Food feast at Tai’an
Night view of Tai’anÂ
Upon reaching Jinan Airport, I was told we were going to Tai’an, which is 120km away from the airport. Drag… I have not reach my destination after all 
 I had to endure another hour on the expressway before reaching Tai’an. Along the way, I could see scenic mountains and hills. Most houses I saw had flat roof, where oranges were laid to be dried under the sun. I assumed those fruits were oranges since they were orange in colour 
Overload of Szechuan dishes
We were ushered to a room to have lunch at a classy restaurant serving Szechuan cuisine once we reached Tai’an. I was surprise that we need to adhere to a seating protocol according to age and status. Guys would sit to the right side of the main host at the round table, while girls filled in from the other side of the main host. The surprise did not end there as 26 dishes were served on the table. I never had so many different dishes in my life for a meal! But was a hit and miss affair as only some dishes were delicious. Maybe we have different taste as compared to them 
Pork noodle (RMB2.50) served with plastic over the reusable bowl at a stall
Enjoying food cooked by myself with my own personal steamboat pot
While at Tai’an, I’ve tried many different style of Chinese cuisine, from steamboat to countryside to Mao Zedong’s signature dishes! Among the local food that I’ve tried were duck’s tongue, toufu noodle, Chinese-style pita, vegetarian pao and mountain chicken egg. I wouldn’t say all the food was good especially the moutain chicken egg. I would remember the taste forever because it tasted like spoilt egg. I liked fried cicada though. The young cicadas were captured from the woods while their wings were not developed yet. In short, I gained 2kg over the course of 4 days at Tai’an 
Cruchy cicada marinated with herbs… thumbs up from me
Cosy room to eat Mao Zedong’s signature dishes (the food he had while he was a president)
Fruit was the only thing I enjoyed eating without feeling guilty. They were dirt cheap too. 5 pieces of peaches were only RMB5! Whenever I was walking on the street, I would stop by the fruit stall and buy some fresh peaches. Another thing that I like was the instant noodle. They tasted extraordinary good with beef soup or pork soup. I even bought a few packets home. The only regret now is I didn’t buy more of those 
 I know I can get it at supermarket in Malaysia, but they are slightly expensive.
Cool way to display message in the ashtrayÂ
