Jinan Hundred-Mile Yellow River Scenic Area

Jinan Hundred-Mile Yellow River Scenic Area

The Jinan Hundred-Mile Yellow River Scenic Area is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a national water conservancy scenic area.

The Jinan Hundred-Mile Yellow River Scenic Area centers around landscape tourism, eco-tourism, cultural tourism, and sports & fitness tourism. It combines engineering landscapes, water landscapes, ecological landscapes, natural landscapes, and cultural landscapes, forming an ecological, culture-themed garden. Its engineering sights include the Yellow River embankment, hazardous river sections, sluice gates, etc., all known as China’s “Great Wall on Water”; it also features the Yellow River, renowned as a “hanging river.”

The Jinan Hundred-Mile Yellow River Scenic Area is located near the northern part of Jinan city. The southern gate of the scenic area leads directly onto Jinan’s central axis—Jiluo Road. It lies south of the North Second Ring Road, close to the “Zero Point” of the Jiqing Expressway and the western exit of the Beijing-Fuzhou Expressway in Jinan, ensuring convenient transportation. The total planned area is about 990 hectares, making it one of the key “Three Mouths” projects planned by the Yellow River Conservancy Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources. In 2003, it was named a “National Water Conservancy Scenic Area” by the Ministry of Water Resources; in 2009, it was rated as a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

I. Tourism Resources

The central scenic area boasts lush flowers and plants, dense woods, majestic embankments, the hanging river above, and imposing dams. Visitors can not only admire engineering sights such as the Yellow River embankment, hazardous river sections, and sluice gates—known as China’s “Great Wall on Water”—but also experience the awe-inspiring feeling of standing above the “hanging river.” The water scenery is particularly splendid: during low-water periods, the flow is calm and mirror-like, like a painting; when floods rise, muddy waves surge skyward, with whirlpools forming everywhere. Standing atop the grand embankment and looking south, one can see the graceful silhouette of Lishan Mountain (Qianfo Mountain), with overlapping green hills and the beautiful sights of Spring City spread out before the eyes. Strolling through the area, pavilions, railings, pines, and rocks create ever-changing views. With the wind in your face and the sound of waves, you’ll feel refreshed and joyful. The Yellow River Wetland Nature Reserve is home to numerous wild birds, including mallards, waterfowl, grey herons, egrets, grey cranes, white cranes, and swans. Additionally, the scenic area has profound cultural heritage—it was a site visited by national leaders such as Mao Zedong to inspect the Yellow River. Jinan’s “Seven Scenic Spots in Misty Distance,” namely Queshan Mountain, Huashan Mountain, and Yaoshan Mountain, nestle beside the mother river. The Yuan Dynasty painter Zhao Mengfu’s painting “Autumn Colors on the Qiao and Hua Mountains” depicts the beautiful scenery of the Luo Kou section of the Yellow River. Moreover, the century-old railway bridge adorned like a jade belt, the cable-stayed highway bridge, and the floating bridge at the ancient Luo Kou ferry add charm to the ancient mother river, creating the area’s unique natural landscape.

II. Development and Utilization of Tourism Resources

Large-scale ecological forests have been planted in the Yellow River silted-back area, including a hundred-acre eucommia garden, a hundred-acre nursery, a hundred-acre agricultural sightseeing and picking garden, and a thousand-acre ginkgo garden. Currently, the scenic area has a greening coverage rate of 97%, with green spaces covering over 40 square kilometers. The area now meets the standard of having flowers in three seasons and evergreen foliage all year round, truly becoming an “garden in the air.”

Utilizing existing resources, distinctive tourism projects have been developed. Events such as the first Jinan Yellow River Culture and Art Festival and International Sand Sculpture Art Exhibition, the Southern and Northern Lion King Competition, and the Paladin Car Rally have been successfully held. Programs like university students’ quality development activities, self-service barbecues, beach horseback riding, and large-scale historical and cultural photo exhibitions of the Yellow River have been established. These blend humanistic landscapes with modern, vibrant tourism offerings, satisfying tourists' multi-level cultural needs and expanding the development space of the tourism market.

III. Tourism Market Development

The group visitors to the scenic area mainly come from tour groups in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Guangdong, as well as from Japan, South Korea, Europe, and America. Since 2003, the scenic area has received over 1.5 million domestic and international visitors, with an annual reception of more than 200,000 people. Through the “Yellow River Tour,” visitors can enjoy splendid national cultural relics and the enchanting natural scenery of the Yellow River in Jinan. This place has become a popular destination for Chinese people at home and abroad to explore their roots and learn about Chinese culture, a must-visit spot for tourists coming to Jinan, and an important window for people to understand, experience, and connect with the Yellow River.

Public Transportation Routes:

Take bus routes 4, 111, or 114 to Luokou Station, walk 500 meters forward to the Yellow River embankment nearby, turn left, and continue along the road to reach the scenic area’s main gate.

Scenic Spot Location

Jianbang Yellow River Bridge, Tianqiao District, Jinan City, Shandong Province