Editor's note: As travel takes you to different places, it offers you chances to encounter stunning landscapes as well as wonderful cultures. Starting from today, we're going to bring you a series of travel guides to some great destinations along China's high-speed expressways, to give you some ideas about how to start a road trip in China. 

For those who don't know, the city of Tai'an lies at the southern foot of Mount Taishan and is named after the mountain as well, as we can see in this travel guide. 

History 

The history of Tai'an could trace back to as early as 4100-2600 BC, when the Dawenkou Culture, a late Neolithic culture, thrived here. 

Over centuries, dynasties ruling China have put it under the jurisdiction of various organs of power. 

Culture

Tai'an lies near Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, the prestigious philosopher and educator of China, and there are many stories about Confucius' activities around Mount Taishan. Hence Confucianism is inscribed in the gene of Tai'an culture.

Transportation

If you start from Beijing, it will take you about six hours for a 470-km trip along the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway to Tai'an.

Destinations

Mount Taishan is hailed as the leader of the "Five Sacred Mountains" in China. The sacred mountain was the object of an imperial cult. For thousands of years, it has inspired many writers, poets, and painters. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987

Daimiao Temple, also known as Dongyue, is the largest and best-preserved ancient architectural complex on Mount Taishan. In ancient China, emperors of various dynasties held ceremonies in this temple to worship heaven and earth.

Food

Shandong-style jianbing, a paper-thin pancake, is undoubtedly the most popular and readily-available street snack in Tai'an. 

This type of jianbing is crispy and always includes green spring onions wrapped inside.