Atlas of China
Shandong 山东Shāndōng
Confucius's hometown, the pilgrim stairway up Mount Tai and seaside Qingdao
- Type
- Province
- Capital
- Jinan
- Featured places
- 5
- Cities and prefectures
- 16
- Listed sites
- 36012 rated 5A · 241 rated 4A · 137 national heritage
About Shandong
Confucius was born and taught in Shandong, and the temple, family mansion and tree-shaded cemetery in Qufu still draw visitors from across East Asia. Emperors climbed Mount Tai to make offerings to heaven, and pilgrims still tackle its thousands of stone steps, many setting out at night to reach the summit by sunrise. On the coast, Qingdao combines red-roofed buildings from its German period, sandy bays and the brewery behind China's best-known beer.
Shandong at a glance
- Area
- 156,700 km²
- Population
- 101.5 million 2020
- Highest point
- Mount Tai 泰山1,545 m
Area, population and highest point from Wikidata; the population is the latest census or official estimate there.
What to eat in Shandong
- Sweet and sour Yellow River carp (糖醋鲤鱼)
- Dezhou braised chicken (德州扒鸡)
- Qingdao draught beer (青岛扎啤)
Places to visit in Shandong
-
Mount Tai 泰山
China's most sacred peak, climbed by emperors and by night hikers chasing sunrise
-
Qingdao Old Town & Seafront 青岛
Red roofs, German-era villas, sea breezes and the home of Tsingtao beer
-
Qufu, Hometown of Confucius 曲阜三孔
The temple, mansion and forest cemetery of Confucius and his descendants
-
Mount Lao (Laoshan) 崂山
A granite Taoist mountain rising straight from the Yellow Sea, east of Qingdao
-
Penglai Pavilion and Water City 蓬莱阁与蓬莱水城
A cliff-top tower of immortals and a Ming sea fortress on the Bohai shore
Listed sites in Shandong
360 sites in Shandong are on the official lists, 12 of them rated 5A and 137 protected as national heritage. They are listed by city, with what each is and how to get there.
All 360 listed sites in ShandongCities and prefectures of Shandong
- Binzhou 滨州 City
A castle-like Qing manor and jujube orchards by the lower Yellow River - Dezhou 德州 City
Famous braised chicken and the tomb of a Sulu king - Dongying 东营 City
Where the Yellow River meets the sea, among oil wells and storks - Heze 菏泽 City
Peony fields, Water Margin outlaws and a famous mutton soup - Jinan 济南 City
Spring-fed pools, a hillside of carved Buddhas and a black-pottery site - Jining 济宁 City
Confucius's hometown, Mencius's temple and the summit of the Grand Canal - Liaocheng 聊城 City
Canal 'water city' of Ming towers, merchant halls and donkey-hide gelatin - Linyi 临沂 City
Yimeng hill country, a calligrapher's birthplace and a trading hub - Qingdao 青岛 City
Beer, Badaguan's villas and a Taoist mountain by the Yellow Sea - Rizhao 日照 City
A sunshine city of beaches, craggy peaks and a very old ginkgo - Tai'an 泰安 City
A sacred peak, its imperial temple and a Neolithic type site - Weifang 潍坊 City
Kite capital with woodblock prints, buried Buddhas and dinosaur bones - Weihai 威海 City
The peninsula's far-east tip, a naval island and a British lease - Yantai 烟台 City
Treaty-port consulates, China's first winery and a pavilion of immortals - Zaozhuang 枣庄 City
A rebuilt canal town, the walls of Xue and a tribute to the philosopher Mozi - Zibo 淄博 City
Qi's old capital, paper-thin sesame flatbreads and a barbecue craze
Before you go
- Visas and visa-free entry Can I visit China without a visa?
- Paying for things How do I pay for things in China without a Chinese bank account?
- Internet and apps Will Google and my other apps work in China?
- Trains and 12306 How do I book train tickets in China with a foreign passport?
- Book popular sights early Which sights in China need booking in advance, and how?
- When to go When is the best time to visit China?
On the map
Open Shandong on the illustrated map to see where its places sit, how far apart they are, and to add them to a trip.
Open Shandong on the map