Must-see attractions in Shandong

This magnificent Taoist temple complex is where all Tai'an roads lead, being the traditional first stop on the pilgrimage route up Tai Shan. The grounds,…

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…

The most climbed mountain on earth, and the most revered of China's five sacred Taoist peaks, Tai Shan is one third of Shandong's claim to having 'yī shān…

Like shrines to Confucius throughout China and Asia, this is more museum than altar. The heart of the complex is the huge yellow-eaved Dacheng Hall (大成殿,…

Next to Confucius Temple is this maze of living quarters, halls, studies and further studies. The mansion buildings were moved from the temple grounds to…

About 75km northwest of Yantai, perched on a bluff overlooking the waves, the 1000-year-old Penglai Pavilion is closely entwined with Chinese mythology…

About 1km north of the walled town on Lindao Lu is the peaceful Confucius Forest, a cemetery of pine and cypress covering 200 hectares and bounded by a…

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…

This quaint park of stone paths, leafy gardens and ocean vistas is also a museum of Western treaty port architecture. Wolf-dung fires burned continuously…

Within central Qingdao, Zhongshan Park is a vast 69 hectares of lakes, gardens and walking paths; it's an amusement park for kids and also the venue of…

It's really the architecture that's the big draw at this museum, housed in an amazing guild hall built between 1884 and 1906 by arrivals from Fujian (福建,…

This museum is one of Qingdao’s best examples of concession-era architecture – the former German governor’s residence constructed in the style of a German…

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…

Accessible from either the Dahedong entrance or the Yangkou entrance, Lao Shan’s oldest and grandest temple was established by the first Song emperor…

This canyon area at the north end of Lao Shan is mostly flat and takes a couple of hours to traverse. The path winds alongside and across clear, blue…

This park on the Hucheng River is built around Black Tiger Spring (黑虎泉, Hēihǔ Quán), which empties into the old city moat through three stone tiger heads…

Most easily reached from the Dahedong (大河东, Dàhédòng) entrance to the park, this peak – the name literally means 'Huge Peak' – is Lao Shan's highest point…

You can ascend this scenic area by foot or cable car past wind- and water-carved granite. There’s a 30m scramble in total darkness up a crevice to the top…

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…

Beginning in the Sui dynasty (581–618), pious folk carved Buddhas into this mountain southeast of the city centre. The oldest are at Xinguochan Temple,…