Jinan

Jinan, the capital city of Shandong Province on China's east coast, is the province's political, economic and cultural center with Taishan Mountain to the south and the Yellow River to the north. Jinan has jurisdiction over five districts (Lixia, Licheng, Huaiyin, Tianqiao and Shizhong), four counties (Changqing, Pingyin, Shanghe and Jiyang) and Zhangqiu City, and has a total area of 8,227 square kilometers and a population of 5.49 million, including 2.54 million urban people.

Due to its long history, Jinan has been proclaimed by the State Council as a famous historical and cultural city. As Jinan boasts a number of natural springs amid picturesque scenery, it is well known as the "City of Springs" both at home and abroad. The Top Four Springs are the Baotu Spring, the Black Tiger Spring, the Five Dragon Spring and the Pearl Spring. The Daming Lake converged by the so many springs, together with the surrounded One-Thousand-Buddha Mountain, the Lingyan Temple and the Five Peak Mountain form unique scenery of Jinan.

Jinan has clearly demarcated seasons: dry spring, hot summer, cool autumn and cold winter. Therefore, the best time to go to Jinan is from May to November. However, the Baotu Spring with abundant water in spring and the Daming Lake with snow in winter are both beautiful scenes.

There are many traditional festivals in Jinan throughout the year. The major ones are the Baotu Spring Lantern Gathering, the Rose Festival in Pingyin, the Lotus Festival of Daming Lake, and the Double Ninth Mountain Gathering of the One-Thousand-Buddha Mountain. The Shandong Cuisine, one of the four most famous cuisines of China, originated in Jinan. It wins its fame for its delicate fragrance, freshness and tenderness.

The special souvenirs of Jinan are the E-gelatin, the Black Pottery of Heishan, the sweet pancake in Licheng, and the embroidery, etc.