Destination Asia China has created an alluring one night stopover experience for those making the journey from Beijing to Shanghai. We break the journey with a visit to Qufu, the hometown of the great philosopher Confucius and his descendants, the Kong clan. Qufu is only a two hour ride from Beijing on the world’s fastest railway, and a three-and-a-half-hour-ride to Shanghai. Discover UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the Temple of Confucius, Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion, which stand as a testament to the importance of Confucianism to this day.
Guests spending an extra night here should head to Mount Tai, a mountain of key importance in Chinese folk religion and visited by 72 emperors. Located an hour North of Qufu and virtually unknown in the West, Mount Tai is also the most revered of China’s five sacred Taoist peaks – and the most climbed mountain on earth. Some 6,660 stone steps wind their way up the mountain slopes, but a cable car offers an alternative means for guests to explore its many gates, shrines and temples near the top.
