Shandong is China's backbone: Mount Tai is here, Confucius is here, and the hearty people of the north are here too. Climb Tai for the sunrise, bow at Qufu, then sit down to Lu cuisine with a cold Tsingtao — one province, three unforgettable days.

What to See 好玩的

Mount Tai is the first of the five sacred peaks — “once you climb Tai, the world seems small.” Climbing at night and waiting for the sunrise is one of China's great rituals. Qingdao is the beer city by the sea: red roofs, green trees, a pier reaching into the bay. And Qufu — the temple, mansion and forest of Confucius — is the holy ground of Confucianism.

What to Eat 好吃的

Lu cuisine leads the eight great schools, and nine-turn intestine is its masterpiece: braised until glossy, layering sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty. Tsingtao beer demands seafood — clams, squid, skewers, and an ice-cold glass to make a summer night on the coast complete.

Folk Customs 民间习俗

Photos: Mount Tai sunrise, Qingdao Zhanqiao, Qufu Confucius Temple — via Wikimedia Commons, CC-licensed. Licenses and authors available on the original file pages.