Mount Taishan and Qufu Confucius Family Mansion Tour

Highlights

· Discover and explore the hometown of China’s most excellent sage, Confucius, in the charming hamlet of Qufu. Temples, mansions, and mysterious cemeteries all pay homage to this great man

· Spend time on Mt. Tai, China’s most sacred mountain, and a haven of preserved temples and stunning natural scenery

· Qufu and Taishan just sit in the middle between Beijing and Shanghai. It is easily and quickly accessed by the bullet train within 2.5 hours, a great stop if you travel from Beijing to Shanghai or vice versa. 

Mount Taishan and Qufu Confucius Tours Itinerary

Day 1: Bullet Train from Beijing to Qufu  

You will take a bullet train to Qufu. It only takes 2 hours and 20 minutes. When you arrive, you'll be met by your English-speaking travel guide. With a history of more than five thousand years, Qufu is the legendary birthplace of many Chinese sages such as Confucius and Mencius.  

Explore Qufu’s three major Confucian sites: the Temple of Confucius, Cemetery of Confucius, and Kong Family Mansion. Together, these monuments reflect centuries of devotion to the philosopher and his descendants. The complex was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

Upon arrival, we'll get started on our sightseeing with a visit to the Kong Family Mansion, otherwise known as Kongfu. It is the place where Confucius' descendants lived in. Tonight, you will stay in a hotel in Qufu.  

Day 2 Qufu-Mt. Tai (B, L, D)  

After an early morning start, we'll drive over to Mt. Tai, where after taking the cable car up, we will spend the day exploring the mountain and its surrounding temples. Mount Tai is a mountain of historical and cultural significance. The word Tai in Chinese means stability and peace, and the name Tai'an is attributed to the saying: "If Mount Tai is stable, so is the entire country" (both characters of Tai'an have an independent meaning of stability and peace). Mount Tai is crowned by Jade Emperor Peak (in Chinese mythology, the Jade Emperor is the most powerful god in heaven) with an altitude of 1,545 meters.  

The formation of Mount Tai dates back to the Archeozoic Era, and now it is growing at the speed of 0.5 millimeters per year. It faces the Yellow Sea to the east and the Yellow River to the west, and is in the neighborhood of Confucius' hometown, Qufu, and the City of Springs, Jinan. In 1987, Mount Tai was listed as both World Natural Heritage and World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

Mount Tai is one of China’s five sacred mountains. Although not the tallest, it rises sharply above the surrounding plains, gaining about 1,395 meters within nine kilometers. Its eastern location connects it with sunrise, renewal, and longstanding cultural traditions.

After our jaunt around Mt. Tai we'll spend the night on the mountain at the Shenqi Hotel.    

Day 3 Mt. Tai-Shanghai (B, L)  

Today we'll rise early to watch the magnificent sunrise over Mt. Tai, and then we'll spend a little more time exploring. One major highlight that we will see today is the Dai Temple. Dai Temple, located at the south foot of Mount Tai, is the largest and best-preserved ancient building complex in the scenic area of Mount Tai. It was firstly built during the Han Dynasty and greatly expanded during Tang, Song Dynasties.  

It is a Taoist temple where emperors during the past dynasties offered sacrifice to the God of Earth to pray and say thanks for peace and prosperity. Dai Temple is in the palace style of ancient Chinese emperors, to compose over 150 old buildings in many kinds. It together with the Forbidden City in Beijing, "Three Kong" (Confucius Temple, the Cemetery of Confucius and Kong Family's Mansion) in Qufu of Shangdong province and Chengde Summer Palace of Hebei province are considered as the Four Representative Ancient Chinese Buildings.  

Take the cable car down the mountain and return to Qufu. From there, travel to Shanghai by high-speed train, a journey of approximately three hours and 25 minutes.