رحلة قطار تشوفو السريع لمدة يوم كامل من تشينغداو مع غداء كونفوشيوسي

My camera roll says Qufu Bullet Train from Qingdao with Confucian Lunch was the big moment. My actual favourite was Qufu; it felt less obvious and more personal.

What helped was simple: our questions wandered well beyond the standard facts, and the guide stayed with them. That made the time at Qufu much more interesting.

Looking back, I would check the weather and dress in layers. We moved between the vehicle, open spaces and indoor sites often enough to notice the difference. For 14 hours around Qufu, the pace felt about right.

Looking back, I had a long list of things I thought I needed to see. After Qufu, I was happier slowing down and noticing fewer things properly. I would rather keep the pause at Qufu Bullet Train from Qingdao with Confucian Lunch than add another stop.