14 Days in Jinan

Baotu Spring's three jets have been written about for some 2,600 years — a Lu lord met the Qi marquis near these waters in 694 BC — and the water holds near 18°C summer and winter. The walk north past the city square to Daming Lake runs about 3 km.

1. jinan baotu spring
2. jinan quancheng square
3. jinan daming lake

Free with reservation, closed Mondays — the Longshan eggshell-black pottery, some 4,000 years old, and the Yinqueshan bamboo slips unearthed in 1972, war manuals buried with their owner over 2,000 years ago.

1. jinan shandong museum

The 285-metre hill at an unhurried pace — Sui-dynasty (581-618) cliff Buddhas, the temple courts, and the whole city grid from the summit lookout.

1. jinan qianfo mountain

Wulongtan's willow-shaded pools in the morning, the moat-side spring mouths in the afternoon — locals still queue with jugs along a dozen pools.

1. jinan wulongtan
2. jinan black tiger spring

A second, slower pass through the spring-water lanes — breakfast stalls, courtyards behind the kerbside streams, tea houses along Qushuiting.

1. jinan furong street
2. jinan qushuiting street

The merchant quarter of 1904 and its red-brick banks in the morning, the Gothic cathedral of 1901-1905 on the north side after lunch.

1. jinan laoshangbu
2. jinan hongjialou cathedral

The river runs along the city's north edge — dike-top paths between poplar rows, the silt-heavy water a storey below the streets.

1. jinan yellow river bank

An honest overnight in neighbouring Taian, under twenty minutes south by HSR — climb the Eighteen Bends' 1,600-odd steps or take the cableway in the evening cool, sleep near the summit of the 1,545-metre mountain.

1. taian mount tai

Sunrise from the Jade Emperor Peak above the cloud line, the descent easy on the cableway, and the midday train back to Jinan.

1. taian mount tai

A slow recovery day — square strolls, tea houses, laundry — before the Zibo and Zhangqiu outings.

1. jinan quancheng square

An honest neighbour-city label — Zibo, half an hour east by HSR; the Qing merchant streets of Zhoucun run stone facades, old shop signs and shaobing ovens, back by the evening train.

1. zibo zhoucun ancient mall

An honest county note — Zhangqiu, a county-level city under Jinan, about an hour east; the Baimai spring group bubbles beside its own park, and Zhujiayu's stone lanes climb the hillside under its cliff.

1. jinan baimai springs
2. jinan zhujiayu village

A farewell hour at Baotu Spring to see the jets one last time, market shopping for road snacks, luggage packed for the morning HSR.

1. jinan baotu spring
2. jinan city markets

A last sweet soy-milk breakfast, then the HSR from Jinan West — Beijing under two hours, Shanghai about 3.5.

1. jinan city markets