Baotu Spring Scenic Area

Baotu Spring Scenic Area

The Baotu Spring Scenic Area is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Baotu Spring Scenic Area is located in the city center of Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. It boasts a prime location and convenient transportation. The area consists of “one river (the Moat), one lake (Daming Lake), three spring clusters (Baotu Spring, Black Tiger Spring, and Five Dragon Pool spring groups), and four parks (Baotu Spring Park, City Moat Park, Five Dragon Pool Park, and Daming Lake Scenic Area).” It is a premium tourist destination that combines unique natural landscapes with profound historical and cultural heritage. Covering a total area of 3.1 square kilometers, it is a national key park, a national advanced unit in spiritual civilization construction, and a provincial-level scenic area.

Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province, is known as the “City of Springs” due to its numerous springs. The Baotu Spring Scenic Area is situated in the city center of Jinan and consists of “one river (the Moat), one lake (Daming Lake), three spring clusters (Baotu Spring, Black Tiger Spring, and Five Dragon Pool spring groups), and four parks (Baotu Spring Park, City Moat Park, Five Dragon Pool Park, and Daming Lake Scenic Area).” The area centers around Baotu Spring, renowned as the “Number One Spring Under Heaven.” Springs form streams, which then converge into a lake, all coexisting with the ancient city. Springs, streams, lakes, and the city blend seamlessly, showcasing the area’s distinctive spring-fed water scenery.

The area gathers 71 famous springs from Jinan’s most celebrated spring clusters—Baotu Spring, Black Tiger Spring, and Five Dragon Pool—boasting the greatest number, most beautiful forms, finest water quality, richest historical and cultural significance, and highest scientific research value in the world. Covering a total area of 3.1 square kilometers, it is a national key park, a national advanced unit in spiritual civilization construction, a provincial-level scenic area, and Jinan’s first national 5A-level tourist attraction.

Baotu Spring Park is named after Baotu Spring. As the core component of the 5A-level Baotu Spring Scenic Area, it is located in the bustling central section of Luoyuan Street in downtown Jinan. To the south lies Thousand Buddha Mountain, to the north is Daming Lake, and to the east is connected to Quancheng Square. The Baotu Spring within the park has become the symbol of “Spring City” Jinan and is ranked first among the “Three Major Scenic Spots of Jinan,” alongside Daming Lake and Thousand Buddha Mountain.

Baotu Spring Scenic Area

Baotu Spring Scenic Area

Baotu Spring has a long history and profound cultural heritage. Historical records indicate that in the 18th year of Duke Huan of Lu (694 BC), “the Duke met with the Marquis of Qi at Luo,” where “Luo” refers to Baotu Spring. The Northern Wei Dynasty’s Li Daoyuan wrote in his Commentary on the Water Classic: “The Luo River originates southwest of the ancient city of Licheng, with springs gushing upward, the water 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. It is also known as “Jian Spring,” “E’ying Water,” “Hot Spring,” and “Three-Sprout Water.” The term “Baotu” means leaping and surging, reflecting the spring’s characteristic of gushing forcefully from three openings. For centuries, the magical and poetic 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 poetic tributes to the spring. Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong also inscribed poems and carved stones by the spring, praising this famous spring. Qianlong even bestowed the title “Number One Spring Under Heaven” upon Baotu Spring.

Baotu Spring Scenic Area

Baotu Spring Scenic Area

Baotu Spring Scenic Area

Baotu Spring Scenic Area

Baotu Spring Scenic Area

Baotu Spring Scenic Area

Baotu Spring Scenic Area

Baotu Spring Scenic Area

Baotu Spring Scenic Area

Daming Lake is one of Jinan’s Three Major Scenic Spots. It is a natural lake, first mentioned over 1,400 years ago in the Commentary on the Water Classic by Northern Wei’s Li Daoyuan. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it was called “Lishui Pond” or “Lotus Lake,” known as “West Lake” in the Song Dynasty, and referred to as “Daming Lake” in the Jin Dynasty. Its waters come from Pearl Spring, Zhuoying Spring, and Furong Spring, hence the saying “springs converge here.” One of its great features is that “it never floods despite constant rain, nor dries up during prolonged droughts,” and it also holds the natural ecological mystery of “no snakes seen, no frogs heard.”

Today’s Daming Lake is located in Jinan’s old city area, covering a park area of 86 hectares with a lake surface of 46 hectares and an average depth of 2 meters. “Lotus flowers on four sides, willows on three, a city of mountains mirrored in half a lake of water” describes its scenic charm. The lake teems with birds and fish, with painted pleasure boats gliding across, while the shores are lined with blooming flowers and throngs of visitors. Nearby are numerous historic sites, including Lizhuting Pavilion, Tie Gong Shrine, Nanfeng Shrine, Huibo Tower, Beiji Temple, and Xiahua Garden. Among them, Lizhuting Pavilion and Tie Gong Shrine are municipal-level cultural heritage protection units.

Beiji Pavilion is located on the north shore of Daming Lake, also known as Beiji Temple or Zhenwu Temple, and is a Taoist shrine. Built in 1280 during the Yuan Dynasty (the 17th year of the Zhiyuan era), it was renovated during the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty. The temple is built on a stone platform over 7 meters high, consisting of front and rear halls, bell and drum towers, and east and west wing rooms. The main hall houses the statue of Zhenwu, the Water God of the North, flanked by statues of the Turtle and Snake Generals and the Four Heavenly Lords, all vividly crafted with expressive features. The walls on both sides of the main hall feature murals depicting the legend of Zhenwu’s ascension to immortality, showcasing exceptional artistic value. The rear hall, called Qisheng Hall, enshrines the statues of Zhenwu’s parents.

Tie Gong Shrine is situated at the west end of the north shore of Daming Lake. Constructed in 1792 during the Qing Dynasty (the 57th year of Qianlong’s reign), it was built to commemorate Tie Xuan, a Ming Dynasty military minister and Shandong provincial administrator. During the reign of Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty, when Prince Yan (Zhu Di) marched south to seize power and attacked Jinan, Tie Xuan led the military and civilians in a steadfast defense, repeatedly repelling the prince. After Zhu Di captured Nanjing and declared himself emperor, Tie Xuan was eventually captured and sacrificed due to insufficient troops. Later generations revered his heroism and established the shrine in his honor. The Tie Gong Shrine is a traditional Chinese-style courtyard covering over 6,000 square meters, consisting of winding corridors, a three-room ancestral hall, and a “Lake and Mountain Panorama Tower.” The garden is shaded by weeping willows and draped in creeping vines, with a serene and expansive environment outside the courtyard—south facing the lake and north backed by dense pine woods. The architecture is simple and elegant, with the Little Canglang Pavilion being particularly charming.

City Moat Park was completed in October 1986. Stretching 6.2 kilometers with an area of 40.7 hectares, it follows the moat of Jinan’s old city. Centered around the green ribbon of water, it connects Black Tiger Spring, Baotu Spring, Pearl Spring, Five Dragon Pool, and Daming Lake, forming a uniquely distinctive lakeside, mountainous, and spring-filled garden hub.

The park mainly consists of three parts: the eastern section of the moat, featuring the Four Seasons Garden with plant landscapes divided into spring, summer, autumn, and winter zones; the western section of the moat, where the southern part is the “May Third” Flower Memorial Garden and the northern part is the Spring Creek Water Scenic Garden; and the eastern section of the southern moat, which is the Spring and Stone Garden centered around Black Tiger Spring.

The Liberation Memorial Pavilion is located at the southeast corner of City Moat Park, facing the renowned Black Tiger Spring across the river. Built in 1965, it features the three large characters “Liberation Pavilion” inscribed by Marshal Chen Yi, gilded and embedded in the southern side of the pedestal. The pavilion was rebuilt in May 1985. Black Tiger Spring is located in the eastern section of the southern moat of City Moat Park. Established in 1965, it is the 33rd of Jinan’s 72 Famous Springs. Its water yield is second only to Baotu Spring, ranking second among Jinan’s springs. The Black Tiger Spring cluster includes 15 spring pools and is the largest in water flow among Jinan’s four major spring clusters. When the water level reaches 28 meters each year, the gushing springs captivate visitors.

Jinan Five Dragon Pool Park is located outside the west gate of Jinan’s old city, north of Luoyuan Bridge, and is named after the Five Dragon Pool within. Covering an area of 5.44 hectares, including a water surface of 0.8 hectares, it is a garden water scenic area characterized by its rustic and unspoiled charm, formed by pools, ponds, streams, and inlets.

The Five Dragon Pool spring system is recognized as the best in water quality among Jinan’s four famous spring clusters. Some springs gush from the bottom of the pool, forming strings of pearls like the Ancient Hot Spring, Dongliu Spring, Huima Spring, and Lian Spring. Others surge from spring eyes as wide as bowls, splashing water droplets like Baotu, such as Yu Spring, Qing Spring, and Tanxi Spring. Some overflow from crevices along the pool edges, cascading into clear streams like Gongjia Pool and Quxi Spring. There are also springs like Tianjing Spring, described as “a thousand pearls gushing from the earth, a single mirror-like lake above,” and Mizhi Spring, known for its “delicious taste like malt sugar, a sip akin to heavenly nectar.” Other notable springs include Xianqing Spring, Binxibo Spring, Qingming Spring, and Qishisan Spring. Jinan Five Dragon Pool Park is located outside the west gate of Jinan’s old city, north of Luoyuan Bridge, and is named after the Five Dragon Pool within. The Five Dragon Pool is one of the “Seventy-Two Famous Springs of Jinan” recorded in the Jin Dynasty’s Inscription of Famous Springs, then called “Huwan Spring.” Historical records indicate that during the Six Dynasties period, it was called “Jingchi” (Northern Wei · Li Daoyuan: Commentary on the Water Classic), and in the Song Dynasty, it was known as “Siwang Lake,” as part of the ancient Daming Lake. According to the Commentary on the Water Classic, this body of water existed before the Northern Wei Dynasty, known as Jingchi, a corner of Daming Lake. Legend has it that the Five Dragon Pool was once unfathomably deep, and prayers for rain during droughts were answered, leading to the construction of a Five Dragon God Temple by the pool during the Yuan Dynasty, with statues of the Five Dragon Deities enshrined inside. Since then, it has been called Five Dragon Pool.

Inside the Five Dragon Pool and nearby are 28 famous springs, including Tianjing Spring (Jiangjia Pool), Qishisan Spring, Tanxi Spring, Ancient Hot Spring (Hot Spring), Xuanqing Spring (Xianqing Spring), Jing Spring, Li Spring, Xixin Spring, Huima Spring, Jingshui Spring, Lian Spring, Ximi Zhi Spring, Dongmi Zhi Spring, Yueya Spring, Jing Spring, Luoxi Spring, Quxi Spring, Jin Spring, Yuhong Spring, Dongliu Spring, Beixibo Spring, Xianming Spring, Qingming Spring, Congming Spring, forming the Five Dragon Pool spring group.

The ancient hot spring is located southeast of Wulongtan and is named for its high water temperature and long history. Even in the depths of winter, when heavy snow falls, steam rises from the spring.

The Hanging Clear Spring, also known as Xianqing Spring, is situated north of Wulongtan. The spring pool is 2.4 meters deep, irregularly shaped, and edged with natural stones. The water is crystal clear, shaded by weeping willows, creating a pleasant scenery. Shen Tingfang of the Qing Dynasty wrote in "A Brief Record of Xianqing Garden": "Jinan’s famous springs are the best under heaven. It is traditionally said there are seventy-two, among which the most renowned are Baotu Spring and Pearl Spring. Yet Xianqing Spring truly embodies the essence of these two springs, though in a more subtle way." During the Qing Dynasty, an exquisite waterside garden called Langyuan was built by the Hanging Clear Spring but later fell into disuse. On its former site, the Lanhong Pavilion was constructed, which also offers splendid views.

The Heavenly Mirror Spring, also known as Jiangjia Pool, is located at the southern end of Wulongtan. It is named for its clear and bright water, in which the sun, moon, stars, and clouds are reflected on the surface like a mirror hanging in the sky. The Qing Dynasty's "Jinan Prefecture Records" state: "The Heavenly Mirror Spring is Jiangjia Pool, one mu in size, so clear that one can see their own facial features." It is the second largest spring in the Wulongtan spring group, with a strong flow of water. Green algae float on the surface, and colorful fish swim through, making for a beautiful sight.

The Seventy-Three Spring is located beneath a grape trellis on the southwest side of Wulongtan. The spring pool is edged with natural stones, delicate and unique. The water flows from crevices in the rocks and converges into Wulongtan. The emergence of the Seventy-Three Spring has an interesting backstory: In the 56th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, the renowned scholar Gui Fu commissioned the construction of the West Pond Retreat west of Wulongtan. Unexpectedly, while digging the foundation, a spring eye was discovered, gushing out with vigorous flow. Gui Fu was overjoyed and hosted a grand banquet, asking his guests to name the new spring. Suggestions were many, but none were satisfactory. Finally, Gui Fu had a flash of inspiration and named it the "Seventy-Three Spring." Everyone praised the name as ingenious, and Gui Fu even composed a poem: "Famed are seventy-two springs, yet Wulongtan is not among them. Toiling the arithmetician, I add a seventy-third." The Wulongtan pool is 70 meters long, 5 meters wide, over 4 meters deep, with an overflow elevation of 25.80 meters. Its daily water usage ranges from 8,600 to 43,000 cubic meters, ranking third among the "Four Major Spring Groups." The pool water is formed by the convergence of five spring outlets, flowing into the North Moat and eventually into the Xiaoqing River.

The area around Wulongtan boasts stunning scenery. In 1985, it was developed into Wulongtan Park, which has now become a major scenic attraction in Jinan.

Address: Central area of Jinan

Business hours: 24 hours

Suggested visiting time: Approximately 8 hours

Information source: Shandong Provincial Tourism Development Commission