Baotu Spring

Jinan is called the city of springs because groundwater from the Taishan massif rises through limestone under it in more than seventy named springs, and Baotu is the most famous, three jets bubbling up in a rectangular stone pool at a rate that historically threw water half a metre into the air. The Qianlong Emperor named it the first spring under heaven. The pool sits in a classical garden with pavilions, teahouses and a temple, and the water is clear and constant at around eighteen degrees. Over-extraction of groundwater caused the springs to stop entirely for periods in the 1990s and 2000s, and flow is now managed by controlling city water use.

History

The spring has been dated back more than 3,500 years, to the Shang dynasty, and is mentioned in the Spring and Autumn Annals, one of the Five Classics; the geographer Li Daoyuan described it in the Northern Wei dynasty as water gushing like a wheel, when it fed the ancient Luo River. Its present name, for the gushing water, dates from the Song dynasty - before that it was called Baoliu or Lanquan - the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty declared it the first spring under heaven, and the park around it and its neighbouring springs was created in 1956 (Wikipedia, Baotu Spring).

What you'll find

• The three jets - the spring rising in the stone pool.
• The garden setting - pavilions, willows and teahouses around the water.
• The other springs - Black Tiger, Pearl and others across the city.
• The clear water - constant temperature and visibility in the pools.

When to go

April to June and September to November; the springs run strongest after wet periods and can weaken in drought. Summer is hot and humid. Weekends and holidays bring crowds to a small garden.

Before you go

Flow depends on the water table and has stopped in dry years, sometimes for months. The garden is small and busy. Entry is charged for what amounts to a park with a spring.

Nearby

Daming Lake lies north; Mount Tai is south of the city.

Key facts