97.Shandong Customs & Culture

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People from Shandong are simple, honest, bold, unconstrained, hospitable, and physically strong. Vibrant and diverse local customs embody Shandong’s love for family, friends, and most of all, their homeland.

There are many festivals throughout the year which offer the opportunity to come together with the local people and experience thier joy of tradition. Come be a part of the Spring Festival, theLantern Festival, the Pure Brightness Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival  or the Double Ninth Festival.

You can join mountain or temple fairs and do the yangko dance, play the dragon lantern, print New Year pictures, prepare jiaozi, walk on stilts, fly kites, climb a mountain to appreciate chrysanthemums, pay homage to Buddha, eat zongzi(aka sticky rice dumplings – a traditional Chinese food, stuffed with glutinous rice and other fillings; all wrapped in bamboo leave) or take a class in moon appreciation. If you want to truly experience the Shandong lifestyle, you may stay with a local family and share their culture and traditions while building a more personal connection.

Be prepared for delights to all your senses in Shandong.  The traditional cuisine is the most popular of the eight major styles of cuisine in China, thrilling the tastebuds with a subtle yet unique combination of flavors well known for its fresh, natural appeal.  Jinan, Jiaodong and Confucius Mansion cuisines, which are of variants of Shandong cuisine, each have their own unique style and characteristics but seem to shine more brilliantly in the others’ company.

Unrivaled in scope and brilliance, the Lu Opera, the Liuzi Opera and Shandong Bangzi Opera combine complex musical themes with unique instrumentation and dramatic flair for a dazzling show you will not want to miss.  And, perennial favorites with locals and tourists alike, are the famous martial arts and acrobatic ensembles which perform across the province.

Time-honored traditional arts and crafts abound throughout the region, providing a mosaic of beauty and whimsy.  Shandong embroideries and brocades, kites, inkslabs, woodcut New Year pictures, and cloth toys are just a small sampling of the artistry being created daily here.  You will never find an artifact as lovely as  Shangdong bottle art with a stunning miniature landscape, figurine or flower meticulously painted on the inside!