“You must visit China and when you do, don’t miss out on heading to the Shandong region,” said a friend, recently returned from her long backpacking trip in Asia. Known as a jewel between Beijing and Shanghai, Shandong is conveniently located between the two massive metropolitan cities. If Jinan, the capital of the province, is your choice of destination from India, a flight from Delhi takes only about five hours!
The question is, why Shandong province? Well, if you know your Chinese history, the birthplace of the great ancient philosopher Confucius is in Qufu; the northeast coast region has abundant natural beauty ranging from hot springs to beautiful lakes and mountains; and who can forgo delicious seafood right? Here are five unique reasons why your next vacation in China should be in Shandong:
Bird watching
The estuary in the Yellow River Delta State Nature Reserve covers massive ground. It’s the largest wetland in the eastern region of the country and is about 153000 hectares. Serious ornithologists will be rewarded as they can spot over 300 species of birds including red-crowned and white-headed cranes, both under national protection by the government.
Martial arts
If you’ve grown up watching martial art films, a visit to the Songjiang Martial Art School is a must. Remember the spectacular performance at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Games? You can catch a live rerun during a visit!
Cherry Blossoms
Zhongshan Park in Qingdao is best visited during April and May as over 20,000 cherry trees, imported from Japan, are in full bloom. The 500m Oriental Cherry Road, better known as the Cherry Blossom Corridor, turns a beautiful shade of pink and postcard worthy!
Tsingtao beer museum
If you love your beer, visiting the home of China’s iconic beer should be on the travel list. The Tsingtao museum and beer factory in Qingdao offers tourists a look at the history, production and tasting which is absolutely worth the while on a hot summer day.
China’s Venice
Imagine Venice, and then open your eyes to Tai’erzhuang. The ancient town has about 15km of canals and waterways that visitors find enchanting.
