eat till you drop)
Braised pork rice: Jining’s top dish! Pork belly stewed soft and flavorful, poured over rice so good it brings tears
Weishan Lake salted duck eggs: Red oil bubbles, sandy texture, perfect with porridge
San (sá) soup: Local breakfast staple, beef bone broth + egg flower + pepper, super warming
Jiabing (stuffed pancake): Soul street snack! Egg + tenderloin + spicy sauce + lettuce stuffed in crispy pancake, bite bursts with juice
Braised fish in clay pot: Carp stewed in a ceramic pot, rich broth, perfect with rice
📍 Recommended restaurants: Old Mill Braised Pork Restaurant, Canal Family Restaurant, Jiabing Street (Jianshe Road)
⚠️7. Pitfall avoidance guide (learn from painful experience!)
❌ Mistake 1: Only visiting Confucius Temple without a guide → can’t understand what you see
✅ Correct way: Hire a professional guide or download the “Three Confucian Sites Audio Guide” app
❌ Mistake 2: Climbing Liangshan at noon in summer → sunburn and exhaustion
✅ Correct way: Go early morning or evening, bring plenty of water and sunscreen
❌ Mistake 3: Buying “Confucius Mansion Family Liquor” souvenirs at the scenic spot entrance → find out it’s fake at home
✅ Correct way: Buy at official supermarkets or cultural shops
❌ Mistake 4: Thinking Weishan Lake is just a lake → actually need to take a boat to explore the lotus ponds
✅ Correct way: Book boat tickets in advance (about 60 RMB/person), choose non-electric boats for a more natural experience
🌟 Final words: Why must you visit Jining at least once?
Because here you’ll find:
✅ The source of the Chinese spiritual world
✅ The overlooked poetic northern water town
✅ The Analects and Water Margin from textbooks come alive
Here, you can listen to “Isn’t it a pleasure to have friends come from afar,”
while biting into a stuffed pancake and sipping mutton soup,
and suddenly understand: elegance and everyday life never conflict.
So,
whether you want to take your kids to learn, accompany your parents to reminisce, or seek a soul journey yourself,
Jining is worth taking a day off for, to have a dialogue with five thousand years of history.
📣:
What do you most want to experience in Jining?
A. Wearing Hanfu and reciting the Analects at the Confucius Temple
B. Boating on Weishan Lake and picking lotus pods
C. Being a “Black Whirlwind” for a day on Liangshan