Baotu Spring Park

Baotu Spring Park

Baotu Spring is located in the center of downtown Jinan, Shandong Province, along Baotuquan South Road and Luoyuan Street. It lies to the south of Thousand Buddha Mountain, to the east of Quancheng Square, and to the north of Daming Lake. Ranking first among the seventy-two famous springs of Jinan, it is hailed as the “Number One Spring Under Heaven” and is also the earliest recorded famous spring in ancient literature. Baotu Spring is the symbol and emblem of Spring City Jinan, and together with Thousand Buddha Mountain and Daming Lake, it is known as one of Jinan’s three major scenic spots. It has been successively rated as one of China’s Top Ten Outstanding Gardens, a “Top Ten” Park, and a National 4A-level Tourist Attraction.

The waters of Baotu Spring gush out from three outlets day and night, sometimes reaching several feet in height during peak flow. The term “Baotu” means leaping and surging, reflecting the characteristic of the spring’s three caverns bursting forth ceaselessly. At the same time, “Baotu” mimics the bubbling sound of the spring as it erupts — a truly ingenious touch. The renowned literary figure Pu Songling described Baotu Spring as “the foremost famous spring under heaven and the peerless scenic marvel of Qi.” When Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty traveled south, he visited Baotu Spring, and in his excitement, inscribed the two characters “激湍” (Gushing Rapids) and proclaimed it the “Number One Spring Under Heaven.”

Baotu Spring is the main attraction in the park. The spring pool is 30 meters long from east to west and 20 meters wide from north to south. The spring water gushes up from the ground through three outlets, crystal clear and pure. The spring is surrounded by large stone slabs and fenced with railings, allowing visitors to look down and admire the spectacular sight of the three springs erupting. Nearby Baotu Spring, there are more than thirty other famous springs scattered about, including Golden Thread Spring, Shuyu Spring, Xibei Spring, Willow Catkin Spring, Huanghua Spring, Du Kang Spring, and Bailong Spring, forming the Baotu Spring Group. Of particular note is the grand and luxurious southern gate of Baotu Spring Park. The plaque above the gate, inscribed with the characters “Baotu Spring” in gold on a blue background, was handwritten by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty and is hailed as the “Number One Gate of Chinese Gardens.”

Today, to the north of Baotu Spring stands the Song Dynasty structure “Luoyuan Hall,” with couplets hanging from the pillars on both sides of the hall that read: “Clouds and mist nourish Huabuzhu, waves resound to shake Daming Lake.” To the southwest is the Ming Dynasty structure “Guanlan Pavilion,” in front of which stands a stone tablet inscribed with the three characters “Baotu Spring,” written by the Ming Dynasty calligrapher Hu Zuanzong. To the east of the pool is the “Laihe Bridge,” at the southern end of which rises an old-fashioned wooden memorial archway bearing the inscriptions “Cave Paradise” and “Traces of Penglai.” Goldfish can be raised in the spring pool, with some growing over three feet in length.

The spring water of Baotu Spring gushes from underground limestone karst caves, with a maximum daily discharge of up to 240,000 cubic meters and a surface elevation of up to 26.49 meters. The water is crystal clear, pure and sweet, with extremely low bacterial content. Laboratory tests confirm that it meets national drinking water standards, making it an ideal natural source of drinking water that can be consumed directly. Legend has it that when Emperor Qianlong traveled to the south of the Yangtze River, he initially brought with him the jade spring water of Beijing, but after tasting Baotu Spring water in Jinan, he immediately switched to bringing Baotu Spring water instead.

Address: No. 1 Baotuquan South Road, Lixia District, Jinan City (near Communist Youth League Road)

Guoli Town:     Guoli Town is located in the southwestern part of Zoucheng City, at the junction of Zoucheng, Tengzhou, and Weishan counties and cities. It boasts a rich cultural heritage and a long history, and is the hometown of the famous physician Wang Shuhe and Wang Can, one of the “Seven Scholars of Jian’an.” The town contains key cultural heritage sites such as the Fuxi Temple Ruins, the Tomb of Liu Bao, the General of the Western Jin Dynasty’s Anbei Command, and the Tomb of General Wulindada. The town covers an area of 85.9 square kilometers, with a population of 46,857, and administers 6 management areas and 39 villages.

Social development is progressing steadily. The education sector remains consistently strong, earning the town a reputation as a “Number One Scholar Town”; the health sector is developing...   More detailed information about Guoli Town++