Zaozhuang
People's Republic of China · Asia

About Zaozhuang
Zaozhuang is a prefecture-level city in the south of Shandong province, People's Republic of China. Since January 2019 (after the Laiwu prefecture got incorporated into Jinan prefecture), the smallest prefecture-level city in the province, it borders Jining to the west and north, Linyi to the east, and the province of Jiangsu to the south. The Battle of Taierzhuang occurred in the city during the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1938. The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–45) had a significant impact on Zaozhuang.
Archaeologists have found evidence of human activities in this region dating back to the Neolithic era. Its culture started from 7300 years ago of ancestor culture, and developed to city-state culture 4300 years ago, then evolved to canal culture 2700 years ago, and finally stepped to industrial culture 130 years ago.
Its population is 3,855,601 at the 2020 census whom 975,539 in the built-up area made of Shizhong and Yicheng districts. As of the end of 2022, the permanent population of Zaozhuang City is 3.8297 million. As of the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, the permanent population will be 3.8098 million.
At present, Zaozhuang has gradually grown into one of the important bases of China's lithium battery industry, known as the "Lithium Battery Capital in Northern China".
Zaozhuang travel guide
Understand
History Zaozhuang City, also known as Coal City. Zaozhuang formed a village during the Tang and Song dynasties, named after the abundance of jujube trees that formed the village. Later, it gradually developed into a city.
Climate
Zaozhuang City has a warm and humid climate in the south and a dry and cold climate in the north. The climate is variable in spring, with less precipitation and frequent drought. Summer is hot with concentrated precipitation. Autumn has less clouds and rain, while winter is cold and dry. So you can choose to avoid hot summers and cold winters and come and play in spring or autumn.
Getting there
The Beijing Shanghai high-speed rail line passes through Zaozhuang. As a city with 30 high-speed rail services, Zaozhuang Station passes through many cities in the east-west and north-south directions along the line. If you are going to cities such as Jinan or Beijing or Shanghai, you may pass through Zaozhuang.
By train Zaozhuang is located on the main route from Shanghai to Beijing - the Beijing Shanghai high-speed rail line, so you can take the high-speed rail. It takes about 2.4 hours to take the high-speed rail from Beijing and 3.2 hours to depart from Shanghai. You can also take the overnight sleeper train to Beijing or Shanghai, which takes a long time and requires a transfer midway.
1 Zaozhuang Station (枣庄站), ☏ +86 95105105. Zaozhuang Station is located in the middle of the Beijing Shanghai high-speed railway line, and it is convenient to travel to Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province, or neighboring Jiangsu Province. There are several high-speed trains departing from Beijing passing through this station every day. Located in Xuecheng District, you can take the BRT bus that runs through the city right out of the station. You don't need to print your ticket and can enter/exit the station through the automatic gate with your ID card. (updated Nov 2023) 2 Tengzhou East Railway Station (滕州东站), Feilong Avenue, Tengzhou City. 08:00-20:00. Another high-speed railway station in Zaozhuang, it is also an important node station of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway. It is very convenient to travel to Beijing, Shanghai or neighboring cities. The station is located in Tengzhou and there is no need to print out tickets, you can enter and exit the station through automatic gates with your ID card. (updated Nov 2023)
Getting around
Zaozhuang has a relatively convenient Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. Due to being a fourth tier city, the pricing of taxis is lower compared to first and second tier cities. However, it is now more common to use major online platforms or some convenient travel applications to call taxis. As an old city, Shizhong District has a denser population, more congested transportation compared to other urban areas, and narrower and older roads. Therefore, congestion is a serious problem in Shizhong District. Due to being a small city, as a foreigner seeking help from passersby, it is difficult to communicate fluently with any passersby using a foreign language. If foreigners do not speak Chinese locally, communication can be difficult. Foreigners who do not speak Chinese may find it difficult to travel, but don't worry too much. If you use public transportation, the rapid transit system in Zaozhuang has been upgraded and become very advanced. The bus will come with a Chinese and English display screen and stop announcement voice, and the arrival prompt information of vehicles at each station is simple and clear. Even if you do not know Chinese, you can understand the basic arrival information of vehicles. And each bus stop has staff responsible for guiding, who can inquire about relevant information and they will be responsible for answering questions. With the gradual development and improvement of China's sharing economy market, you can enjoy the convenience brought by the "sharing" series of products in China, such as sharing bicycles, sharing electric vehicles, and sharing cars. If you don't want to take public transportation, you can also choose to use shared bicycles for travel. This way, you can ride a shared bike to explore the corners of the entire city, and travel will be more free. Before starting your city tour, you can print out the name of the place you want to visit in Chinese characters, or have the hotel front desk staff write it for you. When heading to a specific address, you can display the text to taxi or bus drivers for help. When arriving at a tourist attraction, there will be markings in both Chinese and English on the guide signs or tourist maps distributed within the attraction.
See
1 Taierzhuang Ancient Town (台儿庄古城) (after arriving at the Zaozhuang high-speed railway station, take the B1 bus rapid transit, and after 8 stops, get off at the Fengming Lake transfer station; afterwards, transfer to Bus B10 at Fengminghu Station, and after 5 stops, get off at the Taierzhuang Ancient City Parking Lot to reach the destination), ☏ +86 632-6679788. 08:00-17:30. ¥118 per adult, ¥59 per discounted ticket for children/students. (updated Sep 2023) 2 Zaozhuang Museum (枣庄博物馆), ☏ +86 6323312812. Closed M, Tu-Su 09:00-11:30, 14:00-17:00 (excluding statutory holidays). The Zaozhuang Municipal Museum has three basic exhibitions: the Zaozhuang historical cultural relics display, the special exhibition of cultural relics unearthed from the tombs of Xiaozhu nobles, and the Han portrait stone gallery. Travelers who are interested in the history of Zaozhuang can go to see these cultural relics exhibitions. ¥2. (updated Sep 2023) 3 Fengming Lake (凤鸣湖), No. 2511, Guangming Avenue, Xuecheng District. You can go to Fengming Lake to enjoy the lake view. Since Fengming Lake is surrounded by Fengming Lake Park, you can also engage in any leisure and entertainment activities in the park. In late autumn, when the pink grass in the park matures, you can go and take photos. (updated Nov 2023) 4 East Lake Park (东湖公园), Wenhua West Road, Shizhong District. A large park in Shizhong District. It is more suitable for viewing, walking and summer vacation. Many parents will take their children to play there, which is suitable for parent-child activities. You can sit on the green grass by the lake to enjoy the scenery or take photos. (updated Nov 2023) 5 Weishan Lake Wetland Red Lotus Tourist Area (微山湖湿地红荷旅游区), Binhu Town, Tengzhou City, ☏ +86 0632-5816666. There is a very large area of wild lotus and reeds in the scenic area, as well as a certain area of purple water chestnuts and cattails. It is recommended to visit in summer and autumn. In summer, you can see a large number of wild red lotuses, and in autumn, you can see a large area of reed ponds, Di flowers and other waterside landscapes. (updated Nov 2023)
Do
1 Baodugu National Forest Park (抱犊崮国家森林公园) (take BRT Bus T1 at Zaozhuang Station to the Bus Center Station, and then transfer to Bus 131 at Zaozhuang Bus Center Station to reach Baodugu Bus Station and get off). 08:00-18:00. Baodugu is a mountain peak in Zaozhuang City, located in Shanting District and also a national forest park. The mountain is steep as a wall, and the path to the top of the mountain is only one stone path, about 600 meters high, with thousands of steps. Travelers who enjoy hiking can try it out. The adult ticket is about ¥50. Students holding student ID cards, children under 1.2 meters, military personnel, and the elderly are eligible for free admission.. (updated Oct 2023) 2 Taierzhuang Ancient City Scenic Area (台儿庄古城), Huaxing Road, Taierzhuang District. In the ancient city of Taierzhuang, there are ancient rivers, ancient wharfs, ancient Chinese water cities, Taierzhuang War Memorial Hall, cross-strait exchange base and other sightseeing spots that you can visit. It is recommended to visit on holidays or weekend nights to enjoy the lantern display. From 16:30 to 22:00, there are light shows, projection shows, fire dragon and steel performance, shadow puppet shows and other activities that you can watch and participate in. (updated Nov 2023) 3 Hannuo Manor Scenic Area (汉诺庄园), Shanting District. 08:00-23:00. Hanno Manor is famous for grape growing and wine making. The park also provides practice venues for golf, tennis and other sports. In addition to enjoying the natural scenery, you can also learn about local history and culture by visiting the museum inside the hospital. free. (updated Dec 2023) 4 Zaozhuang Guanshi Liuyuan Scenic Area (冠世榴园景区), Zhongxing Avenue, Yicheng District. This is a comprehensive tourist attraction integrating tourism and vacation.There are ancient sandalwood forests to visit and temples to worship, and since there are not particularly many tourists, it is suitable for distraction and climbing.Suggested pomegranate ripe season to come to play, you can pick pomegranates. It is also possible to enjoy the scenery, which takes about one afternoon. ¥32. (updated Nov 2023) 5 Lianqingshan Scenic Area (莲青山风景区), Dongguo Town, Tengzhou City. 08:00-18:00. The main peaks that can be visited include Lotus Peak, Dasi Peak, Yunu Peak, Motian Ridge, etc.; the main canyons include Tongtian Grand Canyon, Lover's Valley, Lotus Pond Canyon, Hulutao Valley, etc. Famous caves include Peach Blossom Cave, Immortal Cave, Water Curtain Cave, etc. There are also the famous Sun Moon Lake and Lover's Lake, which are suitable for couple
Buy
1 Guicheng Shopping Center, ☏ +86 632-4412038. 09:00-10:00. A large shopping mall that has many brands and is a good place for shopping. (updated Nov 2023) 2 Xinhua Market, Gongsheng Street, Shizhong District. 09:00-10:00. Xinhua Market is a large commodity market in Zaozhuang. It has a wide variety of commodities and is a good place to shop for goods. (updated Nov 2023) 3 Guicheng Shopping Center, Yicheng District, ☏ +86 632-7785009. 09:00-10:00. Zaozhuang Guicheng Shopping Center is a modern commercial group integrating department stores, supermarkets, chain operations, logistics and distribution, agricultural supplies, agricultural products, automobile sales, catering, and foreign trade. (updated Nov 2023) 4 Ginza Mall, Jianhua Road, Shizhong District. 09:00-10:00. (updated Nov 2023) 5 Zaozhuang Shopping Center, No. 52, Junshan Middle Road, Shizhong District. 09:00-10:00. (updated Nov 2023) 6 True Love Mall, Jinghe West Road, Tengzhou City. 09:00-10:00. (updated Nov 2023)
Eat
1 Zaozhuang Spicy Chicken (枣庄辣子鸡) (take the T1BRT bus from Zaozhuang High Speed Rail Station to the Unicom Transfer Center Bus Station, then transfer to the No. 25 bus to the Human Resources Center Bus Station, where you can see the store), ☏ +86 632-3090088. 11:30-21:30. Spicy chicken is one of the representative classic dishes in Zaozhuang. As its name suggests, if you are interested in spicy chicken, you can try this dish. If you are not very spicy, you can choose a slightly spicy flavor. Usually, potato chips are added to this dish for cooking, and when added to the sauce of spicy chicken, the potato taste is dry, crispy, and unique. Usually, they are paired with unique pastries, which is a preferred pairing method for many stores. About ¥60. (updated Oct 2023) 2 Shanting Mutton Soup (山亭羊肉汤), Near Zaozhuang Martial Arts School, Shiling South Road, Shizhong District. 05:00-14:00. Mutton soup is one of Zaozhuang's specialties. This is a representative and popular time-honored mutton soup restaurant. In addition to the mutton soup, there are also various cold dishes to choose from in the store, such as cold mutton. Travelers who like to eat mutton can go and try it. About ¥51 per person. (updated Nov 2023) 3 Tengzhou vegetable pancakes (滕州菜煎饼). 10:00-21:30. As a special delicacy of Zaozhuang, vegetable pancakes are also one of the representative foods. It is made by adding various vegetables, eggs, ham and other foods to pancakes. It has a crispy texture and can be served as a meal or snack. About ¥10 per person. (updated Nov 2023) 4 Taierzhuang Huanghua Beef Noodles (台儿庄黄花牛肉面). 08:00-21:30. As a specialty delicacy in Taierzhuang District, Huanghua Beef Noodles is also one of the representative delicacies. The hand-made noodles have a hard texture. Beef, day lily and meat made from a unique secret recipe are combined with the noodle soup to create a bowl of yellow flower beef noodles with a unique taste. Travelers who like to eat noodles can go and try it. About ¥15 per person. (updated Nov 2023)
Drink & nightlife
1 Ashui Big Cup Tea (阿水大杯茶), Jipin Street, Shizhong District, ☏ +86 10-68091017. 10:00-02:00. It is a unique tea beverage brand in Shandong, with one or two Ah Shui Da Cup tea shops located on almost every street in Zaozhuang. ¥9 per person. (updated Oct 2023) 2 Luckin coffee (瑞幸咖啡), No. 9-1, Xing'an Street, Wenhua Road Street, Shizhong District, ☏ +86 4000100100. 08:00-21:00. It is a Chinese chain coffee brand. Its signature drinks include: raw coconut latte, raw cheese latte, jasmine latte, etc. ¥20 per person. (updated Nov 2023) 3 ChaPanda (茶百道), No. 135, Building 10, Jippin Commercial Street, Bunka Rd, ☏ +86 19163213173. 09:30-22:30. It is a local tea drink chain brand in China. Its signature drinks include: grape jelly fruit tea, large cup fruit tea, strawberry cheese milk tea, etc. ¥15 per person. (updated Nov 2023) 4 COCO (coco都可). COCO is one of the chain beverage stores in China and also has a branch in Zaozhuang. Signature drinks include Taro Milk Tea with Sago, Bubble Gaga, andPanda Milk Tea (updated Nov 2023)
Sleep
1 Zaozhuang Kaiyuan Fengming Villa, No. 1, Guishan Ring Road, High-tech Zone. Zaozhuang Kaiyuan Fengming Villa Hotel is located in Fengming Villa, where you can enjoy the scenery of the villa. Opposite is Fengming Park where you can go for a walk or enjoy the lake view. It is also close to the high-speed rail station and the transportation is more convenient. It provides car rental and ride-hailing services, concierge services, laundry services, and also provides facilities such as sports fields, shopping malls, gardens, cafes, and multi-purpose halls. (updated Dec 2023) 2 Zaozhuang Taizhuang Mansion, Taierzhuang District. Chinese and Western restaurants. The spa provides a variety of stress-relieving and calming recuperation services, including Chinese massage, massage and a full range of beauty and aromatherapy. (updated Dec 2023) 3 Zaozhuang Zhengshengyuan Hotel, Taierzhuang District. The dishes provided by the hotel are mainly Huaiyang cuisine and local specialties. (updated Dec 2023) 4 Wyndham Grand Zaozhuang, No. 3888, Huanghe East Road, Xuecheng District. (updated Dec 2023) 5 Tengzhou Hotel, East end of Xueyuan Road, Longquan Middle Road, Tengzhou City. A high-end business hotel. (updated Dec 2023) 6 Binjiang International Hotel, No. 169 Jiefang East Road, Tengzhou City. The restaurant has private rooms of different sizes. High-end fitness center, large bathing center, spa, KTV, tennis court, executive lounge, red wine and cigar bar and other leisure and recreational facilities. (updated Dec 2023) 7 Taierzhuang Qingyuyuan Junting Hotel, No. 2, Kangning Road, Taierzhuang District. (updated Dec 2023) 8 Shunhe Zaozhuang Hotel, Shizhong District. The guest rooms are equipped with domestic and international direct dial telephones, broadband, closed-circuit television, central air conditioning. The Chinese and Western restaurants serve Shandong, Sichuan, Cantonese, Hangzhou and other cuisines as well as local flavor dishes. (updated Dec 2023) 9 Yizhou Hotel, West end of Chengshui Road, Liuyuan Road, Yicheng District. Zaozhuang Yizhou Hotel is at the foot of Guanshi Liuyuan Garden, at the west end of Chengshui Road, and close to National Highway 206; surrounded by mountains and rivers. The room provides 24-hour hot water, central air conditioning, separate shower room, etc. The hotel is also equipped with restaurants of different styles. (updated Dec 2023) 10 Mugla Hotel. (updated Dec 2023)
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.