山东省

Why this place

Shandong is the province where Chinese civilisation's central figure was born: Qufu's Confucian temple, mansion and forest are the most important Confucian site in the world. It also has Mount Tai — the most sacred of the five sacred mountains — and Qingdao's German-built beer coast.

What to see

• Qufu — the Temple of Confucius, the Kong family mansion and the Forest of Confucius
• Mount Tai, and the Dai Temple's Song mural at its foot
• Qingdao's German old town, the brewery and Mount Lao
• Jinan's springs, and the Grand Canal's busiest old stretch
• Yantai and Weihai for the coast; Penglai for the sea-mirages

What to eat

• Shandong cuisine — one of the eight great traditions; braised sea cucumber and sweet-and-sour carp
• Qingdao beer, drunk from a plastic bag in summer; clams and mackerel dumplings
• Jinan's spring-water tofu, and Dezhou braised chicken

How to plan

A week: Qufu and Jinan three, Mount Tai one, Qingdao three.

Best time

April–May and September–October; Qingdao in August for the beer festival

Cities 16

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