茶路 · Tea Path
Shāndōng · 山东省
Growing region · Laoshan · Taishan · Confucius

Shāndōng

山东省 · Shāndōng

Where Taishan meets the Yellow Sea, tea acquires character

崂山茶韵

Shandong is the northernmost region of commercial tea cultivation (36°N). Laoshan is the only tea grown by the sea. Sacred Taishan — 7,000 steps to Heaven. The birthplace of Confucius in Qufu. Route: Qingdao sea tea → 7,000 steps → Temple of Confucius → 72 springs of Jinan.

Teas of this area

Лаошань Люйча 崂山绿茶

Sea green — a Daoist mountain by the Yellow Sea. Dense, beany, with an iodine note. Laoshan spring water. The northernmost sea tea.

Жичжао зелёный 日照绿茶

The largest northern region. 'Sunny green.' More accessible than Laoshan, but of high quality.

Route by days

  1. Дни 2–3

    Циндао · Лаошань 青岛·崂山

    Sea green

    Laoshan is a Daoist mountain by the sea. The only sea tea. Beany, iodine notes. Qingdao — German colonial architecture. Tsingtao beer + Laoshan tea. Seaside Boulevard, Zhanqiao Pier.

    Hotel at the foot of Laoshan — sea and mountains

  2. День 3

    Жичжао 日照

    Coast

    The largest northern tea region. 'Sunny green.' Plantations along the coast.

    Rizhao Hotel

  3. День 4

    Тайань · Тайшань 泰安·泰山

    Sacred Mountain · 7,000 Steps

    Taishan — one of the 5 sacred mountains, UNESCO. 7,000 steps to the Jade Emperor (1,545 m). Sunrise at the summit. Taishan tea — rare, grown by monks. 72 emperors performed sacrifices here.

    Hotel at the foot — sunrise over the sacred mountain

  4. День 5

    Цюйфу 曲阜

    Confucius

    The birthplace of Confucius (551–479 BCE), UNESCO. Temple of Confucius (孔庙). Confucius Forest (孔林) — 2,500 years. 'Ritual begins with a cup of tea.'

    Qufu Hotel

  5. День 6

    Линьи · Имэн 临沂·沂蒙

    Mountain Eco-Tea

    Yimeng mountain ecological tea. A guerrilla region — red history.

    Linyi Hotel

  6. День 7

    Цзинань 济南

    72 Springs · Finale

    'City of 72 springs' — Baotu, Heihu, Zhushi. Final tasting. Cuisine: Qingdao seafood.

Planning

Transport
Fly into Qingdao (TAO) or Jinan (TNA). Trains (excellent!). ~1,000 km.
Climate
Moderate, 10–28°C. Optimal: April–May, September.
What to bring
Comfortable shoes (Taishan!), flashlight (sunrise), camera.
Buying tea
Laoshan: from 500 ¥/jin. Rizhao: from 200 (more accessible). Tsingtao beer — a bonus!