Black Tiger Spring

Black Tiger Spring

Black Tiger Spring is a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

Located southeast of the old city area, it gets its name from the three stone-carved tiger heads on the southern wall of the spring pool, from whose mouths the water flows. The spring water strikes the stone pillars with a sound like a tiger’s roar. Black Tiger Spring: situated on Heihuquan East Road in Jinan. Its name predates the Jin Dynasty. The spring originates from a deep cave beneath a cliff, gushing out through three tiger heads with surging waves and roaring sounds. Nearby, there are fourteen renowned springs including Pipa Spring, Golden Tiger Spring, Hui Bo Spring, Stream Middle Spring, Agate Spring, and Nine Fairies Spring, forming the Heihuquan Spring Group. Jiunv Spring (Nine Fairies Spring) is clear and cool. Legend has it that on moonlit, breezy nights, nine fairies would gather here to bathe and wash silk. The spring group features rockeries, platforms, winding corridors, and shaded paths, offering a serene retreat in summer with birdsong and cicadas, making it a popular spot for visitors to enjoy the scenery.

Black Tiger Spring is one of Jinan’s “Seventy-Two Famous Springs,” recorded in the Jin Dynasty’s “Famous Springs Stele,” the Ming Dynasty’s Yan Bi’s “Poems of Seventy-Two Springs,” and the Qing Dynasty’s Hao Zhi Gong’s “Records of Seventy-Two Springs.” It ranks first among the “Heihuquan Spring Group.” Situated on the south bank of the moat along Heihuquan Road in the southern section of downtown Jinan’s Ring Park, it lies near Daming Lake, known as “the finest lake under heaven.” It earned its name from its sound and appearance. The spring source is located in a deep, natural cave beneath a cliff, measuring 3 meters in depth, 2 meters in height, and 1.7 meters in width. The water is crystal clear and icy cold. The cave entrance is built with bluestone, inside which lies a large, coiled rock covered in moss, resembling a hidden tiger. Water surges from beneath the rock, crashing against the stones with a thunderous roar. On cold, windy nights, the howling wind echoes through the cracks, mimicking a tiger’s growl—hence the name. A poem describes it: “Stone coils in the watery depths, dark and deep / Like a black tiger lurking where shadows sleep. / When northern winds blow through cracks at night / A startling roar echoes, stars lose their light.” Black Tiger Spring has a maximum daily discharge of about 41,000 cubic meters, second only to Baotu Spring in Jinan. The water emerges through a hidden passage from the cave and gushes from the mouths of three 27.88-meter-high stone-carved animal heads, resembling a waterfall, before cascading into a 13-meter-long, 9-meter-wide stone square pool. The animal is named Baxia, said to be the sixth son of the Dragon King, fond of water and often found near it. In the late Qing Dynasty, there was only one stone head; three were added during a 1931 restoration. The inner spring water is mirror-clear, and to the north of the pool is a sluice gate at an elevation of 6.93 meters, where overflow forms a curtain-like flow into the moat. Among Jinan’s springs, Black Tiger Spring is the most majestic. Enormous water jets from the three carved tiger heads, creating dazzling white splashes that leave onlookers in awe. At night, the distant sound resembles a tiger’s roar. During the Ming Dynasty’s Jiajing era, a Black Tiger Temple once stood above the cave, surrounded by lush flowers and trees. Today, a new courtyard has been built at the temple’s former site, featuring a moon gate and tea pavilion to the east, winding corridors and small pavilions to the west, and layered rockeries with meandering caves—quiet, elegant, and perfect for enjoying the springs and scenery. In the past, the spring’s roaring waters were vividly described by Ming Dynasty’s Liu Chi: “The spring bursts forth, cascading with mighty force, surging in countless forms—floating like snow, breaking like mist, dripping like streams, hanging like curtains, pooling in a round basin called Taiji. In the pool stands a massive rock; as water strikes stone, pearls and jade shatter, swirling in dance, the sound like the battle of Kunyang and Julu, with thousands beating drums and jars…” Even today, during peak water seasons, its power remains undiminished. Black Tiger Spring ranks second in Jinan for water volume, its water gushing from the carved tiger heads like a waterfall, embodying the idea of a “hanging river within the mouth,” and was listed among the Seventy-Two Famous Springs of the Jin, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Located at the eastern end of the southern moat, beneath steep cliffs, it faces the Liberation Tower. Recorded in the Jin Dynasty’s “Famous Springs Stele,” the Ming Dynasty’s “Poems of Seventy-Two Springs,” and the Qing Dynasty’s “Records of Seventy-Two Springs,” the spring is a natural cave, 2 meters high, 3 meters deep, and 1.7 meters wide. The cave entrance is built with bluestone, adorned with delicate rocks above, rugged stones below, and elegant stones on either side. From afar, it resembles a tiger roaring to the sky. The spring’s water volume is second only to Baotu Spring in Jinan, with a maximum daily discharge of about 41,000 cubic meters. The water gushes from the carved tiger heads like a waterfall, embodying the idea of a “hanging river within the mouth,” then flows into a 13-meter-long, 9-meter-wide stone square pool. The pool’s water is clear, with green algae floating. To the north is a sluice gate, where overflow forms a curtain flowing into the moat. The water surges from beneath the rocks, crashing with a rugged roar, amplified by the howling northern winds at night, echoing like a tiger’s growl—hence the name. Black Tiger Spring lies east of Quancheng Square, nestled among green trees, connected to the old city’s moat to the east and facing the Liberation Tower across the way. Water jets from the three tiger heads, reaching over a meter high, crystal clear and refreshing, giving a cooling sensation. Above the tiger heads is a small pool within a stone-wall niche, untouched by human hands. Many gather here to collect spring water. Drawn in, we used mineral water bottles to fill up, finishing the water in just a few gulps. Though flavorless, the coolness was invigorating. In the past, beneath the steep cliff was a deep, concave cave, with dark, verdant boulders in front. A Ming Dynasty poem, “Black Tiger Spring among Jinan’s Seventy-Two Springs,” vividly captured its sound and appearance: “Stone coils in the watery depths, dark and deep / Like a black tiger lurking where shadows sleep; / When northern winds blow through cracks at night / A startling roar echoes, stars lose their light.” The spring is named for its unique sound and presence. Clear spring water flows through the three carved tiger heads into the square pool, then into the moat, forming a waterfall. Today, Black Tiger Spring is a highlight of Jinan’s “Ring Park,” complementing the Liberation Tower. In the golden autumn of 1991, two giant tigers—one bronze, one stone—were added east of the spring, rearing up as if descending a mountain, adding to its majestic charm. Visitors from home and abroad flock here.

Travel Tips

In downtown Jinan, take bus routes 5, 14, 36, or K91 and get off at Heihuquan Station.

In downtown Jinan, take bus routes 5, 14, 36, or K91 and get off at Heihuquan Station.

Transportation

Take bus routes 44, 49, K52, K54, 65, 65 Interval, 70, 80, 89, K96, or 102 and get off at Luoyuan Street Station; or take routes 5, 14, 36, 70, or 101 and get off at Heihuquan North Road Station.

Boat Tour:

Heihuquan–Baotu Spring Scenic Area

Boat Route: Heihuquan Dock–Quancheng Square Dock–Baotu Spring Dock. You may board or disembark at any stop, with tickets available at each.

Fare: 10 RMB per person per stop, 100 RMB for the full route, free for children under 1.2 meters.

Scenery Along the Route: The route features densely clustered springs in beautiful surroundings, including White Stone Spring, Jiunv Spring, Heihuquan, Pipa Spring, Wulian Spring, Yihu Spring, Jinhu Spring, Duibo Spring, and Hui Bo Spring. Along the north bank, you can see large purple copper relief murals titled “E’ying’s Eternal Waters” and pass by Quancheng Square.

Admission

Free

Opening Hours

Open all day

Bao Tu Qu Subdistrict: Bao Tu Qu Subdistrict Office is located in the city center. Established in December 1962, it is named after the famous Baotu Spring within its jurisdiction. It stretches north to Ring Park, south to the Municipal Party School, Nanyuan Guesthouse, and Shandong Building, east to Chaoshan Street and Shungeng Road, and west to Nanxin Street, connecting to the downtown area. Covering a total area of 1.64 square kilometers, it governs four community committees, 10,385 households, and a population of 42,631, with a birth rate of 4.8‰ and a natural growth rate of 0.51‰. Over 600 central, provincial, municipal government offices, colleges, universities, enterprises, and institutions are located here.

Within the jurisdiction… More details on Bao Tu Qu Subdistrict++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units