Qingzhou travel guide

Qingzhou, China

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Qingzhou

Introduction

Qingzhou is a county-level city in the west of Weifang prefecture, in the central part of Shandong Province. It has also been known as Tsing-chou, Ching-chow-fu and, formerly, Yidu County.

The city has a dynamic industrial base and also grows a great number of farm products. Its local government follows an open policy of introducing foreign capital, and the city has built strong business relationships with more than fifty countries and regions.

Before you go

Qingzhou sees very few foreign visitors, so you should expect to navigate most situations in Chinese and plan around a city where tourism infrastructure for outsiders is limited. The most bustling part of town clusters around the People's Market, at the crossing of Yao Wang Shan West Rd and Yunmen Shan North Road, where you'll find a high concentration of shopping malls; Wang Fu Xi Jie Street runs parallel to Yao Wang Shan West Rd. There is also activity along Yunmen Shan South Rd just south of the river, lined with pleasant pathways suited to easy strolling. Just north of the same river crossing sits a newly built coulisse area intended for tourism, known locally as Song Cheng Rd, where the architecture is meant to look traditional Chinese and the setting is cleaner and more upscale.

The climate is warm temperate and semi-humid monsoon, mild overall with four distinct seasons. Summers are hot and humid with rainfall concentrated in that season, while winters are cold and dry. The city's road infrastructure is well built, with wide, long boulevards, so you won't face much road congestion getting around.

Getting there

Getting to Qingzhou is easiest by train: the city sits on the Beijing–Qingtao express route. Be aware, though, that the railway station lies 4–5 km outside the city in no man's land, so you will need a ride for the final stretch. Metered taxis are easy to find, and at this remote station a taxi is likely the only help a lost traveler will get. If you are flying in, the nearest airport is Weifang Airport.

Getting around

< p>Qingzhou's compact core and historic streets make walking a practical way to see the centre. The Ancient City of Qingzhou, Zhaode Ancient Street, and the Hui neighbourhood with its old mosques, including the Zhenjiao Mosque, all cluster in and around downtown, so you can cover them on foot. For the mountains southwest of the centre, Tuoshan and Yunmenshan, plan on a taxi or bus instead of walking; a single gondola serves both peaks.

Buses are new and comfortable outside peak times, running from morning until evening, with an earlier finish in winter than in summer. Two main roads, Xiaowangshan East Road and Haidaizhong Road, are served by buses K1 and K11, and K1 follows a circular loop along both. Taxis are easy to find, including at the railway station several kilometres outside town, and are the reliable option since no ride-hailing apps are described. Most are green and gold Hyundai Elantras, with older blue taxis being phased out. Fares cover the first 3 km, then add roughly ¥1.6 per extra kilometre, plus a ¥1 fuel fee paid at the end; crossing the city generally costs no more than about ¥20. There is no metro or tram network, and no dedicated airport link from Weifang Airport, so arrange a taxi for the onward journey.

Where to stay

Qingzhou has hotels across a range of price brackets, but relatively few can be booked through English-language websites. As elsewhere in China, reserving online generally gets you a better rate than turning up at the door, so it pays to arrange your room before you arrive.

Staff at the places listed here don't speak much English, though they are friendly and make an effort.

Food & drink

Menus are generally not in English, though some restaurants have picture menus or display food at the entrance. For a meat-heavy buffet, head to the Brazilian BBQ Restaurant on Hai Dai Zhong Lu just east of the river — the first restaurant to the south after crossing the river eastwards — where the spread runs from cow, pig, chicken, goose, lamb, prawn, fish and duck to ox heart, ox tongue and a grilled tiny baby sparrow. For something more local, walk west down Qianyinzi Rd from Days Hotel & Suites on the north side, then turn into the alleys 200–300 metres along, where the lights will show the way. The restaurants there feel more like someone's living room, with chairs smaller than a six-pack, and the goose feet are surprisingly delicious. Safer options cluster in the more upscale Song Cheng Rd area, including the well-known hot pot restaurant Liu Yi Guo, while fast food outlets — Dicos among them — sit around People's Market on Yao Wang Shan West Rd, and a KFC is just south of the river on Yunmen Shan South Rd, though there is no McDonald's. Drinking is mostly KTVs, with very few Western-style bars. Outside Bar, facing the bridge and river in the touristy Song Cheng Rd area, is a large bar/club with fancy decor, professional staff and a Western drink menu. Across the street northwards from Days Hotel there is one rather empty bar with an unused drum set, large beers and two large pictures of a Western-looking "laowai" on the wall.

What to see and do

In Qingzhou you can trace the city's long history through its gardens, religious sites and old streets. Fan Gongting is an ancient pavilion from the Song Dynasty, once the private garden of the poet Fan Zhongyan, while Ou Yuan is a Ming Dynasty garden that now combines a park and zoo and fills with residents performing at dawn and nightfall. The Muslim District holds at least two large historic mosques, the oldest being the Zhenjiao Mosque, which dates back eight centuries. For Buddhist art, head to the Qingzhou Museum on Fangongting Road West, which displays Buddhist statues unearthed in the 1990s, or to Tuoshan and Yunmenshan southwest of the centre, where an ancient collection of Buddhist grottoes is protected as a national treasure. Further out, Mount Yangtian National Forest Park in Wangfen Town offers virgin forest, flowing rivers, natural rock cavities and the so-called thousand Buddha's cave, filled with over a thousand vividly carved figures. The Qingzhou Ancient City rewards a long wander: more than a hundred ancient streets and alleys, including Beimen Street, Ouyuan Street and Dongmen Street, wind through blocks of distinct Ming and Qing architecture. In the open area you can find government buildings, traditional residences, classical gardens and cross-street archways, along with exhibition halls such as the Ouyang Xiu Memorial Hall, the Li Cheng Memorial Hall and the Qingzhou Folklore Museum, plus old specialties, bars, homestays and regular performances of intangible heritage. If you want to get out into the landscape, hiking is a popular option, with fine views of the surrounding mountains; climbing Yunmen Shan can be tricky because it is fenced in, but most of the other peaks seem to be accessible.

When to go

Qingzhou has a warm temperate semi-humid monsoon climate with four distinct seasons, and conditions are mild overall. Summer is hot and humid, and this is when the year's rainfall is concentrated, with rain and heat arriving together. Expect muggy conditions and frequent rain, and plan your days around wet weather.

Winter is cold and dry, with little rainfall, making it the least comfortable season for outdoor sightseeing. If you visit then, pack for low temperatures and dry air.

Three days in Qingzhou

Day one: Start in the Ancient City, where Zhaode Ancient Street sets the tone for your stay. Wander the old lanes and take in the Hui character of the quarter, including the Zhenjiao Mosque. In the evening, eat your way through the Market, trying local Shandong cooking.

Day two: Head for the hills. Tuoshan and Yunmenshan are the classic outings, reached via Yunmen Shan North Road, Yunmen Shan South Rd or Xiaowangshan East Road. Buses run from town; if you prefer, a metered taxi is straightforward. Summers here are warm and humid, so carry water.

Day three: Use the day to see more of the city's streets - Wang Fu Xi Jie, Song Cheng Rd, Yao Wang Shan West Rd and Haidaizhong Road all reward a slow walk. If you are continuing onward, Weifang and Weifang Airport are within reach, and Beijing and Qingtao are the usual longer connections.

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