Capital · Historic city · Cultural centre · Shandong
Jinan
济南
The City of Springs between Mount Tai and the Yellow River
Jinan is the capital of Shandong, set between the northern foothills of Mount Tai and the Yellow River. Known as the City of Springs, it has dozens of karst springs in its old centre — Baotu Spring the most famous — feeding Daming Lake, and has been the provincial seat since the Ming dynasty.
Key facts
Overview
Jinan takes its name from the Ji River (济水), one of the four great rivers of ancient China, south of which it lay; the Yellow River later took over the Ji's lower course. Rainwater falling on the limestone hills to the south flows underground and rises in the old town, where springs fill canals, courtyards and Daming Lake.
The city is Shandong's political, educational and cultural centre, a sub-provincial city with a large industrial sector — heavy trucks, steel, machinery and software — and a hub on the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway. It was the home of the Song poets Li Qingzhao and Xin Qiji and has been celebrated in poetry since the Tang.
Names and nicknames
泉城
“City of Springs”
From the springs of the old city, traditionally counted as the “seventy-two famous springs”.
历下
“below Mount Li”
Ancient name of the town at the foot of Mount Li (now Thousand Buddha Mountain); the central district keeps it.
History
Chengziya, east of the city, gave its name to the Longshan culture. Jinan was a commandery seat from the Han and became the capital of Shandong in the early Ming. In 1904 it opened itself as a commercial port, and the Jiaozhou–Jinan railway from Qingdao made it a trade hub. On 3 May 1928 Japanese troops clashed with the Nationalist army in the city, killing thousands of soldiers and civilians. The Communists took Jinan in September 1948.
c. 2600–2000 BCE
Chengziya and the Longshan culture
Excavated in 1928 by Chinese archaeologists, the site revealed one of the first prehistoric town walls identified in China.
611
Four Gates Pagoda built
The single-storey stone pagoda at Shentong Temple is the oldest surviving stone pagoda in China.
745
Du Fu at the Lixia Pavilion
Du Fu's poem written at a banquet here gave the city its famous couplet about its many worthies.
14th century
Capital of Shandong
The Ming moved the provincial seat from Qingzhou to Jinan.
1904
Self-opened commercial port
With the arrival of the German-built railway from Qingdao, Jinan opened a trading district west of the old city on its own initiative.
3 May 1928
Jinan Incident
Japanese troops fought the Northern Expedition army in the city; thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed.
September 1948
Battle of Jinan
The Communist capture of the city opened the way to the Huaihai campaign.
Landmarks
Park or garden
Baotu Spring
趵突泉
Three spouts of spring water rising in a pool, called by the Qianlong emperor “the first spring under heaven”.
Park or garden
Daming Lake
大明湖
Spring-fed lake in the old city with pavilions, lotus and the Lixia Pavilion.
Temple or shrine
Thousand Buddha Mountain
千佛山
Hill south of the centre with Sui-dynasty Buddhist carvings and views over the city.
Park or garden
Black Tiger Spring
黑虎泉
Spring pouring from three stone tiger heads into the old city moat, where residents fill bottles.
Museum
Shandong Museum
山东博物馆
Provincial museum with Dawenkou and Longshan pottery, Han stone reliefs and Buddhist sculpture.
Temple or shrine
Four Gates Pagoda
四门塔
Sui-dynasty stone pagoda in the hills south of the city.
Street or quarter
Furong Street
芙蓉街
Old lane of snack stalls and small springs between Daming Lake and Quancheng Square.
Neighbourhoods
The old city
老城区
The area inside the moat, with springs, lanes and Daming Lake.
The Commercial Port
商埠区
The grid of streets laid out after 1904 west of the old city, with early twentieth-century buildings.
Zhangqiu
章丘
District to the east, home of Li Qingzhao, Baimai Spring and the giant scallions.
Food
Bazi rou
把子肉
Braised pork belly over rice, the city's everyday lunch.
Youxuan
油旋
Spiral, flaky scallion bun, fried and baked.
Tianmo
甜沫
Savoury millet porridge with peanuts, tofu skin and vegetables, despite the name “sweet”.
Nine-turn intestines
九转大肠
The Jinan classic of Shandong cuisine.
Culture
Jinan's culture is built around its springs: residents collect drinking water from public spouts, and canals and willow-lined lanes run through the old city. It is also a centre of Lü opera and of quyi storytelling arts, and a university city. The literary heritage of Li Qingzhao and Xin Qiji is commemorated in memorial halls.
海右此亭古，济南名士多。Hǎi yòu cǐ tíng gǔ, Jǐnán míngshì duō.
“West of the sea this pavilion is old; Jinan has many men of renown.”
— Du Fu, “Banquet with Li Yong at the Lixia Pavilion” (陪李北海宴历下亭), 745
Getting around
- Jinan Metro lines connect the West station, the centre and the eastern districts.
- Jinan West is the stop on the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed line; Jinan East serves the lines to Qingdao and the peninsula; Jinan station is in the old commercial district.
- Yaoqiang International Airport lies north-east of the city.
Day trips
Mount Tai
泰山
The sacred mountain in Tai'an, one stop south on the high-speed line.
Lingyan Temple
灵岩寺
Buddhist monastery on the northern slopes of the Tai massif, known for its painted clay arhats of the Song dynasty.
Qufu
曲阜
The home of Confucius, south on the high-speed line.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Jinan Municipal People's Government — Jinan Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Jinan — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
More cities in Shandong
- Qingdao青岛Port · Historic city · Scenic areaRed roofs, beer and the sea on Jiaozhou Bay
- Qufu曲阜Historic city · Cultural centreHome town of Confucius and capital of the state of Lu
- Tai'an泰安Scenic area · Historic city · Cultural centreThe city at the foot of Mount Tai
- Yantai烟台Port · Historic city · Scenic areaTreaty port of wine and apples on the Bohai Strait