Jinan, the capital of China’s Shandong Province, is known as the city of spring because of its relatively mild climate despite its strategic location in Northeastern China. It is also known as the city of springs because it is crisscrossed by a network of underground waterways, with natural spring water bubbling to the surface at the many of the scenic spots that dot the landscape. Baotu Spring Park, Daming Lake, Pearl Springs, Black Tiger Springs, and Baimai Spring are just a few of the locations where this phenomenon can be witnessed.

As the capital of Shandong Province since the Ming Dynasty, Jinan is considered to be one of the cradles of traditional Chinese civilization. Set between the legendary Yellow River to the North and Mount Tai, one of China’s five immortal mountains, to the South, Jinan can trace its history back more than 5,000 years, when primitive forms of agriculture and livestock farming first started to evolve in the region. Permanent settlements are thought to date back to the Shang Dynasty. Buddhism started flourishing in the region during the Jin Dynasty. It became noted as a center of learning and commerce during the Northern Song Dynasty.

As a result of its long and rich history, Jinan and the surrounding countryside has a host of historic sites. Ruins of the Shun Civilization, which dates back 42 centuries, can be found at nearby Shungeng Mountain. China’s oldest stone pagoda was built in the vicinity in the 7th century during the Sui Dynasty. Lingyan Temple, built during the Song Dynasty in the 11th century, lays claim to housing the some of the best sculptures in all of China.

Having given birth to a plethora of prominent figures in Chinese history, Jinan was also favoured by poets and scholars, who found literary inspiration in its natural beauty and graceful architecture. During his several visits to the city, preeminent Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai (701 – 762) boated on the waters of Queshan Lake, ascended the heights of Huabuzhu Mountain and wined at Lixia Pavilion. Du Fu 712 – 770), another prominent Tang Dynasty poet, also eulogized the city’s lakes, parks and scenic waterways in poems which still find favour today.

Jinan is also home to some of China’s best restaurants. While not as well known outside the country as Cantonese, Szechwanese or Hunanese cuisine, Jinan – or Shandong Province as a whole – is considered by domestic gourmets to be a food lover’s paradise. Interestingly, Beijing’s signature dish, Peking duck, is said to have originated in Shandong Province.

Jinan’s modern economic development got underway during the Republican era, but was devastated during the Sino-Japanese War. Its current economic renaissance can be traced back to Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms, which were launched in 1978. The focus has been the on the development of medium- to large-sized enterprises. Information technology, insurance, telecommunications and tourism are pillars of the city’s economy, which has been growing at a rate of nearly 12 per cent per year since 1990. By the year 2000, hi-tech industries were already accounting for 49 per cent of the city’s economic growth or 13.5 per cent of its total industrial added value.

Jinan has a well-developed infrastructure, with excellent transportation links to other parts of the province and the rest of the country. It has a modern international airport, it is linked to the summer resort city of Qingdao by a modern expressway, it is a major railway crossroads, and its location on the Yellow River makes it an important centre for shipping. The city also boasts a number of highly regarded educational institutions. There are 20 institutes of higher learning and 26 polytechnics.