Jining Three-Day Tour

Confucius' Hometown + Ancient Canal City + Weishan Lake, Unlocking Confucian Landscapes!
📍 Trip Highlights:
✔️ Pilgrimage to Qufu's Three Confucian Sites ✔️ Night Tour of the Ancient Canal City ✔️ Boating and Lotus Picking on Weishan Lake ✔️ Bengrou Dry Rice + Confucius Mansion Cuisine

📅 Itinerary
Day 1: Qufu Three Confucian Sites + Nishan Holy Land
⏰ Morning: Qufu Three Confucian Sites (Combo ticket 140 RMB)

📍 Confucius Temple (2 hours): See imperial steles, dragon pillar carvings; Confucius worship performance at 9:30 AM (free).
📍 Confucius Mansion (1 hour): The world’s first “Yansheng Gong Mansion,” the backyard garden is perfect for ancient-style photos.
📍 Confucius Forest (1 hour): Bow at Confucius’ tomb and feel the ancient cypress forest.

⏰ Afternoon: Nishan Holy Land (Ticket 120 RMB)

🏯 University Hall: Giant Confucius statue + Jin Sheng Yu Zhen performance (separate ticket), experience hand-copying the Analects.
🌌 Night Tour: 7:30 PM drone starry sky show + light and water curtain, wearing Hanfu for magical photos!

⏰ Evening: Qufu City Food

🍲 Must-Try Recommendations:

Confucius Mansion Tofu Feast (Poetry and Courtesy Ginkgo, Scallops in Court)
Smoked Tofu (5 RMB per serving, served with chili sauce).

Day 2: Jining Canal Memories + Weishan Lake
⏰ Morning: Jining Ancient Canal Scenic Area (Free)

🚢 Zhugan Alley: Ming and Qing dynasty old dock ruins, check in at the old canal teahouse to listen to Shandong storytelling.
⛩️ Dongda Temple: The only canal mosque in the country, with a stunning blue brick dome.

⏰ Afternoon: Weishan Lake Red Lotus Wetland (Ticket 80 RMB)

🚤 Boat Tour: In summer, enjoy ten thousand acres of lotus flowers, pick fresh lotus pods (5 RMB each), visit the Railway Guerrilla Memorial Hall.
🦆 Lake Fresh Lunch: Four-nostril carp + salted duck eggs (Weishan Lake specialties).

⏰ Evening: Return to Jining City

🌃 Night Tour of Taibai Tower (Free): The place where Li Bai drank and composed poetry, enjoy the ancient canal night view.

Day 3: Zoucheng Meng Temple + Return Trip
⏰ Morning: Zoucheng Meng Temple and Mansion (Combo ticket 40 RMB)

📜 Meng Temple: Shrine of the Second Sage Mencius, with a thousand-year-old locust tree covered in prayer plaques.
🏡 Meng Mansion: Touch the “Mengmu Cutting the Loom” stele, the backyard has a century-old wisteria trellis (stunning in spring).

⏰ Afternoon: Last-minute Shopping Before Departure

🛍️ Souvenirs:

Confucius Mansion Pastries (Walnut Crisp, Shengfu Honey Three-Knives)
Yutang Pickles (Century-old brand, perfect with porridge).

🏨 Accommodation Recommendations

Qufu Specialty: Que Li Bin She near the Three Confucian Sites (400 RMB/night, antique courtyard style).
Jining City: Atour Hotel (near the canal, 250 RMB/night).

🚗 Transportation Tips

Qufu → Jining: Intercity bus (Route 902, 10 RMB, 1.5 hours).
Weishan Lake: Recommended to charter a car (round trip from Jining about 300 RMB).

⚠️ Notes

Three Confucian Sites Etiquette: Do not step on the threshold in Confucius Temple, no casual photography in Confucius Forest.
Weishan Lake Boatmen: Agree on the price in advance to avoid extra “lotus picking fees.”
Shandong Cuisine Portions: Confucius Mansion dishes are large; 3 dishes for 2 people are enough.

Are you interested in Confucian culture? Do you prefer the Three Confucian Sites or Nishan Holy Land?
Share your travel preferences in the comments!