Jinan

Attractions

• Lingyan Temple
• Jinan Zoo
• Shandong Art Museum
• Modern Buildings of Former Jiaoji Railway - Jinan Station
• Jinan Han Meilin Art Museum
• The former site of the National Government's Special Commissioner's Office in Shandong
• Longshan Culture Museum
• Jinan Qushan Art Museum

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Wikivoyage

Jinan (济南 Jǐnán) is the provincial capital of Shandong in North China. Jinan's nicknames include Quancheng, Qizhou, and Luoyi. It is located in the north-west of the province. In the south the city is flanked by the hills of the Tai'an massif, while the Yellow River passes north of the city.

Jinan carries the nickname City of Springs (泉城 quánchéng) because of the many artesian wells that bubble up within the city limits. The water from these springs flows north towards the main landmark, Daming Lake (大明湖 dàmíng hú), and onwards to the Yellow River.

While it doesn't always make the short list of tourists visiting China, there is certainly enough to be done in Jinan to warrant a couple days' stay. It is also a perfect base for exploring the region, notably Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, and Mount Tai, the foremost of the sacred Five Great Mountains known in Taoism.

Jinan is a huge city by world standards, with a population of about 9.2 million as of 2020, but that population makes it only the second most populous city in Shandong.

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Wikipedia

Jinan is the capital of the province of Shandong in East China. With a population of 9.2 million, it is one of the largest cities in Shandong in terms of population. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilization and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub. The city has held sub-provincial administrative status since 1994. Jinan is often called the "City of Springs" for its famous 72 artesian springs.

Jinan is listed as the # 27 city in the world for scientific research as tracked by the Nature Index according to the Nature Index 2025 Science Cities. The city is home to several major universities, including Shandong, Shandong Normal, Shandong Jianzhu, University of Jinan, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Shandong University of Finance and Economics. Notably, Shandong University is one of China's most prestigious universities as a member of the Double First-Class Construction. The city is rated Beta- (Global second-tier city) by the biannual GAWC ratings in 2020.

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