Jining (济宁; Jìníng) is a city in Shandong.

Understand

Jining is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Shandong province. The city has around 200,000 inhabitants and the prefecturate around 8 million. The city is located right to the north of Nanyang Lake (南阳湖; Nányáng Hú) and is today the northernmost city reachable by navigation on the Grand Canal. The birth place of Confucius, Qufu, is in the prefecturate.

Get in

By plane

There is an airport in Jining 28km from the city centre and with quite few flights.

By train

There a six trains each day from Jinan to Jining with a travel duration of 2½-3 hours and costs of ¥14-45. There are two trains each day from Qingdao with a travel duration of around 8 hours and costs of ¥41-120. Also trains from major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Harbin.

See

• Baoxiang Temple. A well preserved Buddhist temple. 

Eat

There are the usual western fast food restaurants.

Sleep

• Xiangjiang Great Wall Business Hotel, Changqing Road, ☏ +86 537-2964666. Rooms including deluxe suites, superior business rooms, and standard rooms equipped with central air conditioners, satellite TVs, and 24-hour high-speed internet access. Conference center, banquet rooms, sauna, beauty salon, foot massage services, chess/cards rooms, restaurant and fitness facilities available. Disounted rates for doubles of ¥170 including breakfast. 
• Mingyajingwei Hotel (Mingyajingwei Dafandian), 1 North Huancheng Road (Three km from the train station in the south and near the long-distance bus station in the east), ☏ +86 537-3160888. Three star tourist hotel with standard rooms, single rooms, triple rooms and suite equipped with free broadband Internet access. A dining center with 15 private dining rooms available. Disounted rates for doubles of ¥188 including breakfast. 
• Jining Inzone Garland Hotel (Jining Yinzuo Jiayue Jiudian), 26 Guhuai Road (Guhuai Lu) (At the intersection of Hongxing Road and Guhuai Road in Jining's Shizhong District), ☏ +86 537-5169999. Various deluxe and superior rooms, 15 banquet halls and 1 buffet restaurant. Free internet. A grand conference hall and conference rooms of different sizes are available. Disounted rates for doubles of ¥290 including breakfast. 
• Hong Kong Hotel, 19 Huoju Road (Huoju Lu), Nanxin District (At the intersection of Wutaizha Lu and Huoju Lu, in the Jining High-tech Industry Development Zone), ☏ +86 537-2969888. Four star hotel with various types of rooms including standard rooms, triple rooms, executive suites and deluxe suites. Free internet. Western style restaurant, a banquet hall, conference rooms, a dance hall, snooker, gym, sauna and beauty salon are available. Disounted rates for doubles of ¥386 including breakfast. 

• Keyuan Business Clubhouse, ☏ +86 537 5160 114. Good sized new clean suites with kitchen facilities. Plasma TV's in lounge and bedroom. Big swimming pool and gym. Good breakfast selection. 

Go next

• Qufu - the birthplace of Confucius with temples and museums honoring him. Buses from 06.40AM to 6.00PM at 20 minute intervals at the Jining North Coach Bus Station. The bus station can be reached by the city-bus No.4, 26, 30, 31, 36 and 102.

• Zoucheng - the birthplace of Mencius, who was the most important interpreter of Confucius' thoughts. The Temple of Mencius and the Mencius Family Mansion are both here.

• Yishan Mountain - a mountain resort 10 kilometers south of the Zoucheng with spectacular natural sceneries and historical relics, especially featuring the granite pebbly landscape.