Jinan
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East China (华东) » Shandong (山东) » Jinan (济南)
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[edit] Overview
Jinan is the capital of Shandong province. It was known for its heavy industry and textiles, trucks and paper in the 2nd half of 20th century, but now it has a diversified industry base including information technology, home appliances, bio-engineered products, transportation, etc. Jinan's Buddhist temples, springs, and the nearby Mount Taishan (100km) , and Qufu (170km), the hometown of Confucius draw a large number of tourists every year.
The name "Jinan", meaning south of the Ji River, refers to the old Ji River that once flowed to the north of the city, but disappeared when the Yellow River changed its course and took over the bed of the Ji River in 1852.
Jinan is about 500km to the south of Beijing, and only 15km from the south shore of the Yellow River. Jinan is about 500km from Yantai and 400 km from Qingdao, which are two other famous tourist destinations in Shandong province.
Jinan has a population of about 6 million, and covers an area of 8,177 km².
[edit] History
Jinan was settled more than 5000 thousand years ago by the neolithic Dawenkou and Longshan peoples. It became the gate city to the state of Qi and the starting point of the ancient Qi Great Wall in the 6th century BC. Jinan started to become the cultural and economic hub of the region in the Han Dynasty. It was a busy commercial center during the Tang Dynasty for its thriving silk industry, and flourishing Buddhism. Jinan remained the cultural center of the region during the Song and Yuan Dynasty.
Jinan became the capital of Shandong Province since the Ming Dynasty. The city was opened to foreign trade in 1904 after Jiaoji (Qingdao-Jinan) railway was built, and became a major trading center for agricultural goods in northern China when another railway, Jinpu railway from Tianjin to Pukou, was completed in 1912.
[edit] Weather
Jinan has a temperate climate. The hottest days are seen from late July to early August with temperatures reaching 33 °C; the coldest is in January, -10 °C.
Current Conditions (2009-01-10 02:00:00, local time)
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Jinan |
Temp: 8°F (-13°C) |
Jinan Weather Forecast
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| Weather averages for Jinan | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Avg high °C (°F) | 4 (39) | 7 (45) | 13 (55) | 21 (70) | 27 (81) | 31 (88) | 32 (90) | 31 (88) | 27 (81) | 21 (70) | 13 (55) | 6 (43) | |
| Avg low °C (°F) | -4 (25) | -1 (30) | 4 (39) | 12 (54) | 17 (63) | 22 (72) | 24 (75) | 22 (72) | 18 (64) | 12 (54) | 5 (41) | -2 (28) | |
| Rain cm (inches) | 0.5 (0.2) | 0.74 (0.3) | 1.14 (0.4) | 2.08 (0.8) | 4.71 (1.9) | 6.97 (2.7) | 15.04 (5.9) | 11.68 (4.6) | 4.59 (1.8) | 2.59 (1) | 1.41 (0.6) | 0.46 (0.2) | |
| Source: per MSN 2008 | |||||||||||||
[edit] Getting in & Getting out
[edit] By Air
Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport (济南遥墙国际机场) is located at Yaoqiang town, 28.5 kilometers to the north-east of the city center. There are daily flights to Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Haikou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Kunming, Nanchang, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shantou, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Yantai, Zhangjiajie, etc.
Airport shuttle bus runs to downtown 24 hours as soon as any flight arrives. However, the shuttle to the airport from downtown stops running at 6 pm. If you have to go to the airport after 6 pm, taxi is the only choice, and costs about 100 RMB including the special bridge fee.
The local Shandong Airlines is the major carrier here. But your ticket may say Air China, because Shandong Airlines code-shares with Air China.
[edit] By Train
Jinan is served by Jinan Railway Station and also the smaller Jinan East Railway Station. Jinan Railway Station is located to the north of town, and is the largest railway station in Shandong Province. The station can be reached through public bus line #3, #21, and #83. Jinghu (Beijing-Shanghai) Railway and Jiaoji (Qingdao-Jinan) Railway intersects here. Jinan is about 3.5 hours (490 km) to Beijing and 5 hours (968 km) to Shanghai, and 2.5 hours (393km) to Qingdao.
As always, train tickets can be purchased directly from the station, and can also be purchased at many authorized location inside the city for a nominal fee (about 5 RMB).
Many trains stop at the smaller Jinan East Station, which can be reached through public bus lines #14, #30, #37, #83, and #112.
[edit] By Bus
[edit] By Ship
[edit] Getting Around
[edit] By Public Bus
There are more than 100 public bus lines in Jinan. The fare for regular bus line is 1 RMB, and for air-conditioned buses is 2 RMB. The fare for tourist buses is also 2 yuan.
[edit] By Tour Bus
[edit] By Taxi & Rental Car
There are about 9000 taxis in Jinan with Volkswagen Jetta as the most common. There are also Fukang, Shanghai Santana, Hongqi, and Qiya cars. The fare (including fuel surcharge) for low-end cars is 7 RMB for the first 3 km, and 1.5 RMB for each additional km. And for high-end cars the fare (including fuel surcharge) is 9 RMB for the first 3 km. The first 5 minutes of the waiting time is free of charge.
[edit] Attractions
[edit] Hotels
Search hotels in Jinan.
[edit] Budget
[edit] Video
| Jinan |
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| Jinan became the capital of Shandong Province since the Ming Dynasty. |
