From Jinan city it is only a 20 minute train ride to Tai An, a city at the base of Mount Tai (泰山, Taishan).  From the train station to the trail head is a 45 minute bus ride.   The path to top of the mountain is paved with stone.  It has to be.  This is the most climbed mountain in China.  The path would have been washed away years ago without thos...

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Every morning at 7AM a group of adults gathers in a corner of Daminghu Park to practice Taichi. It was clear from the banter that they knew each other well. In fact you could tell they cared a lot about each other. Asking about each others children, discussing recent trips, etc. I think they are very fortunate to have an excellent teacher and such a lar...

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This busy avenue in Jinan is lined with hotels, department stores, and restaurants. My first stop in Jinan was the Starbucks on on Quancheng Lu. The owner of my next Airbnb met me there, and escorted me to the place a couple hundred yards to the north. I was pleased to find that not only was it spacious but, literally one block from Dàmíng Hú Park. L...

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Qù Shuǐ Tíng is lined with water features This picturesque street is famous for its ponds, canals, willows and ancient buildings. It is like stepping back in time. I explored the area on a sunny Saturday. It was an abundance of families, performances and food carts. Many of the activities were sponsored by local businesses. With so many people, and ...

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Jinan is the capital city of Shandong province. I took an excursion there to check out the historical areas and improve my Mandarin skills. My goal was to visit a new area of China and find more opportunities to practice the language. Jinan is called the Spring City because of the artesian springs which bubble up forming lakes, fountains and canals. I had...

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