Named for its location south of the Ji River, Jinan, the capital of northeast China's Shandong province, is also known as the "City of Springs" thanks to 72-odd natural artesian springs bubbling up through the same limestone that forms nearby Tai Shan, a sacred Taoist mountain and major regional attraction.

Jinan boasts a rich history and distinct culture, making it popular with domestic tourists, and it also serves as a major  transportation hub worth a day or two stopover for travelers passing through.

The city's greatest claim to fame is its distinction as the home of lu cai (Shandong cuisine), one of the eight great culinary traditions of China. Jinan loves to eat, and it also loves to celebrate, a fact that makes it a great place to witness many of China's traditional festivals, including the Lantern Festival at Baotu Spring Park, the Lotus Festival at Danming Lake Park and the Double-Nine Festival at Thousand-Buddha Mountain.

More recent history bequested to Jinan a unique architectural heritage; a period of German colonial rule led to the constructions of a number of European—but less than neighboring Qingdao—making it less of a draw to international tourists, but still offers some level of appeal due to its historical significance.

Jinan is also renowned as a center of culture and religion. Buddhism has long thrived in and around Jinan, as evidenced by regional ancient temples like Lingyan Temple and Four Gates Pagoda as well as the nearby sacred  mountain of Tai Shan. Additionally, some of China's most celebrated poets and artists, including Xin Qiji, Zhao Mengfu, Li Qingzhao, and, more recently, actress Gong Li.

History

Jinan's 4,000+ years of human settlement date back to China's prehistoric age, a fact made concrete by the 1928 discovery of a wealth of relics from the Neolithic Longshan Culture.

In the earliest annals of recorded history, Jinan was split between two states, the Liu and Qi, during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), with the Qi eventually constructing their own mini-Great Wall, some of which remains today as an open air museum.

During the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), Jinan became capital of the Kingdom of Jibei, evolving into a cultural and economic center until the dynasty was overthrown, resulting in the foundation of the Wei Kingdom (220-265 AD), one of the rival states that struggled for power during the tumultuous Three Kingdoms Period. Recent archeological excavations of Han-era tombs have unearthed several thousand relics which testify to Jinan's importance.

Buddhism established itself in northeastern China in the early 5th century, with holy sites like Lingyan Temple and Thousand Buddha Mountain making the area around Jinan a key part of Buddhism's success in China. 

With the advent of the Song Dynasty, Jinan experienced a brief period of efflorescence—producing two of the eras most renowned poets in Xin Qiji and Li Qingzhao—before falling to Jurchen invaders from the north. Under the Jurchen Jin Dynasty, which ruled northern China while the diminished Southern Song continued in the south, Jinan continued to thrive, and under the subsequent Mongol Yuan and Ming dynasties, the city remained vital.

Jinan's fortunes changed toward the end of the Qing era, however, as a weakened Chinese state increasingly succumbed to pressure by Western colonial powers and the Japanese. In Jinan's case, the Germans followed up on the establishment of their Qingdao concession in 1897. Though Jinan got a brace of attractive European-style buildings out of the deal, discontent between imperialists and locals eventually boiled over, contributing to the fuel that ultimately led to the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901), then, in 1911, to the overthrow of the feeble Qing by the outraged Chinese. 

1912 saw the birth of the Republic of China; it was also the year the Jinpu railway cemented Jinan's significance as a transportation hub, connecting industrial and agricultural centers thorughout the northeast. Its position made it a key city during the first and second Sino-Japanese wars, with the Japanese occupying the city and taking control of the railway.

The Kuomintang eventually reclaimed the city, installing Han Fuju as the city's military commander. However, the Japanese eventually forced Han's hand, declaring the entire province of Shandong an independent state allied with Japan.

Finally, on September 24, 1948, the People's Liberation Army entered the Jinan city walls. Following the 1949 establishment of the People's Republic, Jinan retained its importance. However, the city became a hotspot of conflict during the Cultural Revolution, seeing rival Red Guard contingents battling one another in the streets, chaos in the schools, persecution of those labeled enemies of the revolution and other excesses typical of the period. 

After the death of Mao Zedong in 1976 and the definitive end of the Cultural Revolution, Jinan began to return to its historical role as an educational, industrial and transportation center.

Climate

Jinan has four distinct seasons: dry springs, hot and rainy summers, cool autumns and dry and cold in winters. Average temperatures range near 14.2 °C, while January is the coldest month of the year, averaging around -5.4 °C daily. July is the warmest month, temperatures averaging between 23.5 - 32.6 °C.