Zhuoxi Spring

Zhuoxi Spring

Zhuoxi Spring is located beneath the eastern rock face of the Thousand-Buddha Hall in the Lingyan Temple Scenic Area, Wend Town, Changqing District, Jinan. Here, springs gush forth competitively, ancient cypresses tower overhead, and numerous inscriptions adorn the area, making it one of the famous Eight Scenic Spots of Lingyan.

Legend has it that the spring was named after a high monk struck the ground with his tin staff, causing water to emerge. The water wells up from a cave at the base of the rock face, flows along a stone channel, and converges with other springs such as Baihe and Shuanghe into the Mirror Pool. Inscribed on the rocks beside the spring are Emperor Qianlong’s calligraphy of “Zhuoxi Spring” and a poem he composed in praise of the spring.

The most striking impression Zhuoxi Spring gives is one of “seclusion.” Twisting branches of yinguan trees and towering, rugged cypresses set against the crystal-clear spring water create a serene atmosphere that can cleanse the soul.

Zhuoxi Spring, Shuanghe Spring, and Baihe Spring are located close to each other, commonly referred to as the “Three Springs within Five Steps.” Among the three, Zhuoxi Spring has the most abundant flow, gushing from a cave beneath the rock face. The spring water trickles out ceaselessly throughout the year, bubbling up from between the rocks with a murmuring sound before flowing into the pool. The pool is as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the surrounding lush pines and cypresses, giving the whole garden a feeling of tranquility. The famous Lingyan scenic wonder “Spring Dawn at Mirror Pool” can be found right here.

On the rock face above the spring, the three seal-script characters “Zhuo Xi Quan” (Zhuoxi Spring), brushed in red, are engraved. The stone wall also bears inscriptions of poems about the spring by notable figures throughout history, including Emperor Qianlong’s poem “Zhuoxi Spring”: “By the spring where the staff touched earth, a pavilion stands in tranquil grace; / A thousand valleys and cliffs all lie within this wondrous place. / Most beloved is the hazy southeast, where misty visions play, / There the venerable Master Cheng often wandered with Master Lang.”