Visit to the Province of Shandong, China

Written By Eric Lim

Introduction

In May 2024, I embarked on a journey to Shandong, China, with a group of 31 Malaysians. Our goal was to explore the cultural heritage and historical sites of this province. From the ancient significance of Mount Tai to the legacy of Confucius in Qufu, each destination revealed a unique aspect of Shandong’s history. Our itinerary included coastal cities like Qingdao and Yantai, known for their historical charm, as well as inland cities like Jinan and Zibo, where traditional customs thrive alongside modern developments. This narrative recounts our travels through Shandong, offering insights into its historical richness and cultural diversity.

Province of Shandong

Photo : Google map

Shandong (山东) is a coastal province located in the north east of China. Shandong, which means ‘East of the mountains’ consists of two distinct segments – inland zone, bounded by the provinces of Hebei, Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu respectively from north to south; and the Shandong / Jiaodong Peninsula, located between Bohai Sea to the north and Yellow Sea (Huanghai) to the south. And lying across these vast stretches of sea is the Korean Peninsula. The Yellow River (Huang He) runs through the province and empties into the Bohai Sea. It is the second longest river in China, after the Yangtze River.

Shandong is now a major grain producer in China and its major crops include wheat, corn, soybean, kaoliang, spiked millets, sweet potatoes and the cash crops are peanuts, cotton, tobacco and fruits. Some of you may have eaten Shandong peanuts which are large in size, and are well suited for oil pressing, turning into peanut cooking oil. Shandong is rich in natural resources particularly crude oill (Shengli oil field) and coal (around Yanzhou and Tengzhou). There are also major iron ore deposits located near Zibo and Laiwu, and some bauxite is mined near Nanding, Zibo. Edible salt is produced on the coasts of the Shandong Peninsula. Shandong is also a cradle for many national giants in light industry such as brands like Haier Electronics, Hisense Electronics, Tsingtao Beer, Jinan Qingqi Motorcycle, Konfujia Liquor, Yangtai Dongyue, Jinan Heavy Truck, just to name a few.

The history of Shandong dates back to over 400,000 years with the discovery of the Yiyuan Man, the earliest Shandong human known by far, in the center of the province. Yiyuan Man is classified as archaic humans of the genus homo erectus from the middle Pleistocene age. Moving to the Neolithic Age, civilizations developed one after another, with the Longshan Culture noted for its highly polished black pottery (or egg-shell pottery). Shandong formed part of the territory of the Shang and Zhou dynasty. Shandong is also the birthplace of two great philosophers, Confucius (Kong Qiu / 551-479 BC) and Mencius (Meng Ke, Mengzi / 372-290 BC). The famous Venetian, Marco Polo, was appointed as Governor of Yanzhou in Jining Prefecture in the 1280’s by Kublai Khan, during his reign as the first emperor of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty of China. During the Qing Dynasty, a series of treaties and agreements were signed in which China was forced to concede many of its territorial and sovereignty rights to foreign imperialist powers especially Great Britain, France, Germany, United States, Russia and Japan. Shandong / Jiaodong Peninsula was occupied briefly by Japanese troops after the Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895. In 1898, Germany seized the port of Qingdao while the British gained control of the coastal town of Weihai. And with the advent of World War I, Japan took over German interests in the peninsula and made the Twenty One Demands compelling the Chinese to give official recognition to the renewed occupation. This took effect from 1919 to 1922. The Japanese continued their domination during the Sino- Japanese War of 1937 to 1945. After the war, it was a fight between Chinese Communists and the Nationalists, which resulted in the former taking control of Shandong by the end of 1948.

Another Shandong native that became the talking point of the whole nation was Jiang Qing. She was the third wife of Chairman Mao Zedong who rose to become the most influential woman in the People’s Republic of China, coinciding with the Cultural Revolution that was gripping the nation from1966 until 1976. After the death of Mao in 1976, Jiang and three others who formed the radical ‘Gang of Four’ alliance were arrested for their role of fomenting widespread civil unrest during the country’s turbulent history. She spent many years in jail and finally committed suicide in 1991.

We began our trip to the Province of Shandong by visiting the Shandong Peninsula – covering the coastal cities of Qingdao, Qixia, Yantai and Penglai – before moving to the Inland Zone, to Weifang, Zhoucun in Zibo, Qufu, Taian (Mount Tai scenic area) and completing the trip at Jinan, the provincial capital.

(1)Qingdao 青岛

We touched down at the Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport which is currently the largest airport in the province. It was officially opened to the public on 12 August 2021 and the terminal is designed in the form of a starfish with five connected airside concourses. This design is similar to the Beijing Daxing International Airport. For comparison, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport is twice the size of Heathrow Airport. The International Air Transport Association or IATA code for this airport is TAO and it is located about 32 km from the city proper.

Qingdao has a rich history and offers several interesting sites for visitors. Notable places include the Tsingtao Brewery, founded in 1903, which is currently the sixth largest brewery in the world. Another key site is the May 4th Square, a large public square with a focal red sculpture called the May Wind, offering a panoramic view of the CBD, with government buildings to the north, the ocean to the south, and high-rises on the other two sides. Opposite the square is the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre, where the 2008 Summer Olympics sailing events were held.

(L) May Wing at May 4th Square / (R) Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre. Photo : Eric Lim

The next morning after breakfast, we went to West Shinan CBD where we visited Zhan Qiao, Xiaoyushan Park and Badaguan. Zhan Qiao is a famous pier and is the iconic symbol of Qingdao. Founded during the reign of the Qing Dynasty in 1891 and known then as Changhong Yuanyin, was originally built as a military dock and later, extended by the Germans to 440 meters long. At the end of the pier is the two-storey Huilan Pavilion which was built in 1931. Huilan Pavillion is the logo of Tsingtao Beer. Xiaoyushan Park (Little Fish Hill) was built in traditional Chinese style in 1983, offering a hilltop view of Qingdao. Badaguan scenic area was built in the early 20th century. The eight roads in the area were all named after China’s great ancient military forts. Most buildings in the area are villas with courtyards, typical of the modern European architectural style. Badaguan is a popular destination for wedding photography.

(L) Zhan Qiao during the recent May Day celebration, just like the old Chinese saying, “人山人海 ren shan, ren hai” (people mountain, people sea) (R) Old photo of Zhan Qiao / Photo: SCMP

View from Xiaoyushan Park / Photo : Eric Lim

European architectural villa at Badaguan / Photo : EricLim

(2) Qixia 栖霞 and Yantai 烟台

Still remaining within the Shandong / Jiaodong Peninsula, we continued our journey to the neighbouring Yantai Prefecture where we visited Qixia, Yantai and Penglai. At the stopover at landlocked Qixia, which won the title of “The Apple Capital of China”, we visited the other famous attraction of the town, the Mou Family Manor.

The residential complex that belonged to landlord Mou Molin was built during the Emperor Yongzheng period (1723-1735) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Since then, it had undergone 200 years of continuous addition, expansion and repair; and finally completed in the current form in 1935. Today it covers an area of more than 20,000 square meters with more than 480 rooms, and is one of the well preserved and largest family manors in China. The manor was used as the site for a popular television series aired in China in 2010 about the Mou family, appropriately titled “Mou Family Manor / 牟氏莊園 / Mou Shi Zhuang Yuan”.

The port city of Yantai was traditionally known as Zhifu (Chefoo). It was during the Ming Dynasty that the prototype of Yantai city was recorded when the Ming government proceeded to set up the Qishan Garrison in order to strengthen its coastal defense. In 1861, Yantai was opened to international commerce as a treaty port. However, Yantai and other ports of northern Shandong stagnated due to the rapid development of Qingdao by the Germans after 1898. Moving forward to 1958, Yantai Special Zone was established and in 1983, Yantai was set up as a prefecture-level city.

In 2017, Shandong Provincial government made a decision to restore and develop the entire old section of the city i.e. Suochengli district into a AAAA rated tourist attraction (tourist attractions in China were graded according to criteria on a scale of A to the highest 5A). The opening was delayed due to the Covid pandemic and officially opened to the public during the Spring Festival in 2021. There are more than 280 restored cultural relics (buildings) and many of the old housing were converted into restaurants.

Entrance to Mou Family Manor / Photo source : Eric Lim

Old and new Souchengli District at Yantai / Photo source : Yantai – Suocheng District 所城里 – live2makan and Eric Lim.

Yantai, which literally means ‘beacon tower’, derives from a lookout beacon built on a hill as part of a 15th century coastal defense system erected against Japanese pirates. Yantai Hill Park is one of the highest hills in the city and a popular tourist attraction. The peak of Yantai Hill was the location of the old lookout beacon. Surrounding the hill are a large collection of historical Western architecture buildings including the former consulates and residence of the UK, US, Japan and Denmark which date from the 19th century. Today, these buildings are mostly converted into museums, with one specially dedicated to Yantai Beijing Opera art. Next on the itinerary was a visit to the ChangYu Wine Culture Museum, at the site of the former ChangYu Wine Company. Cheong Fatt Tze, a name most Malaysians are familiar with, founded the winery in 1892. Today, it is China’s oldest and largest Western-style winery which produces grape wines as well as brandy and a Chinese health liquor. An underground cellar was built in 1894 and it became the first underground wine cellar in Asia when it was completed in 1903. The cellar is still in use for wine storage.

(Cheong Fatt Tze (Zhang BiShi) came to the Malay peninsula at a young age of 16. He went on to become a successful and powerful Nanyang business magnate, and was once regarded as the richest man in Malaya. He built a mansion on Leith Street in Georgetown and was dubbed ‘La Maison Bleu’ (the Blue House). In 1990, it was acquired and went into restoration to its authentic original form and it won the National Architecture Award for Conservation 1995, followed by winning the UNESCO Conservation Award 2000.)

Views of Yantai Hill Park / Photo : Eric Lim

ChangYu Wine Culture Museum / Photo source : Eric Lim

(3) Penglai 蓬莱

Penglai is about 75 km from Yantai, lying on the northwest corner of the Shandong Peninsula. It was formerly known as Dengzhou or Tengchow. It was the first port in the Shandong Peninsula to be opened to foreigners in 1858. And since ancient times, Penglai has been known as ‘Wonderland on Earth”. Penglai Pavilion scenic area is one of the earliest tourist sites in Shandong that is awarded the 5A rating (most important and best maintained tourist attractions in People’s Republic of China).It is a large park of ancient buildings, temples, palaces and towers. It was first constructed in 1061 during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Penglai Pavilion is one of the ancient Four Great Towers of Ancient China, together with Yellow Crane Tower, Pavilion of Prince Teng and Yueyang Tower. It is famous for the Taoist legend of ‘8 immortals crossing the sea’. The legend goes that the eight immortals crossed the sea by using their unique powers after they got drunk in Penglai Pavilion. This magic inspired a popular saying in China that goes like this “when the eight immortals cross the sea, each one shows his special feat. Each tries to outwit the other”. In the modern context, it would mean “that everybody has his or her own way of dealing with things”. The site also attracts countless tourists to witness the wonders of mirages phenomenon known as ‘the Fata Morgana mirage’.The different temperature of the sea water and the coast line has resulted in the appearance of this optical illusion.

Not too far from Penglai Pavilion is the newer attraction called the Eight Immortals Crossing The Sea / Penglai Baxian scenic area The entire site is built on a man made island that is shaped like a magic gourd floating above the sea. There are two major structures in the scenic area, namely the majestic Wangying Tower and an ancient style pagoda Huixian Pavilion, that houses the statues of the Eight Immortals and other Taoist great masters.

Statue of the Eight Immortals at Penglai / Photo : Eric Lim

Eight Immortals Crossing The Sea / Penglai Baxian scenic area / Photo : Eric Lim

(4) Weifang 潍坊

Having completed the coastal cities route, we next moved to the Inland Zone to the prefecture-level city of Weifang,which has a population of 9.3 million at the 2020 census. The city is also known as the ‘capital of kites / city of kites’.The first kite festival was held here in 1984 which attracted kite lovers from all over the world, and since then, the Weifang International Kite Festival is held every April. We made a stopover at the Hanting District of Weifang to visit the Yangjiabu Folk Art Grand View Garden. This site mainly exhibits the artistic style and delicate craftsmanship of Chinese New Year paintings, woodblock printings, kite production and Chinese paper cuttings. At the kite museum, one can learn the origin, research and development of Yangjiabu kites until today which have profound influence both in China and abroad. Weifang kites, represented by Yangjiabu kites, was named as’ National Intangible Cultural Heritage’ by the State Council of China in 2006.

(Incidentally, we have our annual Pasir Gudang World Kite Festival in Johor. This year, the event was scheduled from February 24 to March 3. It was first held in 1995)

At Yangjiabu Folk Art Grand View Garden / Photo : Eric Lim

(5) Zibo 淄博

After the visit to Yangjiabu Folk Art Grand View Garden, we travelled to the next prefecture-level city of Zibo. Zibo was the centre of the ancient State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn (770-476 BCE) and Warring States (475-221 BCE) periods. Its capital Linzi was the most populous city in China at its peak. It became a centre of an important ceramic and glass industry. During the period of the Silk Route, Zibo was a major centre of silk supply. It then developed into a major industrial complex when the railway linking Qingdao and Jinan which was completed in 1904 passed through important market towns within Zibo. Today, it is home to petrochemicals, textiles and porcelain factories. Zibo’s greatest claim to fame came when the then FIFA President Sepp Blatter proclaimed the city as the birthplace of soccer based on its link to an ancient ball game.

It was quite late when we arrived at Zhouchun Ancient City, one of the urban districts governed by Zibo. During the Ming and Qing Dynasty, Zhouchun developed to be a major commercial town known as ‘No. 1 village in the world’ and its famous local product i.e Shaobing / Sesame Seed cake is also known as the ‘No. 1 Shaobing / Sesame Seed cake in the world’. Zhouchun Ancient City is currently regarded as a ‘living museum of ancient commercial architecture’. Unfortunately on the evening of our visit, we could not savour the famous Shaobing.

(L)Barbeque craze at Zibo / Photo : Zibo’s barbecue craze draws crowds and regulatory action – SHINE News (R) At Zhouchun Ancient City / Photo : Eric Lim

(6) Qufu 曲阜

After a night of merriment, we headed next to Qufu, the capital of the small independent state of Lu which flourished from the 6th to 4th BCE. Qufu is also best known as the birthplace and place of residence of the great Chinese philosopher and founder of Confucianism, Confucius (Kong Fuzi, Kong Zi) 551 – 479 BCE. We stopped for two days to visit the Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion, together these sites have been listed as a UNESCO Heritage Site since 1994. These three sites are collectively known in Qufu as San Kong (三孔). It is also rated as a 5A tourist attraction. We also visited Nishan Sacred Land, situated in the Nishan Cultural Tourism Resort on Nishan Mountain.

The Temple was built in 478 BCE to commemorate him, and has been destroyed and reconstructed over the centuries. Today it comprises more than 100 buildings while the Cemetery contains Confucius’s tomb and the remains of more than 100,000 of his descendants.

The Kong Family Mansion developed from a small house into a gigantic aristocratic residence of which 152 buildings remain. The most prominent landmark on Nishan Cultural Tourism Resort is the world’s highest sculpture of Confucius standing at 72 meters high. It also features a cultural complex consisting of a lecture hall, study centre, temple of Confucius and a performance centre.

At Nishan Sacred Land / Photo : Eric Lim

(7) Taian 泰安

Taian City is located at the center of Shandong province and is regarded as the place of origin for Chinese civilization. Traces of human existence date back to more than 500,000 years ago. Modern humans (homo sapiens) appeared in the area 50,000 years ago and in the Neolithic Age (New Stone Age), several cultures namely Beixin culture, Dawenkou culture and Longshan culture, emerged where they had lived in settlement and started farming and domestication of animals. Today, Taian is one of the north-south transportation hubs in China. Taian is a key producer of plaster, sulphurite and granite. And Taian granite has been used in many well known Chinese buildings like the Great Hall of the People, Tiananmen Square and the Monument to the People’s Heroes at Tian’anmen Square.

Taian is the home to Mount Tai (泰山), originally known as Daishan / Daizong, is the most famous of the five sacred mountains in China. For 2,000 years, it was one of the principal places of worship where the Emperor paid homage to Heaven and Earth in the Fengshan sacrifices (Feng – offerings to Heaven and Shan – offerings to Earth). On the mountain, there are 12 historically recorded Fengshan ceremonies, about 1,800 stone tablets and inscriptions and 22 temples. Its highest peak is referred to as the Jade Emperor Peak and is 1545 metres above sea level. Mount Tai has been designated a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site since December 1987 and rated 5A tourist attraction. There are two ways to reach the summit – by foot, which would take from two and a half to six hours to climb up the 6,660 stone steps or by a combination of bus and cable car.

(L) Summit stone at Jade Emperor Peak (R) Cliff inscription / Photo : Eric Lim

(L) Mount Tai appear on the reverse side of the five Yuan banknote (R) Wordless Monument in front of the Jade Emperor Peak / Photo : Eric Lim

Climbing up to the summit of Mount Tai / Photo :By Charlie fong – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5327850

(8 )Jinan 济南

We have finally arrived at the provincial capital city of Jinan. Jinan is also known by its nickname City of Springs because of the artesian wells that bubble up within the city limits. There is a list of 72 springs within the city that has been kept and updated since the times of the Jin, Ming and Qing dynasties. The water from these springs flows north towards the main landmark, Daming Lake and onwards to the Yellow River. Baotu Spring, which is ranked first in the list, has been known as the ‘Number 1 spring under the heavens’ is located in the southwest of the ancient town of Jinan. It is one of three springs (the other two are Black Tiger Spring and Five Dragon Pond Spring), one river (the Moat), one lake (Daming Lake) and four parks (Baotu Spring Park, City Ring Park, Five Dragon Pond Park and Daming Lake Park) that make up the World’s Best Spring Scenic Area which is graded 5A tourist site and Key National Park. After dinner, we were taken to QuShuiting Street (Winding Water Pavillion Street in English). The history of the street can be traced back to the 4th-6th century CE, during the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was named after the Qushui Pavilion which used to be frequented by scholars and the literate during that time. Coincidentally, it was China’s 520 Day, a public holiday celebrated on May 20 as ‘I Love You Day’ as the numeral date sounds like ‘I Love You‘ in Mandarin. It is yet another Chinese Valentine’s Day as the country celebrates the Western Valentine’s Day on February 14 and the traditional Chinese lover’s day, Qixi on Lunar 7th day of the 7th month. The day made for a perfectly fitting end to our sojourn in the Province of Shandong and to cherish the happy moments with our spouses.