Jinan is the capital of Shandong Province and well-known in China for its natural springs but a modest tourist destination, even in its own province which also boasts the coastal city of Qingdao and Taishan, one of China’s most famous mountains. Shandong is also where the philosopher Confucius was born; his hometown Qufu is also a minor tourist attraction.
The reason I went to Jinan was that it is close to Beijing (where I was then working), just 2 hours by high-speed train; is the capital of one of China’s most ancient provinces; and has a good provincial museum. I was glad just to be able to visit Jinan since I’d never gone to Shandong before.The city’s main attractions are Baotu Spring, the provincial museum, and Daming Lake, a small lake smack in the center of the city.
Jinan’s nickname is the Spring City because of its abundance of artesian springs that come from an underground aquifer. These natural springs bring up water from the aquifer under natural pressure. The water is clean and is at a constant warm temperature, different from the hot springs found in Taiwan and Japan that are like natural saunas.
The city’s most famous historic site is Baotu Spring, which Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited and declared was the “number one spring under heaven ( 天下第一泉- Tianxia Diyi Quan)” Baotu Spring is enclosed in a garden with several traditional pavilions and is not used as a source of drinking water. There are also other springs nearby which can also be visited, but Baotu is the most well-known.
Ironically, I hadn’t wanted to visit Baotu Spring because it seemed like a big garden and not very interesting. But a terribly smoggy day meant I had to give up on going to Qianfo Shan (Thousand Buddha Hill) and instead go to Baotu Spring. It turned out I was dead wrong about the place. Baotu Spring was the most beautiful garden I’ve ever been to in China and well worth going to.
How to get there: Many buses stop by here so check online. If in doubt, just tell the bus driver or show him the Chinese name (Bàotū Quán; 趵突泉) before you get on. If you don’t speak Chinese, it’s easier to just get a taxi and show the driver the Chinese name.
First, Baotu Spring is much more than just a spring. It has an extensive collection of old pavilions, courtyards, and picturesque gardens with rock structures, clumps of bamboo and ponds. There is also a hall dedicated to a famous Song Dynasty female poet Li Qingzhao (1084-1151), who was born in Jinan. It’s actually rare to come across famous Chinese women from ancient times.
The main attraction is the actual spring, which is surrounded by halls and covered hallways. The place took me over two hours to walk around, and I only encountered the main spring when I saw a crowd of people gathered by a pool of water. That was the spring, in the center of which was foaming bubbles that was the water coming up from the underground aquifer. Every time the bubbles stopped and reappeared in a different location, the crowd got excited. It may sound ludicrous but I got a little caught up by the spring too – I walked around and took photos from all four sides.
Baotu Spring was so much fun that I even saw a little girl throw a tantrum by lying on the ground because she didn’t want to leave while her parents tried to persuade her to get up.
Poet Li Qingzhao, who lived from 1084 to 1151
The bubbling water bubbles for a minute or so, then disappears and reappears in a different position
A typical feature of Chinese tourist attractions – Chinese tourists behaving badly, in this case, climbing up to stand next to the beautiful tree (another one has done the same thing, but is kneeling down on the right).
