Baotu Spring Park
5ACulture
The 'Number One Spring Under Heaven' - the signature of the City of Springs since the Ming dynasty.
Shandong travel guide
Shandong - 16 Cities & Top Attractions
Shandong is a populous eastern peninsula province that has shaped Chinese identity since the Spring and Autumn period. The cradle of Confucius, Mencius, and the Yellow River's lower reach, the province runs from Jinan's spring-water old city in the inland west, across Tai'an's sacred Mount Tai, to Qingdao, Yantai, and Weihai on the Jiaodong Peninsula coast. Routes typically combine Confucius's Qufu with Mount Tai, then either the Qingdao coast or the Yantai-Weihai island chain; longer trips add Yantai's Penglai and the Bohai ferry to Dalian.
16
Cities
16
A-5A Sites
210
Total A-Grade
Last updated 22 July 2026 · by the Walk Voyage Editorial Team
Cuisine overview
What Shandong tastes like
Shandong cuisine (Lu cai) is the first among China's eight great culinary traditions, split into three regional schools: the Jinan school (fresh, light, spring-water dishes), the Jiaodong/Coastal school (seafood-forward, originally Qingdao and Yantai), and the Confucius Mansion school (Kongfu yaoshi, the formal banquets of Qufu). Provincial signatures include sweet-and-sour carp, nine-turn braised intestines, scallion-braised sea cucumber, Dezhou braised chicken, braised pork belly (bazirou), Jinan sweet-mo and fried dough spirals, and Qingdao's internationally famous Tsingtao beer paired with spicy stir-fried clams. Street food is strong in every city - Qingdao's Taidong pedestrian street, Jinan's Furong Street, and Qufu's Confucian snack lanes all concentrate local specialties.
Jinan
4 featured · 14 total A-grade · 1 × 5A
Jinan school of Lu cuisine - spring-water dishes, sweet-mo porridge, fried dough spirals, bazirou pork.
Daming Lake
4ANature
Historic lotus lake at the heart of old Jinan, surrounded by classical pavilions.
Thousand Buddha Mountain
4ACulture
Qing-era Buddhist grottoes overlooking Jinan, sunset views over the city.
Furong Street & Old Town
3ACulture
Jinan's old snack street and the Qushui Pavilions, the most atmospheric walking route.
Qingdao
4 featured · 20 total A-grade · 2 × 5A
Jiaodong coastal school of Lu cuisine - stir-fried clams, mackerel dumplings, Tsingtao beer, Laoshan mushroom chicken.
Mount Lao (Laoshan)
5ANature
The 'First Mountain by the Sea' - Taoist sacred mountain with sea views from Taiqing Palace.
Olympic Sailing Center Cultural District
5ALeisure
2008 Olympic sailing venue - Lover's Dam sunset, modern marina and skyline views.
Eight Great Passes (Badaguan)
4ACulture
Wan-Guo architecture, European villas in a leafy district, classic Qingdao wedding photo spot.
Zhanqiao Pier
4ACulture
Qingdao's landmark pier stretching into the bay, with Huilan Pavilion at the end.
Zibo
4 featured · 12 total A-grade · 1 × 5A
Zibo barbecue national sensation, Boshan tofu box, Zhoucun sesame flatbread.
Zhoucun Ancient Commercial City
5ACulture
Ming-Qing 'First Village Under Heaven' - the dry-port of historical Shandong commerce.
Tanxi Mountain
4ANature
Gorge waterfalls, glass bridge, and cliff walkways in central Zibo's mountains.
Liaozhai City (Pu Songling)
4ACulture
Cultural park around the Pu Songling memorial, Strange Tales of a Chinese Studio theme.
Yuanshan National Forest Park
4ANature
Central Shandong's 'green lung' - karst stone forest, Qi Great Wall ruins, forest walks.
Zaozhuang
3 featured · 9 total A-grade · 1 × 5A
Zaozhuang spicy chicken, vegetable pancakes (cai jianbing), Tengzhou hand-pulled noodles.
Taierzhuang Ancient City
5ACulture
The 'First Village Under Heaven' - a living Grand Canal town famous for its war memory and night lights.
Weishan Lake Red Lotus Wetland
4ANature
Lakeside wetlands, summer red lotus fields, 1938 railway-cannon historic site.
Lianhua Mountain (Zaozhuang)
4ANature
Mountain park south of Zaozhuang, glass bridge and Han-dynasty cliff carvings.
Dongying
2 featured · 8 total A-grade · 1 × 5A
Yellow River estuary seafood, Hekou fresh fish, Dongying river-prawn festival.
Yellow River Delta National Park
5ANature
Where the Yellow River meets the Bohai - wetland cranes, the largest new land in China.
Fenggang Beach (Dongying)
3ALeisure
Bohai bay beach with year-round sunset views, summer swimming.
Yantai
4 featured · 17 total A-grade · 1 × 5A
Yantai seafood, Penglai noodles, Yantai apples, Changyu wine (China's first winery).
Penglai Pavilion (Dengzhou)
5ACulture
One of the four great pavilions of China, legendary gateway to the immortals' island.
Changyu Wine Culture Museum
4ACulture
China's first industrial winery (1892), underground cellar and grape estate.
Yashang (Jellyfish) Bay
4ALeisure
Wide sandy bay, kite-surfing, summer beach resort east of Yantai city.
Kongtong Island
4ANature
Offshore island nature reserve with sea caves, ancient temples, and clear water.
Weifang
3 featured · 16 total A-grade · 1 × 5A
Weifang fried dough twists, Jingzita radish, Jiaozhou fish balls, Yangjiabu New Year paintings.
Weifang Kite Museum
4ACulture
World's largest kite museum and manufacturing center, the Weifang International Kite Festival.
Fangzi Old Town
3ACulture
German-Japanese concession-era old town, atmospheric streets and old warehouses.
Tuoshan Mountain & Qingyunshan
4ANature
Spring-water mountain walks south of Weifang, ancient temples.
Jining
3 featured · 13 total A-grade · 1 × 5A
Confucius Mansion banquet (Kongfu yaoshi), Jining stuffing soup, Weishan lake fish.
Confucius Temple, Cemetery & Mansion (Qufu)
5ACulture
UNESCO-listed Confucius ancestral complex, the most important Confucian site in China.
Mount Ni (Yishan)
4ACulture
Sacred mountain where Confucius is said to have been born and died.
Zoucheng Museum & Mencius Mansion
4ACulture
Mencius's hometown - temple, mansion, and ruins in Zoucheng.
Tai'an
3 featured · 12 total A-grade · 1 × 5A
Tai'an tofu banquet, Mount Tai pancakes (jianbing), wild vegetable feasts.
Mount Tai (Tai Shan)
5ANature
UNESCO Cultural and Natural Heritage, the most climbed of China's Five Sacred Mountains.
Dai Temple (Daigong)
4ACulture
Imperial Tang-Song temple at the foot of Mount Tai, the historical entry gate.
Dongyue Temple (Tai'an)
3ACulture
Taoist temple on the south slope of Mount Tai, ancient Tang-era stone inscriptions.
Weihai
3 featured · 14 total A-grade · 1 × 5A
Weihai seafood (sea cucumber, abalone), Korean-influenced cooking, Rushan oysters.
Liugong Island (Liu Gong Dao)
5ACulture
1895 Sino-Japanese War memorial island, fort ruins and naval museum.
Chengshantou Cape
4ANature
Easternmost point of the Jiaodong Peninsula, sunrise over the sea.
Rongcheng Swan Lake
4ANature
Wintering ground for whooper swans from Siberia, November through March.
Rizhao
3 featured · 13 total A-grade
Rizhao sea bream, Rizhao green tea, Wanpingkou seafood, Dongyi fish noodles.
Wanpingkou Coastal Park
4ALeisure
Six-km city beach promenade, sunrise and sunset landmark.
Fantong Mountain Forest Park
4ANature
Coastal mountain with sea views, hiking up through cypress forests.
Liancheng Bay
3ANature
Coastal bay with tea plantations meeting the sea, the symbol of Rizhao.
Linyi
3 featured · 17 total A-grade · 1 × 5A
Linyi fried chicken, Mengshan whole lamb banquet, Yishui whole grain pancakes.
Mount Meng National Forest Park
5ANature
Shandong's second-tallest peak, summer mountain retreat and Buddhist temples.
Yinqueshan Han Tomb Bamboo Slips Museum
4ACulture
Han-dynasty bamboo-slip archaeological museum, military and calendar texts.
Banshi Yu (Half-City)
4ACulture
Ancient Qidong capital ruins, mountainous landscape with cultural site.
Dezhou
2 featured · 11 total A-grade · 1 × 5A
Dezhou braised chicken (paiji), Dezhou donkey meat, sun-dried jujube dishes.
Solar Valley (Taiyanggu)
4ALeisure
Eco-tourism demonstration zone, solar energy theme park south of Dezhou.
Suzhen Rural Resort
3ALeisure
Modern countryside tourism, family-oriented farm experience.
Liaocheng
3 featured · 13 total A-grade · 1 × 5A
Liaocheng guoba (potato crust), Cao County beef, Grand Canal water-town snacks.
Dongchang Lake
5ANature
Man-made lake ringed by the old Liaocheng city, China's Northern Water City.
Guangyue Tower
4ACulture
Ming-era watchtower over Dongchang Lake, one of the great historical towers of China.
Yanggu Ai Mountain (Aishan)
4ACulture
Mountain and spring area with temples, birthplace of Sun Wu (Sun Tzu's family).
Binzhou
2 featured · 10 total A-grade
Binzhou sesame paste, Zhanhua winter jujubes, Yangxin lake fish.
Zhanhua Winter Jujube Orchard
3ALeisure
Pick-your-own winter jujubes (October-December), the orchard country of Binzhou.
Binzhou Ancient City Wall
3ACulture
Restored city wall and historical district in Binzhou's old town.
Heze
3 featured · 11 total A-grade · 1 × 5A
Heze peony feast, Cao County beef soup, single-fork lamb, Heze sesame candy.
Caozhou Peony Garden
4ACulture
China's national peony garden, the largest peony reserve in the world, April blooms.
Shui Hu (Water Margin) Liangshan
3ACulture
Theme park around the Water Margin marshland, ties to the famous novel's setting.
Ebin Lake Wetland Park
4ANature
Yellow River old channel wetland, lotus and birding, just south of Heze city.
Walk Voyage city guides
Shandong cities on Walk Voyage
Shandong is one of 15 provinces we cover. Below are the city guide we have published for this province — each combines attractions, local food, hotels, and route ideas in one place.
Need a different city? Browse all 10 provinces or see the homepage.
Methodology
Data & scope
Stats reflect publicly-listed A-grade scenic areas as of 2026-07-14. Featured attractions per city are curated picks (3-4 per location) to keep this page scannable. For exhaustive listings, see the official registry referenced in the footer.
Source: Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, A-grade scenic area public registry, cross-referenced with provincial travel guides.