The busy, aromatic and central night market cooks up lamb kebabs, noodles, húntún (wontons), tofu and many other dishes and street snacks.
Yù Shū FángCHINESE$$$
(御书房 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0537 441 9888; www.confuciusfood.com; 2nd fl, Houzuo Jie, 后作街2楼 banquet per person ¥138-500; h11am-2pm & 5-8.30pm)
On dining, Confucius duly noted 'Food can never be too good, and cooking can never be done too carefully'. This restaurant of private rooms behind the Confucius Mansion takes this to heart, serving fine Iron Guanyin teas (铁观音; tiě guānyīn) from ¥40 per pot (壶) and Kong-family banquet meals (套餐; tào cān), for a never-ending succession of dishes.
The most basic set involves six or so small cold dishes, followed by about 16 more hot dishes – from soup to vegetables, braised sea cucumber, spicy chicken and so on in quick succession. There's no English menu and staff do not speak much English but ordering is pretty straightforward (just pick a price). Reservations are recommended, and some dishes can be ordered à la carte (from ¥40).
STREET FOOD
Apart from top-end places, restaurants tend skip the pageantry nowadays, but for still less formal fare visit the street vendors (特色小吃城 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; dishes from ¥2; hfrom 5pm) on the corner just outside the north city gate, or at the Wumaci Jie night market. Vendors make noodles, grill skewers of meat, and serve jiānbǐng guǒzi (煎饼裹子; ¥3 to ¥5), a steaming parcel of egg, vegetables and chilli sauce wrapped in a pancake (hand-warming on a cold day). Stalls displaying raw meat and produce cook it to order; just point at what you want. The Muslim Quarter outside the western gate is the place to feast on noodles, lamb and beef.
6Drinking & Nightlife
In accordance with its Confucian disposition, Qūfù is a rather sober place, so does not have many bars. Grabbing a beer at the restaurants, night markets or the Qūfù International Youth Hostel is an option.
8Information
Buy plane and train tickets at the booking office next to China Post. Qūfù International Youth Hostel also books tickets (¥15 to ¥20 commission).
Bank of ChinaBANK
(中国银行, Zhōngguó Yínháng GOOGLE MAP ; 96 Dongmen Dajie, 东门大街96号 h8.30am-4.30pm)
Foreign exchange and ATM.
China PostPOST
(中国邮政, Zhōngguó Yóuzhèng GOOGLE MAP ; Gulou Beijie, 鼓楼门分理处 h8am-6pm summer, 8.30am-5.30pm winter)
Near the Drum Tower.
Left LuggageSTORAGE
(h6am-6pm)
Left luggage is available at the long-distance bus station 3km west of the city walls; it's ¥5 per small item.
Main Ticket OfficeTOURIST INFORMATION
(售票处, shòupiàochù GOOGLE MAP )
The main ticket office sells the combination ticket for access to all the Confucian sights, or purchase them individually here.
People’s No 2 HospitalHOSPITAL
(第二人民医院, Dì’èr Rénmín Yīyuàn GOOGLE MAP ; %0537 448 8120; 7 Gulou Beijie, 鼓楼北街7号 )
Just north of the Qūfù International Youth Hostel.
Public Security BureauPOLICE
(PSB, 公安局, Gōng’ānjú GOOGLE MAP ; %0537 443 0007; 1 Wuyutai Lu, 舞雩台路1号 h8.30am-noon & 2-6pm Mon-Fri)
About 1.5km south of the city walls. Can help with initial paperwork for lost passports, but cannot extend visas; for more you'll have to go to Jìníng (济宁).
8Getting There & Away
Plane & Train Booking OfficeTICKETS
(售票处 GOOGLE MAP ; %150 5377 1869; Gulou Beijie, 鼓楼北街 commission ¥5; h8.30am-noon & 2-6pm)
Very useful for obtaining train tickets in particular, for all of the town's stations.
Air
Jìníng Qūfù Airport is 80km southwest of Qūfù's old town and connects to Běijīng (¥600, 1½ hours), Chéngdū (¥1200, two hours), Guǎngzhōu (¥900, 2½ hours), Shànghǎi (¥868, two hours), Xi'an (¥674, 55 minutes) and a handful of other cities.
Bus
Qūfú’s long-distance bus station (长途汽车站; chángtú qìchēzhàn %0537 441 2554; Yulong Lu & Yulan Lu; 裕隆路与玉兰路 ) is 3km west of the city walls. There is a left luggage office available here.
Buses regularly depart for the following destinations:
AJǐ’nán ¥55, three hours, every 30 minutes (7.30am to 6pm)
AQīngdǎo ¥135, five hours, two daily (8.30am and 1.30pm)
ATài’ān ¥23, 1½ hours, every 30 minutes
Train
Trains are the best way to reach Qūfù. Leaving Qūfù, catch high-speed trains from the East Train Station (高铁东火车站 %0537 442 1571),12km east of the walled city. Qūfù Train Station (曲阜火车站; Qūfù Huǒchēzhàn %0537 442 1571; Dianlan Lu; 电缆路 ) is closest to the walled city (6km east), but only regular trains stop there. If tickets are sold out, try Yǎnzhōu Train Station (兖州火车站 %0537 346 2965; Beiguan Jie), 16km west of Qūfù, which is on the Běijīng–Shànghǎi line and has more frequent regular trains.
Some express trains (1st-/2nd-class seat) departing from East Train Station:
ABěijīng ¥409/244, 2½ hours, frequent (8.03am to 9.01pm)
AJǐ’nán ¥100/60, 30 minutes, frequent (7.20am to 10.19pm)
ANánjīng ¥379/224, two hours, frequent (7.53am to 9.15pm)
AQīngdǎo ¥244/179, 3½ hours, six daily (9.10am to 5.43pm)
AShànghǎi ¥584/344, 3½ hours, frequent (7.53am to 8.11pm)
ATiānjīn ¥320/190, one hour 50 minutes, hourly (8.03am to 8.23pm)
Some regular trains departing from Qūfù Train Station:
AJǐ’nán hard/soft seat ¥29/45, 2½ hours, three daily (8.08am, 4.24pm and 8.39pm)
AYāntái hard seat/hard sleeper ¥72/145, 9½ hours, two daily (8.57am and 11.48pm)
8Getting Around
There are no direct buses from the airport to the old town of Qūfù, so you will need to transfer to a bus or taxi at the bus station in Jǐníng (济宁), about 50km away. Flying into the provincial capital Jǐnán is probably as convenient.
If you're arriving or departing by bus or high-speed train, bus K01 handily connects the long-distance bus station to Qūfù’s main gate (¥2) and the East Train Station (¥3). A taxi from within the walls is about ¥40 to the East Train Station and ¥20 to the long-distance bus station. Minibuses (¥5 to ¥8) connect the main gate to Yǎnzhōu Train Station from 6.30am to 5.30pm; otherwise, a taxi costs about ¥50. Bus 1 (¥2) traverses the old town along Gulou Beijie to Confucius Forest.
Ubiquitous pedicabs (¥6 to ¥8 within Qūfù, ¥10 to ¥20 outside the walls) – they will find you – are the most pleasant way to get around. Take one (or a regular taxi) to the Qūfù Train Station, as there are no direct buses.
Tired ponies pull brightly decorated carts (¥50) from Queli Jie to the Confucius Forest, or you can take sightseeing carts (电动旅游车; diàndòng lǚyóu chē GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Houzuo Jie & Gulou Dajie; 后作街鼓楼大街的路口 1 way/return ¥10/15; h7.40am-6pm) to the cemetery.
Zōuchéng 邹城
%0537 / Pop 1.15 million
Twenty-three kilometres south of Qūfù is Zōuchéng (邹城; also called Zōuxiàn 邹县), where the revered Confucian scholar Mencius (孟子; Mengzi; c 372–289 BC) was born. Like Confucius, Mencius was raised by a single mother and grew up to travel the country trying to reform government. His belief that humanity is by nature good formed the core of all his teachings, including his call to overthrow self-serving rulers. Not surprisingly, his criticism made him unpopular with those in power, but a thousand years after his death Mencius’ work was elevated a step below Confucius’.
Zōuchéng today is a pretty quiet town, with fewer tourist hassles than Qūfú. Tickets (¥40) get you access to the two adjacent main attractions – Mencius Temple and Mencius Family Mansion – and are sold at both.
Mencius Family MansionHISTORIC SITE
(孟府, Mèng Fǔ incl Mencius Temple ¥40; h8am-5.50pm)
Just ne
xt to the Mencius Temple, Mencius Family Mansion exhibits the family’s living quarters, including teacups and bedding left by Mencius’ 74th-generation descendant, who lived there into the 1940s.
Mencius TempleTEMPLE
(孟庙, Mèng Miào incl Mencius Family Mansion ¥40; h8am-5.50pm)
A portrait of ancient China and tranquillity, the Mencius Temple originally dates to the Song dynasty; it bears the marks of past anti-Confucian mood swings, though restoration is always ongoing. With few visitors around, you can sit in the shade of ancient gnarled cypresses, absorbing the serene surroundings. The twin-roofed Hall of the Second Sage (亚圣殿; Yàshèng Diàn) looms in the centre of the grounds, a small shrine next to it dedicated to Mencius’ mother, the ‘model for all mothers’.
Zōuchéng MuseumMUSEUM
(邹城博物馆 %0537 525 3301; 56 Shunhe Lu, 顺和路56号 h9am-5pm Tue-Sun)F
This museum on Shunhe Lu displays a collection of items relating to Zōuchéng through history, from the earliest times.
Zōuchéng is a rather sleepier alternative to Qūfù, and there are places to stay, yet it does not have the same level of choice or variety. As it's a short trip from Qūfù, most visitors return there to spend the night.
Several eateries, hotpot restaurants, dumpling places, steamed bread outlets and Sìchuān restaurants can be found in the roads around the Mencius Temple.
Zōuchéng is any easy bus ride from Qūfù. Bus C609 (¥3, 35 minutes, 6.30am to 6.30pm) departs from Confucius Temple's main entrance and drops off at Zōuchéng Museum, less than a kilometre from the sights (just walk, keeping the river on your left).
Qīngdǎo 青岛
%0532 / Pop
Combining fresh sea air and dashing good looks, Qīngdǎo (青岛) – the name means 'Green Island' – is a rare modern city that has managed to preserve some of its past while angling a dazzling modern face to the future. Its blend of concession-era and modern architecture puts China’s standard white-tile and blue-glass developments to shame. The winding cobbled streets, historic German architecture and red-capped hillside villas are captivating and there's so much to enjoy in the city’s diverse food scene, headlined by the ubiquitous home town beer Tsingtao. Meanwhile, the seaside aspect keeps the town cooler than the inland swelter zones during summer, and slightly warmer in winter.
History
Before catching the acquisitive eye of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Qīngdǎo was a harbour and fishing village known for producing delicious sea salt. Its excellent strategic location was not lost on the Ming dynasty, which built a defensive battery – nor on the Germans who wrested it from them in 1897. China signed a 99-year concession, and it was during the next decade the future Tsingtao Brewery was opened, electric lighting installed, missions and a university established, and the railway to Jǐ’nán built.
In 1914 Japan seized control with a bombing assault on the city. When the Treaty of Versailles strengthened Japan's occupation in 1919, student demonstrations erupted in Běijīng and spread across the country in what became known as the May 4th Movement. After a period of domestic control, the Japanese took over again in 1938 and held on until the end of WWII.
In peacetime Qīngdǎo became one of China’s major ports and a flourishing centre of trade and manufacturing (home to both domestic and international brands). The port town hosted the sailing events of the 2008 Olympic Games and seems to hold a permanent spot on the list of Asia’s most liveable cities (despite the larger-than-life green tide of algal blooms that infest Qīngdǎo's waters in summer).
Qīngdǎo
1Sights
1Chinese Navy MuseumC4
2Governor's House MuseumC2
3Huílán PavilionB3
4Little Fish HillD3
5Little QīngdǎoB4
6No 1 Bathing BeachD4
7No 6 Bathing BeachA3
8Protestant ChurchC3
9Qīngdǎo City Art MuseumC3
10Qīngdǎo TV TowerF2
11Signal Hill ParkC3
12St Michael's CathedralB2
13Tàipíng HillF3
14Tiānhòu TempleB3
15Tsingtao Beer MuseumE1
Zhàn BridgeB3
16Zhànshān TempleG3
17Zhōngshān ParkE3
4Sleeping
18Héngshān No 5 HostelC3
19Kǎiyuè Hostelling InternationalB2
20Wheat Youth HostelB2
21YHA Old ObservatoryC2
5Eating
22Chūn Hé LóuB2
23Huángdǎo MarketB2
24Mǎ Jiā LāmiànB2
25Wángjiě ShāokǎoB2
6Drinking & Nightlife
26Beer StreetE1
Luka Garden Cafe & BistroC3
7Shopping
27Jímòlù MarketB1
Transport
28Airlines Hotel – Airport ShuttleB2
29Train StationA3
30Xīn Tiānqiáo Hotel Ticket OfficeA2
1Sights
Most sights in the Shì’nán district are squeezed into Old Town (the former concession area), with the train and bus stations, historic architecture and budget accommodation, and Bādàguān, a serene residential area of parks, spas and old villas.
East of Shandong Lu rises the modern city, with the central business district (CBD) to the north and the latest in retail and dining in Dōngbù, closer to the water to the south. Further east still is the developing Láo Shān district (崂山区), anchored by the Municipal Museum, Grand Theatre and International Beer City (site of the annual International Beer Festival).
oHan Dynasty Brick MuseumMUSEUM
(崇汉轩汉画像砖博物馆, Chóng Hànxuān Hàn Huàxiàng Zhuān Bówùguǎn %158 6552 0097, 0532 8861 6533; http://zhangxinkuan.com; Binhai Dadao Kutao, inside 409 Hospital, 滨海大道枯桃409医院院内 adult/student ¥40/free; h8-11.30am & 2-5.30pm)
Thirty years ago, Zhang Xinkuan was a young army officer laying a road in Hénán province when he noticed the huge granite slabs they were smashing into gravel were covered in exquisite carvings. Thus began his life's pursuit to save more than 5000 Han dynasty relics, now housed in his truly unique, private museum at the southwestern foot of Láo Shān.
Huílán PavilionNOTABLE BUILDING
(回阑阁, Huílán Gé MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 12 Taiping Lu, 太平路12号 ¥4; h8am-5pm)
Lit up at night, this graceful pavilion decorates the end of Zhàn Bridge poking into Qīngdāo Bay.
Governor’s House MuseumMUSEUM
(青岛德国总督楼旧址博物馆, Qīngdǎo Déguó Zǒngdū Lóu Jiùzhǐ Bówùguǎn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0532 8286 8838; 26 Longshan Lu, 龙山路26号 summer/winter ¥20/13, multilingual audio tour ¥10; h8.30am-5.30pm; g1, 221)
This museum is one of Qīngdǎo’s best examples of concession-era architecture – the former German governor’s residence constructed in the style of a German palace. The building’s interior is characteristic of Jugendstil, the German arm of art nouveau, with some German and Chinese furnishings of the era.
Tsingtao Beer MuseumBREWERY, MUSEUM
(青岛啤酒博物馆, Qīngdǎo Píjiǔ Bówùguǎn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0532 8383 3437; www.tsingtaomuseum.com; 56-1 Dengzhou Lu, 登州路56-1号 admission ¥60, English guide ¥60; h8.30am-6pm; g1, 205, 221, 307, 308)
For a self-serving introduction to China’s iconic beer, head to the original and still-operating brewery. On view are old photos, preserved brewery equipment and statistics, but there are also a few fascinating glimpses of the modern factory line. The aroma of hops is everywhere. Thankfully, you get to sample brews along the way.
oSt Michael’s CathedralCHURCH
(天主教堂, Tiānzhǔ Jiàotáng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0532 8286 5960; 15 Zhejiang Lu, 浙江路15号 ¥10; h8.30am-5pm Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm Sun; g1, 221, 367)
Up a hill off Zhongshan Lu looms this grand Gothic- and Roman-style edifice. Completed in 1934, the church spires were supposed to be clock towers, but Chancellor Hitler cut funding of overseas projects and the plans were scra
pped. The church was badly damaged during the Cultural Revolution and the crosses capping its twin spires were torn off. Devout locals buried the crosses for safe keeping. In 2005 workers uncovered them while repairing pipes in the hills, and they have since been restored.
Tiānhòu TempleTEMPLE
(天后宫, Tiānhòu Gōng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 19 Taiping Lu, 太平路19号 h8am-6pm; g25)F
This small restored temple dedicated to Tiānhòu (天后), the patron of seafarers, has stood by the shore since 1467. The main hall contains a colourful statue of the goddess, flanked by fearsome guardians. There is also Dragon King Hall (龙王殿; Lóngwáng Diàn), where a splayed pig lies before the ruler of oceans and king of the rains, and a shrine to the God of Wealth. A temple fair is held here annually during the Spring Festival.
Little QīngdǎoLIGHTHOUSE, ISLAND
(小青岛, Xiǎo Qīngdǎo MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 26 Qinyu Lu, 琴屿路26号 summer/winter ¥15/10; h7.30am-6.30pm; g6, 26, 202, 231, 304)
In the shape of a qín (a stringed instrument) jutting into Qīngdǎo Bay, this former island – which lends its name to the city – was connected to the mainland in the 1940s. The Germans built the white lighthouse in 1900 on the leafy promontory. It is an excellent spot for watching the city come to life in the morning, and there's free entry from 6am to official opening.
Protestant ChurchCHURCH
(基督教堂, Jīdū Jiàotáng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 15 Jiangsu Lu, 江苏路15号 ¥10; h8.30am-5.30pm; g1, 221, 367)
Lonely Planet China Page 40