Qufu Overview
Basic Information
- Chinese Name: 曲阜
- Location: Located in southwestern Shandong province, China
- Area: About 895 square kilometers
- Population: About 654,500
- Language: Mandarin, Qufu dialect
Geography
Situated in southeastern Shandong province, Qufu lies in the center of the distance from Beijing to Shanghai, and it situated 135 miles from the capital city -- Jinan. Qufu borders Mount Tai in north, Sishui in east, and Yanzhou in west. It has a 25 miles’ length from west to east and 35.8 miles’ width from north to south, covering an area of 895.93 square kilometers.
Qufu is surrounded by mountains in its north, south and east, hundreds of mountains like Phoenix Mountain, Jiuxianshan Mountain, Shimenshan Mountain, Fangshan Mountain, Nishan Mountain, etc. scattering there. With rivers and alluvial plains in center and west, as well as transitional zone of central and southern Shangdong mountainous areas and the North China Plain, the northeastern high and southwestern low terrain has formed. The highest point here is the northern Phoenix Mountain, with an elevation of 548.1 meters, and the lowest is Chengzhuang in southwest, with an elevation of 60.5 meters above sea level.
Climate
Jining city lies in the East Asian monsoon climate zone and belongs to monsoon climate of medium latitudes, with four distinctive seasons. The characteristics of the four seasons are dry and windy spring, rainy summer, sunny autumn and dry and cold winter.
The Best Time to Go
Confucius Cultural Festival was held in Qufu each year in late September and early October so this period is good time to go. Then, from each June to September, 10-thousand-hectare lotus rushes to bloom. And the peach blossoms in Sishui County are quite wonderful. In addition to historical sites, you could enjoy blossoms during this time. So the period from June to October is the best time to go.
Things to Do
When you visit Qufu, you’d better prepare that you are going to experience one of the most famous and significant cultures in China.
First of all, you could visit some places of interest and historic sites in Qufu. There are some must-see places, like the Confucian Temple, the Confucius Family Mansion and the Confucian Confucius Cemetery. After visiting these places, you will get a lot of information about Confucius. Of course, there are some other places that you could visit, such as the Mausoleum of Shao Hao(少林昊), who was an emperor before Xia Dynasty, the Zhougongmiao Temple(周公庙), etc.
What’s more, you also could climb mountains to enjoy picturesque scenery in Qufu. There are two famous mountains in Qufu. One is Nishan Mountain which is in southeast Qufu and it is 25 kilometers from the center of Qufu, the other is Shimenshan Mountain which is in northeast Qufu and is 25 kilometers from the center of Qufu.
History & Culture
Qufu is a city with a long history. During the Shang Dynasty, Qufu was home to the people of Yan. During the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC-476 BC), Qufu was the capital of the State of Lu. During the Tang Dynasty and the early days of the Song Dynasty, the city was centered around the present-day Temple of Duke Zhou, at the northeastern corner of today's walled city. After the conquest of the northern China by the Jurchens, the new Jin Dynasty renamed Xianyuan back to Qufu (in 1142).
Now Qufu is well-known for its history and it is the hometown of the great Chinese philosopher and educator Confucius. Most visitors go there in order to see the places where Confucius ever lived, studied and was buried. Those who would like to know more about Confucian culture visit Qufu from home and abroad every year.
Transportation
As a renowned tourist destination, Qufu receives a large number of visitors from home and abroad every year. As the development of tourism and economy, transportation systems in Qufu have formed. Locating in a favorable place where national highways and rails meet, Qufu serves pleasant conditions of transportation. Details of Qufu Transportation.
Tourism
Qufu is the hometown of Confucius. It is also known as "the Holy City of the East" and "Jerusalem of the East". Qufu was among the first group of Famous Chinese Historical and Culture Cities in 1982. It was appraised as the best 40 tourist resorts in China by the National Tourism Administration in 1991. In 1994, the Confucian Temple, the Confucius Family Mansion, and the Confucian Confucius Cemetery in Qufu were listed in the World Heritage. The National Tourism Administration again identified Qufu as one of the 35 trump tourist cities in China in 1997. Then, it was recognized as one of the most excellent tourism cities in 1998. In 2017, it won the “State Garden City” in 2003. In October 2018, it won the title of "National Forest City".
With food fame in its historical and cultural development, as well as wonderful tourist sites like the Confucian Temple, the Confucius Family Mansion and the Confucian Confucius Cemetery, etc.
Economy
With good climate conditions, agriculture in Qufu develops favorably. And the growth of high and new technology industry contributes to its secondary industry. Then, as a famous cultural site, culture and tourism here are important part in its development. Its excellent traditional culture inheritance and development demonstration area has been listed in national 13th five-year pan. Also, as the successful establishment of Confucius Institute Headquarters Experience Base and Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, as well as the holding of Qufu International Confucian Culture Festival, tourism and and culture development form a helpful strength in Qufu economic growth. As the increase of tourism, service is driven as well.
Festivals
Known as hometown of Confucius, Confucian culture experiencing is a must for visitors. So here comes the International Confucius Culture Festival. It is the grandest festival in Qufu, and offers good chances for traveler to feel and study Confucian culture as well as opportunities to spread Confucian culture.
Dining
Qufu cuisine originates from Lu (or Shandong) cuisine. It is good at using different varieties of fresh seafood. The Kong (Confucius' family name) Family Feast (孔家宴)is the highest expression of Qufu cuisine. It is an important part of the Han Chinese diet culture, and was used for receiving distinguish guests, wedding, funeral, etc. After hundreds of years’ development, it was enriched gradually and now becomes a family feast with unique flavor. In the past, the feast was just offered to royals. But it is available to tourists today. The Kong Family Feast uses different cooking techniques, such as stewing, stir-frying and steaming, etc. Besides, snacks are a significant part of Qufu cuisines. Among the most famous are the Qufu pancake and smoked tofu.
