Baotu Spring Group and Its Garden Architecture

Baotu Spring Group and Its Garden Architecture

The Baotu Spring Group and Its Garden Architecture are designated as a Cultural Relics Protection Unit of Shandong Province.

The Baotu Spring Group and Its Garden Architecture are located in Baotu Spring Subdistrict, Lixia District, Jinan City, dating back to the Ming, Qing, and Republic of China periods.

Baotu Spring boasts a long history and rich cultural significance. According to historical records, in the 18th year of Duke Huan’s reign (694 BC), “the Duke met the Marquis of Qi at Luo,” with “Luo” referring to Baotu Spring. The Northern Wei Dynasty’s Li Daoyuan wrote in his Commentary on the Water Classic: “The Luo River water originates southwest of the old city of Licheng, where springs gush upward, surging like a wheel.” Zeng Gong, one of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song dynasties, was the first to name the spring Baotu Spring, which is also known as “Kan Spring,” “E’ying Water,” “Hot Spring,” and “Three Springs.” The term “Baotu” means leaping and surging, reflecting the spring’s characteristic of gushing forth from three openings without ceasing. For thousands of years, the endlessly magical and poetically enchanting Baotu Spring has captivated countless notable figures. Literary masters such as Zeng Gong and Su Shi of the Song Dynasty, Yuan Haowen of the Jin Dynasty, Zhao Mengfu of the Yuan Dynasty, Wang Shouren of the Ming Dynasty, and Wang Shizhen, Pu Songling, and He Shaoji of the Qing Dynasty all composed celebrated verses about the spring. Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty also inscribed poems and erected stone tablets by the spring, praising this famous landmark. Qianlong even bestowed the imperial title “Number One Spring Under Heaven” upon Baotu Spring.

On October 10, 2013, the Baotu Spring Group and Its Garden Architecture were announced by the People’s Government of Shandong Province as part of the fourth batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units in Shandong Province.

Baotu Spring Subdistrict: The Baotu Spring Subdistrict Office is located in the city center. It was established in December 1962 and named after the famous Baotu Spring within its jurisdiction. It stretches from Huan Cheng Park in the north to the Municipal Party School, South Suburb Guesthouse, and Shandong Building in the south, from Chaoshan Street and Shungeng Road in the east to Nanxin Street, connecting with the central urban area in the west, covering a total area of 1.64 square kilometers. It governs 4 community neighborhood committees, with 10,385 households and a total population of 42,631. The birth rate is 4.8‰, and the natural growth rate is 0.51‰. The subdistrict hosts over 600 central, provincial, and municipal government offices, colleges and universities, enterprises, and institutions.

Within the jurisdiction... Detailed information about Baotu Spring Subdistrict++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units