Welcome to Jinan!
Jinan (济南 Jǐnán) is the provincial capital of Shandong in the People's Republic of China. It is located in the northwest of the province. In the south, the city is flanked by the hills of the Tai'an massif, while the Yellow River passes north of the city.
Jinan carries the nickname City of Springs (泉城 quánchéng) because of the many artesian wells that bubble up within the city limits. The water from these springs flows north towards the main landmark, Daming Lake (大明湖 dàmíng hú), and onwards to the Yellow River.
While it doesn't always make the short list of tourists visiting China, there is certainly enough to be done in Jinan to warrant a couple of days' stay. It is also a perfect base for exploring the region, notably Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, and Mount Tai, the foremost of the sacred Five Great Mountains known in Taoism.
Jinan (simplified Chinese: 济南, traditional Chinese: 濟南, pinyin: Jǐnán), alternately romanized as Tsinan, is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. With a population of 9.2 million (including Laiwu), it is the second-largest city in Shandong after Qingdao. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilization and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub. The city has held sub-provincial administrative status since 1994. Jinan is often called the "Spring City" for its famous 72 artesian springs.Its population (including Laiwu City merged recently) was 9,202,432 as of the 2020 census. Its built-up (or metro) area made of 6 out of 10 urban districts (but Jiyang, Zhangqiu, Laiwu and Gangcheng not yet conurbated) was home to 4,335,889 inhabitants as of the 2010 census.
Jinan is also one of the top 100 cities in the world for scientific research as tracked by the Nature Index according to the Nature Index 2020 Science Cities. The city is home to several major universities, including Shandong Normal University, University of Jinan, and Qilu University of Technology. Notably, Shandong University is one of China's most prestigious universities as a member of the Project 985. The city is rated Beta- (Global second-tier city) by the biannual GAWC ratings in 2020.