East Tai'an - Zhonggong Road: the mountain highway becoming a favorite road trip destination
Lists of the world's best road trips are usually filled by famous highways like California's State Route 1 in the US or Norway's Atlanterhavsveien. But China's recent construction binge has filled the country with spectacular roads, which driving enthusiasts around the world are only beginning to discover.
One of the best Chinese road trips to try is East Tai'an - Zhonggong Road, a 17-kilometer stretch of road that meanders its way across the beautiful mountainous terrain near Tai'an in Shandong province.
Starting from Tai'an's famous tourist area in Dajinkou county, the route will take you on a winding course around Mount Tai to the ancient town of Zhonggong, just to the south of Jinan city.
As you negotiate the road's 88 turns, you will pass through a stunning landscape of brooks and springs, ancient forest and sleepy villages, whose grey-tiled, stone-walled buildings are almost unchanged from the Republic of China (1911-1949) period.
Fuel up your pick-up truck, grab a few friends and start the memorable journey!
East Tai'an - Zhonggong Road takes you through a timeless landscape of swaying leaves, cloud-capped mountains, and smoke curling up from kitchen chimneys as it winds across Mount Tai in Shandong province. [Photo/dzwww.com] |