After interrupted travel plans which involved spending a night in Wiesbaden, as all the hotels in Frankfurt were full, I arrived in Jinan a day late. Jinan is a beautiful small city (by Chinese standards) which retains lots of charm. Jinan is known for its numerous springs, and is often referred to as the city of springs (a literal translation). Baotu Spring Park is in the centre of the city and rivers run through the city linking the springs with Daming Lake. Daming Lake offers a nice scenic walk and is easily walkable from the main square. Indeed, one of the great features of Jinan is its compact nature which makes it easy to walk and explore.
Quancheng Square is the centre of activities with many social groups meeting up to undertake activities. Dance, drama, skating and kite flying groups can regularly be found in the square undertaking their activities and socialising. As I was staying in a hotel overlooking the square I was able to enjoy many walks exploring the activities which took place there each night.
The top attraction in Jinan, which again is easily walkable from the main square is Qianfoshan Mountain (Thousand-Buddha Mountain). It is a lovely landscaped park on the side of a small mountain, which has small temples and Buddha sculptures throughout. Xingguo Temple is the largest temple within the park and has some great views. A short 30 minute walk gets you to the top of the mountain, where on a clear day it is possible to see Jinan stretched out in front of you and the springs and lake. The top of the mountain has a range of pagodas to take a rest at and view the city from. Within the park there is a giant sitting Buddha at the base of the mountain and a cave with a thousand Buddha sculptures. The tranquil nature of the park offers a fantastic place to take a walk after a long day’s work, the March temperatures were very favourable and pleasant for this.
Robin Bell 