Holiday in Zibo

About Zibo

Zibo is a city in Shandong Province that became an overnight viral sensation in 2023: millions of young Chinese flocked to Zibo to try the famous Zibo-BBQ — a phenomenon that transformed the city from an unknown industrial town to the hottest travel destination in China. The hype originated from social media videos and the city's warm hospitality. The Zibo-BBQ is unique: each guest receives a small charcoal grill at the table, places marinated meat on the grill, and wraps it with raw spring onions and a sweet sauce in thin flatbread — a mix of Korean BBQ and Peking duck that is addictive. The atmosphere in the BBQ streets is electrifying. But Zibo has much more to offer than BBQ: the city was the capital of the State of Qi over 2,600 years ago, one of the most powerful kingdoms during the Spring and Autumn period. The Qi Culture Museum and archaeological sites testify to this glorious past. Zibo has been a center of Chinese ceramic production for centuries: the famous Zibo glaze and the tradition of glassmaking date back to the Yuan Dynasty. In the Boshan ceramic old town, visitors can tour workshops and create their own pieces. The Zhoucun district is a well-preserved ancient trading town with Ming and Qing architecture, which served as a filming location for numerous Chinese historical films. The Zhoucun sesame rings (Shaobing) are a specialty over 200 years old.