My final destination in China is DongYing in the Shandong Province. This province has three very noteworthy locations. Ji’nan, Qingdao, and Taishan. The first, is the capital Ji’nan. Originally we were going to fly into Ji’nan and take the two-four hour drive from there to Dongying, but apparently flights have started passing directly between Beijing and Dongying, so this is no longer necessary.

Ji’nan apparently acts more as a crossover location than anything else. The city lies within the monsoon climate zone so the summers are reportedly very hot and humid. The city takes pride in its many natural springs and modern skyline.

Perhaps the most interesting site in the Ji’nan area is the 1000 Buddha Mountain. Buddhism was very popular in the Shandong province during the Sui Dynasty (581-618AD). It was during this time that many temples were built on this small but vibrant mountain.

Apparently many buddha statues have been carved and placed all along the mountain’s paths.

I think it is unlikely that I will end up making it to Ji’nan. If the customer requires that we work over the weekend it is especially unlikely. However, it is the closest large city and tourist attraction to Dongying. So I won’t completely cast aside the possibility.