Live Your Best Lives
The third season of "National Treasure" has finally arrived, showcasing the past and present of nine museums! After two seasons of electrifying drama, "National Treasure" has earned a Douban rating of 9.1, and the third season, just two episodes in, has also received a high score of 9.5! The familiar writing, stunning holographic projections, and historical re-creations of each cast member are breathtaking.
Today, let's discuss Shandong Province, mentioned in both seasons (the Shandong Museum in National Treasure Season 2, and the Three-Hall Confucius Museum in Season 3). What is its charm? What are the amazing "national treasures" and world heritage sites it hides?
"Passing on the meaning of scriptures for thousands of years, lighting the lamp of light for eternity, for two thousand five hundred years" - Qufu Confucius Temple, Confucius Cemetery, Confucius Mansion, and Confucius Museum.
△ The national treasures of the Confucius Museum will soon be on display
"Leading as a model for all ages, establishing a family and a country through rituals" - Shandong Museum
△ Participating in the second season with three national treasures including "The Art of War"
"The proudest history, the most stunning exhibitions, the most loyal guardians, the most legendary stories, and the top national treasures." It will take you into the thousand-year-old Shandong and the charming Qilu.
As we all know, Qi and Lu culture made a significant contribution and had a profound impact on the formation and development of Chinese culture. Confucius, born in Qufu, the capital of Lu, founded Confucianism there, which has become the cornerstone of Chinese social framework and values for millennia. Chi You (one of the ancestors of the Chinese nation), Confucius, and Mencius are all outstanding examples of the multifaceted contributions of Qi and Lu to Chinese civilization.
The history of Sankong in the third season of National Treasure is second only to Sanxingdui, with a history of 2,500 years. It is also one of the world's cultural heritage sites, the cultural root of Shandong, and a cultural landmark!
If Confucius had not been born, the world would have been dark forever.
Confucius used his thoughts to leave the mark of civilization on the land of China, which has continued for more than two thousand years.
The Shandong region has traces of human activity dating back hundreds of thousands of years, making it one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization. In the early Western Zhou Dynasty, Duke Zhou was granted the former land of Shang and Yan, located on the banks of the Zhu and Si rivers, and established the State of Lu. Even during the Spring and Autumn Period, when warring states fought for supremacy and rituals and music were in decline, Lu largely preserved the ritual and music systems of the Western Zhou Dynasty. Confucius, who "traced his ancestors to Yao and Shun, and established the laws of Wen and Wu," his thought represents the crystallization of early Chinese civilization.
Confucius belongs to China and the world.
For over two thousand years, Confucius' teachings have spread across mountains and oceans, from near and far, making significant contributions to world civilization. In East and Southeast Asia, Confucianism has become a shared cultural foundation for many countries. Through translations of classics and other means, Confucianism was introduced to the West, injecting spiritual impetus into the modern Western Enlightenment. Today, China, inheriting the fine traditions of Confucian culture, will play a unique role in building a community with a shared future for mankind.
The completion and use of the Confucius Museum will allow the nearly 700,000 cultural relics in the Confucius Mansion to be better protected and managed, and will make the treasures hidden deep in the Confucius Mansion available to the world.
△ Collection of Confucius Museum: Ming Dynasty dark green ground embroidered gauze python robe
△ Ming Dynasty paintings of the Three Saints
△ A rubbing of the "Chunhua Ge Tie" bestowed by Emperor Qianlong
△Ten Offerings of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties
1. Yongzheng Enamel Five Offerings
This set of porcelain was gifted by Emperor Yongzheng to the Confucius Mansion. It is bright yellow throughout, with ornate patterns and a majestic air. A closer look reveals the rich and captivating glaze. This set exudes an imperial elegance. The patterns on this Yongzheng porcelain set utilize at least 26 colors.
2. Warring States Yellow Jade Horse
This Hetian yellow jade, so rare it can be grasped, makes the horse carved from it appear lifelike. Its form and movements are remarkably graceful. Due to its age, the jade horse has been stained with vibrant red, creating a stunning interplay of red and yellow. This small exhibit is considered a "treasure" of the Confucius Museum primarily because its unearthed location is associated with the Silk Road, bearing witness to its prosperity. Therefore, in addition to its aesthetic value, it possesses inestimable cultural heritage value.
1. The museum is open to the public from 9:00 to 17:00 every Tuesday to Sunday, with last admission at 16:00. It is closed on Mondays (except national holidays).
2. Audiences are allowed to enter with their ID or other valid documents.
3. For guided tours, please call 0537-4459060 to make an appointment. The museum is equipped with wheelchairs and baby strollers; please visit the information desk to borrow one.
4. Please voluntarily submit to security checks. Those who are drunk, disheveled, or otherwise pose a negative impact on their public image, as well as those with limited or incapacitated conduct, will not be allowed entry without a guardian. Bringing prohibited items and pets into the museum is strictly prohibited. Please deposit large items before entering, and keep valuables at your own expense.
Tips:
Transportation Guide
Address: No. 100, Confucius Avenue, Qufu City, Shandong Province
1. Take the B1 intercity bus from Qufu High-speed Railway Station and get off at Confucius Museum Station to reach the north gate of our museum.
2. Take bus K01 from Qufu High-speed Railway Station or Qufu Bus Station to Confucius Museum Station, then walk 200 meters south to the east gate of our museum.
3. Take bus K05 from Qufu Railway Station to Sports Park Station, then transfer to bus 1 and get off at Confucius Museum Station to reach the east gate of our museum.
Self-driving route
1. Qufu Bus Station - Chunqiu West Road - Confucius Avenue - Confucius Museum
2. Qufu High-speed Railway Station - Confucius Avenue - Confucius Museum
The Shandong Museum's three national treasures, selected for the National Treasures Collection, captivated the audience! The Yinqueshan bamboo slips containing Sun Tzu's and Sun Bin's "The Art of War," Warring States bronze tableware, and the Ming Dynasty court robes of the Duke of Yansheng, tell a thousand-year-old legend of the land of Qi and Lu.
As one of the earliest museums in China and the only provincial cultural and museum institution in Shandong, Shandong Provincial Museum has undertaken the protection of above-ground and underground cultural relics in Shandong. It has carried out a large number of field surveys, conducted a series of archaeological excavations, and collected a large number of precious unearthed cultural relics, continuously improving the quantity and quality of the collection.
Dongping Han Tomb Murals (Han Dynasty), Red Pottery Animal-Shaped Pots (Dawenkou Culture), Oracle-Bone Inscriptions (Shang Dynasty), Song Gui (Zhou Dynasty), Eggshell Black Pottery Cup (Longshan Culture), Large Jade Bi from the State of Lu (Warring States Period), Zheng Xie's Scroll of Two Pines (Qing Dynasty), Yachou Axe (Shang Dynasty), Bamboo Slips of "The Art of War" and "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu and Sun Bin (Western Han Dynasty), Nine-Plumed Crown (Ming Dynasty). Each of these is a national treasure, each with its own story. The Shang Dynasty oracle bone inscriptions recovered from the Japanese are particularly legendary.
Tips:
Visiting service information
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9:00-17:00, last admission at 16:00. Closed on Mondays (except national holidays).
Address: No. 11899, Jingshi Road, Jinan
Shandong has China's earliest writing and pulpit, China's earliest city-state and the oldest Great Wall. It is the birthplace of silk and ceramics. It also has 4 world heritage sites and 8 world intangible cultural heritage sites. Let us step into this treasure province.
The Confucius Temple is a place where Confucius is worshipped. In China, there is a Confucius Temple in almost every provincial capital or county town, but the largest one is in Qufu.
It was rebuilt in 478 BC, the second year after Confucius' death, based on the former residence of Confucius, Duke Ai of Lu. It was subsequently expanded and renovated through successive dynasties, especially the Tang and Song dynasties, and its scale became increasingly larger.
The Confucius Mansion is a typical Chinese aristocratic family, known as "the best family in the world." In fact, there is no family in the world with descendants continuing for more than 77 generations.
The front is the government office and the back is the inner residence. It is a typical building combining government office and residence in my country's feudal society.
The Konglin, also known as the "Forest of the Most Sage", is the exclusive cemetery for Confucius and his family. It is also the longest-lasting family cemetery in the world. The forest wall has a circumference of 7 kilometers and contains more than 20,000 ancient trees. It is an ancient man-made garden.
Tips:
Ticket Information
A combined ticket for the three Confucian Temples costs 140 yuan (individual tickets: Confucius Mansion, 60 yuan/person; Confucius Temple, 90 yuan/person; Confucius Cemetery, 40 yuan/person. Individual ticket prices are reduced during the off-season)
Three Kongs + n (n is 1, 2, or 3. You can choose 1, 2, or 3 of Nishan, Yan Temple, or Zhougong Temple to browse together with the Three Kongs)
Free Ticket Instructions
Disabled people of second degree or above can enter the park free of charge; people aged 60 and above (inclusive) can enter the park free of charge with their ID cards; retired cadres holding the "Cadre Retirement Certificate" issued by the state can enter the park free of charge; students holding their student ID cards, ID cards or college entrance examination admission tickets can enjoy a half-price discount; descendants of Confucius who are not from Qufu can enter the park free of charge with their valid ID cards; some teachers and reporters can enjoy discounts with corresponding certificates (teachers can enter the park free of charge with their teaching qualification certificates, letters of appointment from public institutions, and certificates of professional level evaluation of teachers).
Mount Tai, also known as Daishan and Daizong, is known as the "First of the Five Mountains" and "the No. 1 Mountain in the World." Its majestic and unique natural landscape has earned it the reputation of "the Most Reverend of the Five Mountains." Since Qin Shihuang's enshrinement of the Buddha, emperors of all dynasties have continued to offer sacrifices and ceremonies at Mount Tai.
Confucius left behind his admiration that “from the top of Mount Tai, I look down on the world”; the “poet sage” Du Fu also traveled thousands of miles to trace the traces of Mount Tai and wrote the eternal masterpiece “I will climb to the top and look down on all the other mountains”.
With thousands of years of spiritual culture permeating and rendering and humanistic landscape setting off, it is known as the epitome of the spiritual culture of the Chinese nation.
Mount Tai is renowned for its magnificent scenery. Its overlapping peaks, massive forms, the backdrop of towering pines and boulders, and the shifting mists of clouds create a scene that is both majestic and vibrant, and mysterious in its tranquility. The most famous are the "Four Wonders of Mount Tai."
Tips:
There is a cable car in the Taishan scenic area that allows you to take the bus up the mountain. In addition, there are tourist buses running to scenic areas such as Tianwai Village and Taohuayuan.
cableway
1. Zhongtianmen - Nantianmen Price: One-way 100 yuan/person; round trip 200 yuan/person
Opening hours: 7:00-17:30 (April 1st to October 30th); 8:00-17:00 (November 1st to March 31st of the following year)
2. Taohuayu-Nantianmen Price: One-way 100 yuan/person; round trip 200 yuan/person
Opening hours: 7:00-17:00 (April 1 to October 30); 8:30-17:00 (November 1 to March 31)
3. Houshiwu - Nantianmen Price: One-way: 20 yuan/person Opening hours: 8:30-16:00 (April 1st to October 30th); closed during the winter fire prevention period (November 1st to March 31st)
With a history of over 2,600 years, this is the oldest ancient Great Wall in China with authentic remains and good preservation. Let's find the "Father of the Great Wall" together.
△ The Qi Great Wall in Jinan
Qi Great Wall in Zibo (the foundation of the 2,000-year-old story of Meng Jiangnu weeping at the Great Wall)
This is one of the most well-preserved ruins of the Great Wall built by various countries during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It is built among the mountains and valleys of the undulating Taiyi Mountains, starting from Pingyin in the west.
The canal stretches over 1,200 li through Feicheng, Jinan, Laiwu, Boshan, Linqu, Yishui, Anqiu, Juxian, and Wulian before emptying into the sea in Jiaozhou. It embodies the diligence and wisdom of the Chinese working people 2,500 years ago and reflects the might of a great Eastern nation, including the first hegemon of the Spring and Autumn Period and one of the seven major powers of the Warring States Period.
Shandong Province has a total of 173 national intangible cultural heritage sites, ranking second in the country. Today, we have selected some of the representatives to take a look at the wonderful heritage of the land of Qilu.
"Records of the Grand Historian" and "Strategies of the Warring States" were the earliest records of Cuju. In Linzi, the ancient capital of Qi State, Cuju (football) had developed into a mature form of entertainment and was widely popular among the people. It was most prosperous during the Tang and Song dynasties, with scenes such as "the ball never falls all day long", "the ball never leaves the feet, the feet never leave the ball, and people in the Huating watch and admire it."
Shandong shadow puppetry boasts a history of over 500 years, and Taishan shadow puppetry is a prominent example of this tradition. Performances have been frequent since the Ming Dynasty, and six generations have passed down this outstanding folk art from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China.
“There’s no need to ask where New Year pictures came from; they’re all from Shandong.” Woodblock New Year pictures have a long history, said to have appeared as early as the Han Dynasty. They were called “paper paintings” in the Song Dynasty, “painting scrolls” in the Ming Dynasty, and were officially named “New Year pictures” in the Qing Dynasty.
Liuzi Opera incorporates various ancient vocal styles popular since the Ming and Qing dynasties, with over 600 preserved tunes. It holds irreplaceable value in the study of northern Chinese opera and Yuan Dynasty sanqu. However, due to various reasons, only the Shandong Liuzi Opera Troupe, known as the "Number One Troupe in the World," remains to support the "Dongliu" tradition. Preserving this ancient opera is urgent.
1. Best time to travel
In summer, the best time to watch the sunrise from Mount Tai in coastal cities (such as Qingdao, Weihai, Penglai, and Yantai) is May. Most other scenic spots are suitable for all seasons, each offering unique scenery.
2. Local climate
Temperate monsoon climate, temperate oceanic climate
3. Local cuisine
Shandong has a wide variety of delicacies, the more famous ones include Shandong multi-grain pancakes, Boshan's famous crispy pot, spring rolls, Dezhou braised chicken, Tsingtao beer, seafood, etc.
△ Shandong weather temperature around December
The Yiyuan Man fossils, dating back 400,000 to 500,000 years, are a representative example of Homo erectus. The ancient Kyushu region, "Haidai is the Qingzhou," is also located in Shandong, as recorded in the "Book of Documents: Tribute to Yu." The state of Lu, with its capital in Qufu, inherited the rituals and ceremonies of the Zhou Dynasty and remained a place of rites and observance for millennia. Shandong's "background" is so powerful! Embark on a World Heritage tour, immerse yourself in the stories of national treasures, and see the best of Shandong and Qi.
