The Hongjialu area around Shandong University's original campus is the liveliest and most affordable neighborhood in Jinan for travelers — a dense network of student cafes, bookshops, small bars, bicycle repair shops, and cheap restaurants that runs along and off Wenhua West Road. The area has the energy that university districts acquire over generations, with layers of student culture accumulated since the university's 1901 founding.
In the evenings, the streets are full of students and young professionals; during the day, the campus grounds themselves are pleasant to walk. The secondhand bookshops along Wenhua West Road stock Chinese and English language books at very low prices. Eating dinner here and then walking back to the spring district along the canal paths — about 30 minutes — makes for a good evening.