By Victor Block
Automobiles clog city streets that were built for pedestrians and bicycles. Billboards that not long ago touted the benefits of socialism now advertise designer clothes and the latest electronic gadgets. Vendors sell dumplings, noodles and unidentifiable body parts of animals off wooden carts parked in front of KFC, McDonald's and other American-based fast-food restaurants.
A return trip to China several years after a previous visit resembles a back-to-the-future experience. Like the rest of the country, Shandong Province — perched on a peninsula jutting into the Yellow Sea southeast of Beijing — offers a study in contrasts. In cities modern skyscrapers stretch as far as the eye can see. Members of the millennial generation sporting the latest fashions are glued to their cell phones.
A short distance away the setting is very different. Farm fields surround small villages where tiny houses line narrow dirt streets. People strain beneath heavy shoulder yokes as their forebears did. Men and women till the soil with implements not much different from those used centuries ago.
As the capital and transportation hub of Shandong Province, Jinan (pronounced Dze-nahn) is the logical starting point for a tour. Overseas visitors to this area of China usually land in Beijing, and there are frequent flights and rail service, including sleek high-speed trains, between China's capital city and Jinan.
Jinan's major claim to fame is its reputation as the City of Springs. More than 100 natural pools, many embellished with gardens and pavilions, are scattered about. In keeping with the Chinese penchant for colorful names, they include the Five Dragon, Black Tiger and Racing Horses springs.
In the city of Qufu (pronounced Chew-foo), the birthplace of Confucius, sites associated with the life of the venerated philosopher and teacher serve as a magnet for tourists. The Temple of Confucius, which was built in 479 B.C, two years after his death, occupies the site of the modest three-room home where his family lived. The building has been expanded over hundreds of years, so it now includes 466 rooms that sprawl over 46 acres.
The adjacent Confucian Family Mansion, begun in A.D. 1038, is almost as vast. Now comprising 152 buildings, it has served as home to senior male heirs. The third major Confucian site is the largest family cemetery in the world, where the tombs of more than 100,000 descendants of Confucius surround his simple gravesite.
Another popular destination is Mount Tai. For at least 3,000 years it has been a place of worship in both the Taoist and Buddhist religions. Ancient emperors traveled there to offer sacrifices. Elaborate pavilions, towers and inscriptions carved on cliffs cover the 5,069-foot-high mountain.
Other cities in the province also have their unique attractions. Qingdao (Ching-dow) is home to the best-known Chinese beer, which is sold as Tsingtao in the United States and throughout the world. Qingdao also was the site of sailing events during the 2008 Olympics, and a museum overlooking the water recalls that proud occasion.
Wine rather than beer is the focus in Yantai (Yan-tie), known as the city of grape wine. Archaeological findings indicate that wine was used during sacrificial ceremonies in China as long ago as 9,000 years. Modern production began in 1892, when the Changyu Pioneer Wine Co. was established in Yantai. Today about 140 of the estimated 500 wineries in the country are located in Shandong Province.
Not far from Yantai I delved into traditional Chinese village life and the past. I strolled into the tiny hamlet of Hanqiao (Han-kwee-au), smiling at villagers who stared at me with curiosity. Men and women of all ages were preparing corn to be ground into meal and breaking tree branches to serve as fuel for heat and cooking.
In villages like Hanqiao life has changed little from decades ago and often much longer in the past. Introductions to intriguing historical tidbits stretching farther back in time are available at outstanding museums in Shandong Province as well as throughout China.
With an 8,000-year history of pottery-making, it's not surprising that Shandong Province is home to a Museum of Pottery and Porcelain. Displays include fine chinaware that is as much art as functional items. Equally appealing is a whimsical collection of more than 3,000 clay pieces depicting people engaged in every aspect of pottery-making a century ago.
Another museum, the Ancient Chariots Museum, is as interesting for its location as its contents. Workmen constructing a highway several years ago uncovered the burial place of a dignitary. He was laid to rest some 2,600 years ago with chariots and horses to transport him to the next life. The carts and horse skeletons were left intact and the highway was completed overhead. This collection also includes other types of chariots from throughout history.
Given the increased popularity of wine in China, the Changyu Wine Culture Museum in Yantai is another popular stop. Never before had I visited a wine cellar more than 100 years old or seen such an extensive display of primitive vessels used in ancient winemaking.
Wine production in China that spanned some 9,000 years is but one of countless activities and attractions that serve as bridges between the past and present. Exploring that country's history and experiencing current developments provide a fascinating contrast. Shandong Province offers much that the country has to offer in a compact area.
WHEN YOU GO
For more information, call the China National Tourist Office at 212-760-8218 or visit www.cnto.org.
Victor Block is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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