Mirror of Heaven Spring

Mirror of Heaven Spring

Mirror of Heaven Spring (Jiangjia Pond) is located on the west side inside the south gate of Wulongtan Park. In the Qing Dynasty, Hao Zhigong included the “Mirror of Heaven Spring” in his “Record of Seventy-Two Springs.” The spring pool measures 14.5 meters in length, 13.6 meters in width, and 1.4 meters in depth, making it the second largest spring in the Wulongtan spring group. Its maximum daily water discharge is 15,500 cubic meters. During the high-water season, the spring flows vigorously, with crystal-clear water that allows one to see the bottom. Fish swim up and down as if in a glassy pool, while the reflections of the sun, moon, stars, and clouds on the water surface resemble a heavenly mirror hanging above—hence the name “Mirror of Heaven Spring.” In the Ming Dynasty, Jiang Jun (a native of Licheng, who passed the imperial examination as a juren in the 14th year of the Zhengde era and later served as Deputy Surveillance Commissioner of Shaanxi), was a sixth-generation descendant of Jiang Hu (a native of Zaoqiang), who settled in Jinan by the spring. As a result, it became commonly known as “Jiangjia Pond.” During the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Heming (formerly the magistrate of Licheng County), who served as Deputy Surveillance Commissioner of the Shandong Circuit Intendant, renamed it “Mirror of Heaven Spring” due to the mirror-like surface of the water. However, people still commonly referred to it as Jiangjia Pond. Liu Chi of the Ming Dynasty recorded in his “Licheng Annals”: “The Mirror of Heaven Spring... was formerly called Jiangjia Pond. It was renamed ‘Mirror of Heaven’ by the provincial governor Zhang Yuanping (i.e., Zhang Heming), and the spring is delightfully clear.” The “Jinan Prefecture Records” from the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty further noted: “The Mirror of Heaven Spring... also known as Jiangjia Pond, covers an area of about one mu and is teeming with fish!” It rarely dries up, and strings of bubbles rise from the bottom of the pool, bursting on the surface to form beautiful ripples. Green algae float in the water while fish dart back and forth like shuttles. Many of the fish in the pond were released there by people, which is why it is also called the “Fish Release Pond.” On the eve of liberation, social unrest greatly reduced the fish population. After 1956, the fish in the pond were moved to the Golden Thread Spring and Screw Spring in Baotu Spring Park.