Tours and holidays with added interest
Shandong
- Name in Chinese characters: 山东
- Name in Pinyin: Shāndōng
- Status: Province
- Capital: Jinan
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Location within China
General Overview
Shandong Province juts out of the east coast of China into the Yellow Sea, forming the sheltered Bo Hai to its north.
Shandong is noted not so much for its geographic features but because of one man- Confucius. As a native of Qufu, Kong Zi (the transliteration of his title, Confucius to us in the west) was recognised in his own time a great thinker - but not until after his death as a pillar of Chinese thinking. His writings have now been adopted as classics and were required reading for those hoping to enter government service.
Shandong does have some great landscapes including much of the rugged coastline and the sacred Tai Shan (Mount Tai). The Island of Penglai has been linked to Chinese mythology.
Shandong has mines rich in several minerals and, most importantly gold.
Attractions For Visitors
A visit to Qufu is essential for anyone who wants to know more about Confucius. There is a Temple, a Mansion here for his descendants and a forested Cemetery which makes for a pleasant stroll. In the evenings, a vibrant open-air show retells some of the key episodes from the life of Confucius; you don't need to understand the words to enjoy.
The city of Tai'an was developed as a base from which to worship the gods residing on Tai Shan. Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor, held a ceremony on the summit even as far back as 219 BCE. There are cable cars to the summit but the hike is well worthwhile for those with the time and energy. There are supposedly 6,666 steps.
The provincial capital, Jinan, has some nice springs but is mostly a busy commercial city.
Tsingtao, Qingdao
Tsingtao beer has become a leading brand in the world market. That is quite surprising for a country that has been brewing beer for less than two hundred years and for a brewery based in a small coastal city.
Tsingtao, or Qingdao as it now known in the more modern transliteration pinyin, was annexed by Germany in 1897 and was a German and Japanese colony from 1916 until the Communist came to power in 1949. The Germans brought their brewing skills with them and started producing lager type beers.. Small scale production became popular and continued in popularity to the point where nowadays the whole city is dominated by breweries and hundreds of millions of bottles are produced each year. There is even an annual Beer Festival - Qingdao International Beer Festival.
Qingdao has some excellent beaches though these do tend to get crowded. It can also offer great sea-food, a great accompaniment for the beer!
Qingdao hosted the sailing events for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and now has world class facilities for visiting enthusiasts.
A Day at the Acrobats
The town of Wuqiao is famous across China as the home of acrobatics. There are numerous schools here that take in and train youngsters in skills such as contortion and juggling. A museum explains some of the history associated with the town. The biennual Wuqiao International Acrobatics Festival has grown too large for this small town's limited infrastructure and is now hosted in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province.
For anyone who enjoys the one hour shows in Beijing, Shanghai and elsewhere, a full day visit is highly recommended. The main tourist attraction, Acrobat World, offer a succession of shows that will keep you enthralled. You might even learn a trick or two.
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