Qinglan Expressway Yiyuan Service Area

Qinglan Expressway Yiyuan Service Area

The Yiyuan Service Area on the Qinglan Expressway is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

The Yiyuan Service Area is situated within Yiyuan County in the central part of Shandong Province on the Qinglan Expressway, at the junction of five prefecture-level cities: Zibo, Tai’an, Laiwu, Linyi, and Weifang. Yiyuan boasts beautiful mountains and clear waters, picturesque scenery, and abundant tourism resources, featuring both natural and cultural landscapes, making it an ideal destination for sightseeing. It is home to the famous fourth highest peak in Shandong—Mount Lushan—the “No.1 Karst Cave Cluster in North China” (Lushan Karst Caves) and “Lushan National Forest Park,” as well as cliff carvings from the Tang Dynasty and attractions from the Ming and Qing dynasties such as the Weaver Girl Cave and Shenqing Palace.

Qilu Transportation Development Group has built a leisure walking path through the native forest, symbolizing a “Lovers’ Corridor,” stretching over 800 meters in length. Deep within the “Lovers’ Corridor” lies an ecological fruit-picking garden, allowing travelers to enjoy the pleasure of picking mountain fruits during their journey. At the eastern end of the corridor is a lotus pond and cascading waterfall area, where statues of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl face each other across the water, recreating the poignant love story of “so close yet unable to speak.”

To expand the overall service space, the group has optimized the layout of the supermarket and restaurant. The restaurant now covers a total area of 1,970 m² and can accommodate 600 diners at the same time, significantly improving service capacity. For highway service areas, restrooms are a key indicator of service quality. Qilu Transportation Group launched a “Toilet Revolution,” renovating the restrooms to meet tourism restroom standards. The number of toilet stalls increased from 56 to 178, a 200% rise. In addition, the Yiyuan Service Area offers free Wi-Fi, ETC online top-up services, and non-cash payment options, with non-cash payments accounting for over 20%, making it the first “Non-Cash Service Area” in the country.