Zoucheng

Zoucheng (邹城 Zōuchéng) is a city in Shandong. It is best known as the birth place of Mencius, who is widely regarded as the second most revered Confucian after Confucius himself.

Get in

Zoucheng has a station on the Beijing-Shanghai mainline, although far from all trains plying this route stop here. Still, service to Beijing, Nanjing, or Shanghai is quite frequent.

During daytime (until around 6PM) there is a frequent bus service to the nearby Qufu.

See

• 1 Mount Yi (峄山), Yishan Village, Yishan Town (峄山镇峄山村) (take bus no. 2 from either Zoucheng Bus Station or Zoucheng Railway Station and get off at the final stop), ☏ +86 537 5670091, +86 537 5670498, ys5678813@163.com. 08:00-17:00. A scenic mountain about 10km south of downtown Zoucheng. In ancient times, this was one of the most famous mountains in China. Mencius once climbed the mountain, as did Confucius, Qin Shihuang, Sima Qian, Li Bai, Du Fu, Su Dongpo and many other notable historical figures. ¥55. (updated Mar 2022)
• 2 Shangjiushan Ancient Village (上九山古村), Shiqiang Town (石墙镇) (take bus no. 223 from Zoucheng Bus Station and get off at the last stop), ☏ +86 537 5610319, toll-free: +86 400 671 0009, shangiiushangucun@126.com. 08:00–18:00. A traditional stone village with many buildings dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Tickets normally cost ¥80 but can be purchased more cheaply on the Shangjiushan Ancient Village WeChat account. (updated Mar 2022)

Ancient tablet-bearing stone turtles (bixi) in the Temple of Mencius

• 3 Temple and Mansion of Mencius (孟庙孟府), 44 Yashengfu Street (亚圣府街44号) (bus no. 17 (western route and outer circle route) and bus L1), ☏ +86 537 5252098, +86 537 5221377. 08:30-17:30. The temple and mansion of the ancient philosopher Mencius, perennially known as China's "Second Sage" (after Confucius) can be found on the south side of the city, perhaps a mile's walk from downtown. The two sites (adjacent to each other, and visitable on a single ticket) are similar in their architecture, sculpture and landscaping to the "First Sage's" facilities in Qufu, but are much less crowded. It is often said that if your family name is Meng (i.e., you are the sage's possible descendant), admission is free; however, this is not the case. The standard entry fee is ¥35. (updated Mar 2022)
• 4 Tomb of the Ming Prince of Lu (明鲁王陵, 明鲁王墓), Shangzhai Village, Zhongxindian Town (中心店镇尚寨村) (take bus no. 213, 217 or L1 and get off at Shangzhai), ☏ +86 537 5527866. 08:30-16:30. The final resting place of Zhang Tan, a prince of Lu during the Ming Dynasty. Zhang Tan is buried here with his two wives. The tomb has been fully excavated and is open to the public. However, the artefacts on display are all replicas. The originals are kept at the Shandong Provincial Museum in Jinan. Free. (updated Mar 2022)
• 5 Zoucheng Museum (邹城博物馆), 56 Shunhe Road (顺河路56号) (about 600 meters east of the Temple and Mansion of Mencius; bus nos. 16, 17 (outer circle route) and C609), ☏ +86 537 5212027, +86 537 5253301, zcswwj@126.com. 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30, closed on Mondays. The city's main museum. It includes a permanent exhibition about Mencius and his descendents. Visitor numbers are limited to 2000 per day. Free. (updated Mar 2022)

Do

• 1 Zoucheng cultural square, Taiping East Road. 24 hours. This is a good place to take a walk after a meal, and the architectural style in the square is also unique. In this square, there are both the style of modern gardens and the shadow of ancient traditional culture, which can be described as a fusion of ancient and modern. The whole square is creative with reference to the word "spring" in ancient seal script, which is very symbolic and represents the local people's yearning for a better life. During the day, many aunts and grandfathers play mahjong here. At night, it becomes a paradise for square dancing, and there are various stalls. free. (updated Sep 2023)

Buy

• 1 Zoucheng Yiwu Trade City, No.189, Chengqian West Road (northwest corner of Panlongzhu Postal code: 273500, ☏ +86 537-5353666. 08:00-18:00. Introduction of Zoucheng Yiwu Trade City in Jining: On April 21st, the opening ceremony of Zoucheng Yiwu Trade City, a large wholesale market in southwest Shandong, was held grandly. Relevant leaders and guests from the National Business Federation, Shandong Provincial Party Committee Policy Research, Shandong Provincial Political Consultative Conference, Jining Municipal Committee, Zoucheng City, and Yiwu City attended the opening ceremony and cut the ribbon. The trade city adopts a one-stop diversified wholesale and retail operation mode and becomes the largest small commodity collection in the southwest of our province. (updated Sep 2023)

Eat

1 Naxi fishing village, Qianquan St, ☏ +86 537-5979999. 09:00 - 22:30. Shandong Naxi Catering Group was founded in August 1997. After more than 20 years' development and precipitation, it has become a leading enterprise in Zoucheng catering industry. The company has Naxi Fishing Village, Naxi Four Seasons Hot Pot, Naxi Whole Lamb Restaurant, Naxi Dongtan Road Store, Naxi Mingquan Road Store, Naxi Home Cooking, Gangshan Basic Products, Xinduhui Basic Products, Quanxing Dining Hall, Xinglong Dining Hall, Power Supply Dining Hall and Heze Bank Dining Hall. From ¥50. (updated Sep 2023)

Drink

1 Zoucheng lechao bar, No.2118 Pingyang Rd, ☏ +86 5375309898. (updated Sep 2023)

Sleep

• 1 Zelin mountain villa, No.888 Gangshan North Rd, ☏ +86 537-5292901. Check-in: 2:00, check-out: 12:00. Villa is located in Zoucheng, the hometown of Yasheng Mencius, and is a star-rated Mencius cultural theme hotel. In the Three Character Classic, there are: "In the past, Meng Mu chose its neighbors; If you don't learn, you will break the loom", and the name of "choosing neighbors" comes from this; Therefore, it was named the neighboring villa, and because it was built in the sun of Tieshan Mountain, it rose and fell with the mountains and was shaded by green trees, just like a paradise. The villa, built on the mountain, is a group of garden-style buildings integrating Chinese classical style, European style and contemporary flavor. It consists of 7 independent buildings, covering an area of more than 170 mu, with a total construction area of 46,000 square meters. From ¥500. (updated Sep 2023)

Connect

Municipal Government Office 0537-5212018 Finance Bureau, No.2699 Pingyang East Road, Zoucheng 0537-5212151 Public Security Bureau, No.666 Jinshan Avenue, Zoucheng 0537-5585050 Audit Bureau, No.1100 Puyang Mountain Road, Zoucheng 0537-5213246 Water Affairs Bureau, No.2666 Taiping East Road, Zoucheng 0537-5213791

Go next

One can continue north to Qufu, with its Confucius-related sites, and on to Tai'an (for Mount Taishan).