Browsing Category: DEEP China Series

Take the high-speed train south from Beijing and, before climbing Mount Tai or meeting Confucius in Qufu, stop in Jinan — a city where natural springs flow through the old town, streets lead toward lakes and markets, and one of China’s major provincial museums gives you the perfect introduction to Shandong’s much deeper history. When Elaine and I traveled south from Beijing into Shandong, we didn’t go straight to Mount Tai. Our...

Beijing → Jinan → Mount Tai → Qufu → Zibo/Linzi → Dezhou → Beijing What if, instead of flying from Beijing to China’s next headline destination, you took the train south and spent a week following some of the people, ideas and places that shaped Chinese civilization? That’s essentially what Elaine and I did. Our actual route was: Beijing → Jinan → Tai’an & Mount Tai → Qufu → Zibo/Linzi → Dezhou...

From Beijing, travel south into Shandong and you’ll find a mountain that Chinese emperors climbed to speak symbolically to Heaven, Confucius became associated with, poets celebrated, and pilgrims have revered for centuries. Mount Tai isn’t simply one of China’s famous mountains — it is a landscape woven into the story of Chinese civilization. After Beijing, Elaine and I traveled south through Shandong. Our journey eventually took us through: Jinan → Tai’an →...

On our way back to Beijing from Zibo, Elaine and I stopped in a city few international travelers would put on a China itinerary. We found the tomb of a Southeast Asian ruler who died here six centuries ago, traces of China’s Grand Canal story, an antique market — and one very famous chicken. After traveling from Beijing into Shandong, most international travelers would probably take the high-speed train straight back to...

Today, many people in China hear “Zibo” and think of barbecue. But underneath modern Zibo lies Linzi — once the capital of Qi, one of the most powerful states in China before Qin Shi Huang unified the country. After spending several days in Beijing, most international travelers have already encountered an enormous amount of Chinese history. The Forbidden City. The Great Wall. The Temple of Heaven. Ming and Qing emperors. Imperial China...

Beijing shows you China’s emperors, palaces and imperial power. A few hours south by high-speed train, Qufu introduces you to something very different: the hometown of a teacher whose ideas influenced China and much of East Asia for more than two thousand years. For most first-time international travelers, Beijing (北京, Běijīng) is one of the obvious places to begin understanding Chinese history. Walk through the Forbidden City and you encounter emperors. Visit the Temple...

Xi’an introduces you to China’s emperors, armies and ancient capitals. Travel toward Zhongnan Mountain and you encounter another force that shaped Chinese civilization just as profoundly: ideas. Most international travelers come to Xi’an (西安, Xī’ān) for history they can see. The Terracotta Warriors. The ancient city wall. The legacy of Qin Shi Huang. The Tang dynasty. The Silk Road. All of that is worth coming for. But Chinese civilization wasn’t shaped only by emperors,...

The Terracotta Warriors take you back more than 2,000 years. From Xi’an, travel less than two hours by fast train to Linfen and you can start asking a much bigger question: what was happening in China before the first Chinese empire even existed? Most international travelers interested in Chinese history eventually arrive in Xi’an (西安, Xī’ān). That’s exactly where we’d tell you to start. See the Terracotta Warriors. Meet Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇). Understand...