Famous for its 72 artesian springs, which bubble within urban parks and ancient temples, Jinan is a stealthy metropolis of parks, streams and rivers whose beauty rivals anything else in China. Sites like Baotu Spring, Daming Lake and the Thousand Buddha Mountain offer locals and visitors alike a serene escape from the city’s bustling streets. It’s #55 ranking for Nature & Parks will rightly improve as the world discovers Jinan’s stealthy beauty and wonderful climate (the city ranks #33 for Heat Stress). But Jinan is more than its picturesque springs. The capital of Shandong Province is rapidly evolving into an economic and technological powerhouse with a thriving industrial base and burgeoning tech sector that boasts the 12th-most Fortune 500 companies and second-best convention center in our ranking. New investment by AI and pharmaceutical research companies and the city’s talent-attraction programs like the Jinan Start-Up Area for Growth Drivers Transformation, launched in 2023, are only going to improve the city’s already impressive #15 ranking in our overall Prosperity index. Culturally, the city’s dozens of ancient temples (many hidden in urban forests) are getting the preservation they deserve, and the newly renovated Shandong Museum and Confucius Cultural Park draw history enthusiasts eager to explore China’s philosophical roots.