Thumbs Up for Yantai (Jiaoliao Mandarin Language)
by Vickie from Yantai
English Translation:
Thumbs up for Yantai, a liveable and workable city in China!
On November 28th, the National Architecture Institute of China and the Livable City and Urban-rural Governance Professional Committee published a “List of liveable and workable cities in China for 2020”. 84 out of 709 cities in China were listed, including seven from Shangdong province: Qindao, Yantai, Weifang, Weihai, Liaochen, Jinin and Linyi. The rapid development of these cities is the key indicator of making the list as a “liveable and workable city”. In previous years, the big cities in Shandong have rapidly developed. In particular, the quality of software and hardware industries have improved steadily, to bring citizens a better quality of life.
In 2020, Yantai again received a title of “Civilized City”. It is the only prefecture-level city to have received this title six consecutive times.
Recently, the Central Civilization Committee announced the Sixth Nation-Wide Civilized City List, and reviewed cities that were continuously listed. Yantai was still on the list. It is the only prefecture level city that continuously got this title all six times. The Nation-Wide Civilized City List is updated every three years. It is the highest title, which reflects the whole city’s level of civilization and culture.
When talking about “liveability,” many people will think about Yantai. The reason is that it is an open and civilized city surrounded by natural beauty, with a comfortable climate. There are no extreme house prices like thirty or fifty thousand yuan per square meter, or the pressure of working six days per week from 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. Although there is no subway, you can get anywhere in Yantai with several bus routes. On the weekend, citizens hang out with friends by the sea. It is super cozy.
There are many delicious foods in Yantai, because it is the one of the major places of origin of Shandong cuisine. With all kinds of seafood like fish, shrimp and crab, along with wheat noodles and stuffed buns, all sorts of great food is waiting for you to enjoy as soon as you come to Yantai.
In the urban area of Yantai, there are spectacular views. A few thousand years ago, the first emperor of Qin Dynasty visited here. Yantai has been a destination for famous people from all around the world for the last hundred years. Whether it is to see “Fairy mountain on the sea,” or other famous resorts, you will not regret visiting.
Yantai is a city with many strengths. These leave a good impression among all Chinese people. Yantai is a liveable and workable civilized city in many people’s opinion. Let’s hope Yantai has an even better future!
Special Goods from Yantai
Apples from Yantai
Yantai is the first place where farmers grew apples in China. It is also the place with the largest apple orchards, and produces more apples than any other city in China. Yantai applies are a good species with special flavor, and are loved by the public. The apple is known as the “queen” of the fruit in Jiaodong area. The Yantai apple is sweet and crunchy, and full of nutrition. In addition to sugar, it also has malic acid, carotene, ascorbic acid, calcium, iron, zinc and many necessary elements for people’s health, so nutritionists love it. The Yantai apple comes in more than one hundred varieties. Red Fuji, White Winter Pearmain, Red Delicious Apple, Red Star Apple, Golden Marshall Apple and Ralls Janet are the most famous. The Red Fuji is big, has a rich red colour, smells good, and is sweet and crunchy; the White Winter Pearmain is full of sugar, and has a light green colour and a great sweet taste; the Red Delicious Apple has a pretty colour and smooth pulp, and is loved by the public; the Golden Marshall Apple has golden and crunchy pulp, and is eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival; the Ralls Janet has crunchy pulp with a sweet and sour taste, and has a long shelf life. These Yantai apple varieties are not only loved by Chinese citizens at home, but also enjoy good sales abroad. One tenth of the apples produced from China come from Yantai.
Pears from Laiyang
This kind of pear is grown in Laiyang, and is famous for its refreshing smell, and sweet and crunchy pulp. In ancient times, the Chinese royal families enjoyed eating Laiyang pears. The Laiyan pear has a dark green colour with brown dots on it. It is shaped like an oval. Only the region surrounding the Wulong River in Laiyang can produce this type of pear. It also called “Perfume Pear.” It is crunchy and juicy. If you drop it accidentally, once it hits the ground it will crash like a wave against the shore. If you eat it, you will not be thirsty or hot, but will feel cool and refreshed. Purchase suggestion: the premium Pear from Laiyang has a slightly yellow colour, with sparse dots, and a thin stem. It tastes sweet, but not too sweet, and has a refreshing smell.
Sea Cucumbers from Penlai
Penlai is the home of the Chinese sea cucumber. The Penali sea cucumber has the best nutritional content from among over 20 species of sea cucumber in China. Sea cucumber is a kind of rare sea animal, and famous for uses that are similar to ginseng. Sea cucumber is soft and tender, and full of nutrition with high protein content and low fat. With a nice and elegant taste, it is a famous ingredient in many dishes. It is among what are known as the “Eight precious sea foods,” including bird’s nests, abalone, and shark fin, which are the most important ingredients in fancy meals.
Swimming Crabs from Laizhou
Swimming crabs have plump bodies and strong legs, a nice colour on their thin shell, and white and tender meat. The crab, hepatopancreas, is smooth, tastes good, and is full of nutrition. It is a premium quality sea crab, with a better taste than crabs from other places. It is many fishermen’s first choice for catching and farming.
Big Cherries from Yantai
The Yantai Big Cherry is recognized as the best springtime fruit in Northern China. Due to its appearance, sweet taste, high nutrient content, and the fact that it is grown without pesticides, it has received titles including “the most precious fruit” and “the best fruit.” Its nutrition and monetary value is very high. It is warming for the body, and particularly good for the spleen and liver. Customers love the Yantai big cherry because it can help with the regeneration of hemoglobin in blood cells, providing treatments for anemia, osteoporosis in the elderly, and calcium and iron deficiency in children. The Yantai Big Cherry is an organic product. Because it matures quite early ,it is normally picked and enters the market in May. At this time towards the end of spring and beginning of summer, many insects have become active, so there is no need to use pesticides in its growth. Zhifu District has over 70 species of the Big Cherry, which is sells to cities across China. In past years, at the China International Agricultural Expo, China Fruit and Vegetable Processing Seminar, and APEC, the Yantai Big Cherry won “famous” and “premium” product titles. Over 20 species received gold, sliver and bronze medals.
The Laizhou Prawn
Prawns are a special good from Laizhou, Yantai, Shandong Province. The Laizhou prawn is one of four well-known seafoods from Laizhou. It tastes good and has high nutritional content. The Laizhou prawn won a National Geographical certificate trademark. In order to sustainably increase the prawn population in Laizhou Bay, Shandong Province began importing baby prawns from other regions of China into Laizhou Bay in 2007. The prawn revitalization project has had good results.
The Zhifu Abalone
The abalone is a mollusk, considered one of the “8 precious seafoods.” It is especially famous and expensive, even among the previous seafoods. It has several subspecies, including Haliotis Gigntea Discus Reeve, Black Abalone, Purple Abalone and Zouwen Abalone. The Zouwen Abalone from seas surrounding Zhifu is premium quality. The abalone grows on a stone reef in shallow seas. It has a hard plate-like shell on its back to protect its body. Its well-developed feet allow it to stick to the stone reef. The shell has dark green colour, and one side has a raised edge with multiple rows of small holes. The abalone’s body has a greyish-white colour and shines like pearl. The shell used in Chinese medicine, known as “Shijuemin”. It can also be used to create artwork such as mosaics and shell carvings. Abalone meat is soft and tender, tastes good, and can be cooked in various ways. Dried abalone needs to be soaked before cooking. Abalone meat has enriched protein, fat, ash and other nutritional elements. It is a common ingredient in high-scale meals. In July 1982, five giant abalones were found on the seabed of Douruan Island. The biggest one had a shell twelve centimeters long!