Tianqi Spring

Tianqi Spring

Tianqi Spring, also known as a hot spring, is located on the northern slope of Niushan Mountain and the shady side of Jiaoshan Mountain in Qiling Town, Linzi District, Zibo City, Shandong Province. It has been a very famous scenic spot since ancient times in the Qi State.

According to Records of the Grand Historian: “The Eight Deities have existed since ancient times; some say they were established since the time of Jiang Taigong... Their rituals are profound, and their origins are completely unknown.” The Eight Deities are: the first is the Heavenly Deity, worshipped at Tianqi, the waters of Tianqi Spring, located at the foot of the mountain in the southern suburbs of Linzi. This means that Tianqi Spring was the sacred site of the Heavenly Deity, one of the Eight Deities of the East. According to the Geographic and Customs Records, the state of Qi got its name from Tianqi Spring.

According to measurements taken in October 1957, the spring discharged 69,000 cubic meters of water per day. In the 1970s, due to the drying up of the upper reaches of the Zi River and years of over-extraction, Tianqi Spring stopped gushing. In the 1980s, it was destroyed due to quarrying.