Charming Jining

Jining, the hometown of Confucius and Mencius – two well-known ancient Chinese philosophers, is now on media’s focus, again. The 4th "Internet media’s visit to Jining" starts here on Dec 4, 2010. More than 20 journalists from news websites across the country have gathered here to witness Jinning’s changes and achievements during the past year. The 5 day visit will take the journalists to 5 counties and country-level cities, including Jinxiang, Yutai, Zoucheng, Wenshang and Qufu. 

About Jining 

Boasting a time-honored history, Jining was the hometown of Tai Hao, Shao Hao, Fu Xi and Huang Di – four of the five virtuous "emperors" in ancient China. And it’s also the birthplace of Confucius, Mencius, Yan Zi, Zeng Zi and Zi Si, who are reputed to be the five ancient Chinese sages. Jining is one of the important cradles of oriental civilization as well as of Confucian culture.

In ancient times, the opening and flourishing of the Grand Canal turned Jining into a communication hub, a center for a large number of transport boats and vehicles. The culture of Jining integrates the characteristics of both the South and North China, and it’s honored as the "Hometown of Confucius and Mencius, A City by the Grand Canal". 

Jining has a number of famous cultural relic sites. The Confucian Mansion, Confucian Temple and the Cemetery of Confucian Family were chosen by UNESCO as a site of world cultural heritage in 1994.

Jining has constructed 5 tourism zones in different styles, including the Confucius and Mencius Culture Tourism Zone, centered on Qufu and Zoucheng; the Grand Canal Culture Tourism Zone, centered on the downtown areas; the Weishan Lake Scenic Tourism Zone, centered in Weishan Lake; the Shuihu Culture Tourism Zone, centered on Liangshan Marsh; the Buddhist Culture Tourism Zone, which takes Baoxiang Temple in Wenshang.

These 5 tourism zones comprise a tourism structure characterized by "east culture, west Wushu (martial arts), south water and north Buddhism". In 2006, Jining received nearly 15 million tourists from home and abroad, making it the leading tourist city in China.

Jining is located in the south of Shandong province, at the juncture of Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan and Anhui. Exercising jurisdiction of 12 counties and country-level cities, such as Ququ city, Yanzhou city, Zoucheng county and Jinxiang county.

Jining covers an area of 11,000 square kilometers and has a population of 8.11 million.

Jining is rich in agricultural products, abounding in wheat, cotton, garlic, lake products, small-tailed Han goats, and Luxi (West Shandong) yellow cattle.

Qufu, the hometown of Confucius 

The Confucian Temple

Thanks to an absence of crowds, one can engage in quiet contemplation amid the fantastically gnarled trees and stately pavilions in front of the temple's Dacheng Dian main hall. Each individual pavilion commemorates different historical events and a small but good museum with interesting displays on the life of Confucius is now housed in the building off to the side of this hall and courtyard.

The Confucian Temple is also home to the Imperial College, where students prepared for civil service examinations and governmental careers. I especially love three things about this place. The first are the steles just behind the Confucian Temple's entrance gate listing the names of every Imperial College scholar who endured the "examination hell". The second is the single-eaved decorative archway with its three white marble fringed gates and fantastic green and gold tiles. The third is the twin-roofed, gold knob topped Biyong Hall. Visitors can gaze at the impressive throne from which the Emperor delivered his annual address to the scholars and admire the huge roof with elaborately painted beams.>>>  

The Dacheng Dian, in front of which the memorial ceremony for the anniversary of the birth of Confucius is hold. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

People attend a memorial ceremony for the 2,561st anniversary of the birth of Confucius in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, Sept 28, 2010. [Photo/Xinhua] 

More news about Qufu 

Dialogue on different civilizations kicks off in Qufu 

2561st birthday of Confucius celebrated in Qufu 

Confucius calms Paris woes 

Confucian-Christian dialogue points way in turbulent times 

New Confucius statue to set landmark in E China 

Beautiful sceneries of Jining

Yutai county in Jining has the reputation of "the land of shish and rice". The largest freshwater lake – Weishanhu Lake in the east of Yutai is a hot tourist attraction when thousands of lotuses blossom in summer.

The wetland of Weishanhu on a summer's day. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

Yishan Mountain, located in Zoucheng county, Jining, is the place where China’s Romeo and Juliet – Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai went to school together. The love legend and breath-taking sceneries have made Yishan Mountain a must-see tourist attraction in Zoucheng. 

Jinxiang county, China's garlic town 

China’s Garlic Town moves toward organic era

Jinxiang, or China’s Garlic Town, is now working to move from its previous green garlic and pollution-free garlic production to organic garlic production.

"Organic food is much healthier than green food or pollution-free food," said Zhang Shengming, secretary of the Jinxiang Party Committee.

Supporting 600,000 mu of land for garlic and exporting to over 150 countries and regions in the world, Jinxiang is also considered a barometer of the garlic market for the whole country. As the process of production and manufacturing is not only free from chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and additives, but also free from antibiotics and radiation, organic garlic is much more popular at home and abroad.

"Organic celery costs 40 yuan per kilogram, while the ordinary one costs about 1 yuan or 2 yuan; organic leek costs 25 yuan per kilogram, while the ordinary one costs only 2 yuan, and that is the price advantage for organic vegetables," Zhang said. 

Zoucheng, the hometown of Mencius 

Better known in China as "Master Meng", Mencius was a fourth-century BC Chinese thinker whose importance in the Confucian tradition is second only to that of Confucius himself. In many ways, he played the role of St. Paul to Confucius’ Jesus, interpreting the thought of the master for subsequent ages while simultaneously impressing Confucius’ ideas with his own philosophical stamp. He is most famous for his theory of human nature, according to which all human beings share an innate goodness that either can be cultivated through education and self-discipline or squandered through neglect and negative influences, but never lost altogether.

Wenshang, one thousand-year-old 'Buddhism capital'