Zoucheng

Zoucheng City, originally called as Zouxian, is located in the south of Shandong Province. With a long history and a splendid culture, it is the birthplace of Confucius and Mencius, both of whom are great thinkers and educationists in ancient China. In 1995, it was proclaimed as one of the national historical and cultural cities by the State Council.

The city boasts enchanting scenery and abundant historic sites. There are altogether over 300 scenic areas and historic sites, including more than 10 key cultural relics sites under the provincial level protection or above. Among them, the Four Mencius', namely the Mencius' Temple, the Mencius' Mansion, the Mencius' Forest, and the Mencius' Mother's Forest, and the Four Mountains, i.e. Cliffside stone carvings in the Iron Mountain, Gangshan Mountain, Geshan Mountain and Jianshan Mountain, are famous home and abroad.

The Mencius' Temple, where people fete Mencius, has five courtyards and 64 halls and rooms, covering an area of more than four hectares. The Mencius' Mansion, where Mencius' descendants lived, is adjacent to the Mencius' Temple, and has altogether 116 halls and rooms. Reputed as the Wonder South of Taishan Mountain, Yishan Mountain is a famous historical and cultural mountain in Shandong Province. With an elevation of 555 meters and a circumference of over 10 km, Yishan Mountain is characterized by oddly shaped peaks and rocks, steep cliffs, quiet grottos, numerous pines and limpid springs.