White Milk Spring

White Milk Spring

Similar to the Tiger Running Spring in Hangzhou, White Milk Spring contains a variety of minerals and has extremely high surface tension. When poured into a cup, it can rise above the rim without spilling and can even float coins on its surface—an extraordinary phenomenon. The spring’s name was inscribed personally by Guo Moruo.

Backed by Jing Mountain and facing the Huai River, the spring lies east across the river from the Temple of Yu the Great and west next to Bian He Cave. To the right of the spring is the Twin Martyrs Shrine, built in memory of Song Yulin and Cheng Liang—two martyrs from Huaiyuan County among the “Seventy-two Martyrs of Huanghuagang” in the Xinhai Revolution. Above the shrine stands the Halfway Mountain Pavilion, which offers a panoramic view of downtown Huaiyuan.

Legend: Historical records say that during the Spring and Autumn Period, a man of the Chu Kingdom named Bian He found an uncut jade of immeasurable value in Jing Mountain and presented it to the Chu king. However, because the royal jade craftsmen failed to recognize its worth, Bian He was accused of deceiving the ruler and was sentenced by both King Li of Chu and King Wu of Chu to have his feet cut off. When King Wen of Chu ascended the throne, Bian He embraced the uncut jade and wept beneath Jing Mountain. Moved by his sincerity, the king ordered the jade to be cut open, eventually revealing a rare treasure in the world—the He Shi Bi jade. Legend says that White Milk Spring flows from the stone pit washed out by Bian He’s tears.

Known as the Seventh Best Spring Under Heaven, it earned its name for its milky white, sweet-tasting water, making it a rare choice for brewing tea. It is also said that a white turtle once lived in the spring during the Tang Dynasty, hence it is also called “White Turtle Spring.”