Jinan Tourism Guide

For those visiting Jinan for the first time, read this before coming! Tourists coming to Jinan, take a look. The locals in Jinan have summarized this guide without pitfalls and detours. Quickly like and collect this collection of attractions, accommodation and food.

Transportation: It is recommended to take high-speed rail when coming to Jinan. Taxis from the airport to the urban area cost about 80 to 100 yuan. There are a total of four high-speed rail stations: Jinan West Station, Jinan Station, Daming Lake Station and Jinan East Station. Jinan Station and Daming Lake Station are recommended.

Must-visit attractions:
Daming Lake (2-3 hours)
The scenic area is free of charge. There are many gates. Boating costs 100 yuan per hour and can seat up to six people. Boating on a fine day is very pleasant. The Nishan Academy of Shandong Museum at the south gate is recommended. Don’t go to the underwater world. It’s a pit!

Qianfo Mountain (2 hours)
It is recommended to go in the morning to watch the sunrise. The entrance fee is free from 6 am. There are also few people in the morning. After climbing down the mountain, you can eat Houji pancakes at the northwest gate.

Wangfu Pool + Qushuiting Street + Baihua Pond (3 hours)
Explore the alley culture and spring-water households of old Jinan. It feels like a water town in the south of the Yangtze River. Stroll on the bluestone road, watch the gurgling spring water, and take a break in a small bar or coffee shop to experience the slow life of the locals.

Old Commercial Port + Jingsan Road + Zhongshan Park (3 hours)
A must-visit place for photography enthusiasts and petty bourgeoisie literary youths. Slowly stroll in the local living area and check in the exotic buildings, second-hand bookstores, plane tree avenues, coffee shops and vintage stores.

Black Tiger Spring + Jiefang Pavilion + Kuanhouli + Quancheng Square (3 hours)
These four scenic spots are very close to each other. The tulip sea in Quancheng Square is very suitable for taking pictures. The music fountain at night is also good. When you arrive at Black Tiger Spring, remember to bring a water bottle and get some sweet spring water from Black Tiger Spring to experience the joy of fetching water of old Jinan people.

Hongjialou Church (1 hour)
A Gothic church. It’s free. Call in advance to ask if it’s open before going. (The popular fried dough twist next to it is not recommended. Half of it is so greasy that it’s unbearable.)

Jinan Stewed Pork Belly is a famous traditional dish of Han nationality in Jinan City, Shandong Province, belonging to Shandong cuisine. It takes streaky pork with alternate layers of fat and lean as the main ingredient. It is characterized by being fatty but not greasy and having rich and diverse flavors. When making stewed pork belly, the meat is usually cut into long strips, tied into a bundle with hemp rope, and then cooked and stewed in soy sauce until it is extremely tender. This dish emphasizes using soy sauce for seasoning instead of salt, making the meat bright red in color, melting in the mouth, and not salty. It is very suitable to be eaten with rice.

Sweet Porridge originated from Doumo in northern Henan Province and later spread to Jinan, Shandong. It is a famous traditional snack and a popular porridge delicacy. It is one of the two unique specialties of Quancheng. Sweet Porridge, also commonly known as “Five-flavor Sweet Porridge” by Jinan people, is a salty porridge mainly cooked with millet flour. After the porridge is cooked, the owner will ask “Add more?” which refers to adding accessories such as vermicelli, vegetables, and shredded tofu. Later, people pronounced it as “Sweet Porridge” by homophony. Therefore, the taste of Sweet Porridge is salty, not sweet. It is a traditional snack in Jinan, Shandong, with a long history and is deeply loved by people.

Nine-Turn Large Intestine is a traditional famous dish in Jinan City, Shandong Province, China, belonging to Shandong cuisine. This dish takes pig large intestine as the main ingredient, supplemented by ingredients such as scallions and ginger, and is made through cooking techniques such as boiling and braising. After completion, Nine-Turn Large Intestine has a ruddy color and a soft texture, with the characteristics of having all four flavors of sour, sweet, fragrant, and salty, and also having a slightly spicy feeling.

The history of Nine-Turn Large Intestine can be traced back to the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. It was first created by the chef of Jiuhua Tower Hotel in Jinan. It is said that the owner of Jiuhua Tower is surnamed Du and is very wealthy. He has a special preference for the number “nine”, so his shops all have the word “nine”. The chefs of Jiuhua Tower developed this braised large intestine with rich ingredients. During the production process, it is first boiled, then fried, and finally braised. The ingredients include amomum villosum, cinnamon, cardamom, as well as scallions, ginger, garlic, cooking wine, clear soup, sesame oil, etc. The taste has a combination of sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty. After braising, coriander is added to enhance the delicate fragrance. Served on a plate, it is ruddy and shiny, and fatty but not greasy.

Oil Swirl is a traditional and famous snack in Jinan, Shandong. It is famous for its crispy outer skin, tender inner layer, and strong scallion fragrance. It is shaped like a spiral and has a golden-yellow and oily surface, hence the name “Oil Swirl”. Oil Swirl comes in two shapes, round and oval, and is usually eaten hot.

Oil Swirl is not only a traditional snack in Jinan but also a symbol carrying Jinan culture. It is not only a breakfast choice for locals but also a must-try local delicacy for tourists. The production process of Oil Swirl has been included in the intangible cultural heritage list of Shandong Province, showing its cultural value and historical significance.