Jinan Zoo

Jinan Zoo

Jinan Zoo was established in 1959, located in the northern part of the beautiful Spring City. It covers an area of over 60 hectares and is one of China’s large-scale zoos. In 1995, it was named one of the “Top Ten Zoos in China” by the Ministry of Construction and the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens. The zoo features one mountain (Golden Ox Mountain), one lake (Golden Ox Lake), two rivers (the Xiaoqing River and the Gongshang River), with lush flowers and green lawns, winding paths, and various ecological animal exhibition areas distributed along both sides of the mountain-loop road according to the terrain. The natural ecological environment is pristine, while the cultural landscapes exude an antique charm. The zoo is rich in plant and animal species, with nearly 100 varieties of trees and shrubs, including more than ten types of ancient and famous trees such as Pistacia chinensis, Aesculus chinensis, Ginkgo biloba, and Metasequoia. There are also historic buildings such as the Golden Ox Pavilion and the Sunset Pavilion, as well as the majestic and exquisite masterpiece “The World’s Number One Ox” created by Han Meilin and Qi Gong. The zoo displays over 200 rare animal species from around the world, totaling more than 3,000 individuals.

The zoo is divided into animal exhibition areas, entertainment zones, science education areas, and dining service areas. Entering from the east gate and proceeding to the area east of the Gongshang River Bridge, the focus is on amusement facilities, with major rides such as the Ferris wheel and the log flume located in this section. Animal exhibits, scenic spots, and other service facilities are situated west of the Gongshang River. A 6-meter-wide main asphalt road encircles the entire zoo, with animal exhibition areas arranged along both sides of the loop road based on the animals’ evolutionary sequence, habits, and geographical distribution. Walking right along the main loop, you can reach various animal zones such as the Birdsong Pavilion, the Predator Zone, the Herbivore Zone, and the Omnivore Zone. Each zone is complemented by garden plants, rockeries, sculptures, and decorative features, allowing visitors to enjoy the beauty of the landscape while observing the animals. Additionally, Jinan Zoo has a profound cultural foundation centered around the Golden Ox, both tangible and symbolic. The widely told “Legend of the Golden Ox” has been designated as part of the third batch of Jinan’s Intangible Cultural Heritage and is actively being nominated for Shandong Province’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The zoo embodies the image symbols of Jinan—the city bird (egret), the city flower (lotus), the city tree (willow), and the city’s symbolic animal (the golden ox)—making it a highly representative landmark of the region.

Continuous Improvement of the Park Environment

With strong support from the Municipal Bureau of Urban Landscaping and Greening, the zoo has made significant efforts in recent years to ecologically renovate various animal exhibition areas. For example, the “Small Zoo Playground” was renovated in 2006, the giraffe and African savanna area in 2007, the Lion-Tiger Mountain and hippopotamus pavilion in 2008, the orangutan pavilion in 2009, the animal science exhibition hall in 2010, and the elephant pavilion and Birdsong Pavilion in 2011. The newly renovated exhibition areas provide a naturalistic living environment for the animals and unobstructed, panoramic views for visitors, greatly enhancing the enjoyment of the park and creating a harmonious atmosphere for interaction between humans and animals.

Diverse Recreational Activities

During major holidays such as Chinese New Year, Labor Day, and National Day, the zoo consistently organizes a variety of colorful activities to create a festive atmosphere. Leveraging its role as a national science education base, the zoo has established social practice bases for multiple primary and secondary schools, providing children with a second classroom to connect with nature. Focusing on animal protection, introduction, and breeding, the zoo regularly conducts various science education activities. These include hosting multiple editions of Shandong Province and Jinan City’s “Bird-Loving Week” campaigns, organizing experiential activities such as “Be a Zookeeper for a Day” and “Be an Animal Nutritionist for a Day” during summer vacations, and holding the annual “Animal Adoption” program. The zoo also maintains close communication with provincial and municipal media, collaborating long-term with outlets such as Shandong TV, Qilu Channel, Shandong Life, Shandong Public, Shandong Variety, Shandong Kids, Jinan News, Jinan Urban, and Jinan Kids, as well as newspapers like Qilu Evening News, Life Daily, Shandong Business Daily, Jinan Daily, and Jinan Times, and radio stations like Shandong Broadcasting and Jinan Broadcasting. Joint initiatives have included “Action for Animal Care,” “Everyone Be a Tour Guide,” “My Favorite Animal” essay and photo contests, and the selection of Animal Care Ambassadors. These activities have garnered widespread attention from all sectors of society and the media, with enthusiastic participation from citizens and tourists, ensuring new highlights every year and increasing the zoo’s visibility.

Civilized and High-Quality Services

To make the city more beautiful and the scenic area more attractive, the zoo has vigorously promoted the “Star-Rated Service” initiative in recent years. This initiative began as a pilot in the service and business sectors and will be further extended to animal management and other departments. The zoo implements a dynamic management model of “daily team evaluation, weekly department evaluation, and monthly organizational evaluation” to continuously improve staff service standards and strive to provide visitors with civilized and high-quality services. Additionally, the zoo has long promoted the “Convenient Services, Smile Service” campaign to ensure every visitor enjoys convenience and warmth.

Increasing Annual Visitors

By adhering to the “Three Uses” philosophy—“using a beautiful environment to attract visitors, using rich activities to retain them, and using warm smiles to welcome them”—the zoo has created a harmonious visiting environment. Through extensive engagement with all sectors of society and continuous market expansion, the zoo’s visibility and reputation have steadily grown, leading to a year-on-year increase in visitor numbers. Taking the past five years as an example: 2007 saw 1.6 million visitors; 2008, 1.8 million; 2009, 2 million; 2010, 2.3 million; and 2011, 2.6 million, with an annual growth rate exceeding 10%. During last year’s National Day Golden Week, the zoo welcomed over 400,000 visitors and generated more than 2 million yuan in ticket revenue, both setting historical records. The zoo’s staff have committed to providing high-quality, smiling, and star-rated services, prioritizing visitors and warming their hearts with genuine smiles and sincerity, making the zoo a beloved destination where plants thrive, animals flourish, and people love to visit.

Major Animals

The zoo showcases a range of precious domestic animals, including golden snub-nosed monkeys, Asian elephants, takins, Tibetan wild asses, white-lipped deer, Pere David’s deer, sika deer, red deer, white-cheeked gibbons, black-crested gibbons, rhesus macaques, red pandas, Siberian tigers, Bengal tigers, red-crowned cranes, black-necked cranes, grey cranes, white storks, black storks, mute swans, mandarin ducks, egrets, Lady Amherst’s pheasants, and Reeves’s pheasants. Exhibited exotic rare animals include African elephants, African lions, gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, black-capped capuchins, squirrel monkeys, giraffes, hippos, zebras, black wildebeest, greater kudu, white-bearded wildebeest, red kangaroos, ostriches, emus, cassowaries, flamingos, demoiselle cranes, macaws, cockatoos, helmeted hornbills, black-capped lories, black swans, and blue peafowl.

Landscape Features

On the southern side of Golden Ox Mountain, a fountain attraction has been built, featuring a several-ton yellow granite sculpture of a golden ox head from which water flows down the hillside into Peach Blossom Creek. Nearby, the Sunset Pavilion offers visitors a place to rest and cool off. To the north of Golden Ox Mountain are the Golden Ox Cave, Golden Ox Trough, Golden Ox Beach, and Herding Ox Pavilion, along with inscriptions detailing the legend of the golden ox. Inside the cave lies the back half of the golden ox, seamlessly connecting with the head on the mountain’s southern side, symbolizing the rebirth of the golden ox. A stream flows through the cave, cascading over stacked rocks into Golden Ox Beach, which is planted with water lilies and summer-red flowers. The zoo’s animal enclosures and garden structures are nestled among lush greenery, blending harmoniously with the natural surroundings. In the northeast part of the park, the Birdsong Pavilion houses a spacious waterfowl lake that shimmers under the sunlight. The pheasant garden, egret garden, and tropical bird house feature innovative and aesthetically pleasing designs, allowing visitors to enter and observe the birds up close. The park also offers supporting facilities such as fast-food restaurants, food stalls, and dining halls, as well as amusement rides like the Ferris wheel, log flume, bumper cars, and laser battleships.

Travel Tips

Shuttle Bus: Take bus routes 4, 5, 66, 30, 15, 112, 35, 84, 114, K68, K53, or K58 and get off at the Jinan Zoo stop.

Self-Driving Directions: Take G20 Expressway — exit at Jinan North — follow Jiluo Road — located opposite Luokou Shoe City.

Parking Spaces: 60 vehicles

Parking Information: Parking available at the square in front of the entrance.

Admission Fee

Admission: 30 yuan.

Opening Hours

8:00-17:30

Location

No. 87, Jiluo Road, Tianqiao District, Jinan City, Shandong Province