When Jinan is mentioned, most young Chinese people immediately think of Baotu Spring, an article commonly studied in elementary school. Written by Lao She, a renowned modern Chinese writer, the essay begins with the sentence, “One-thousand Buddha Mountain, Daming Lake, and Baotu Spring are the three most desirable tourist destinations in Jinan.” Lao She, a Beijing native, went to Jinan to teach at the Qilu University in 1930. Later, he produced a wealth of prose about the city, which still today serves as the city’s most effective advertisement.

In one of his famous works, The Winter of Jinan, the writer wrote, “Sitting among mountains and rivers, the time-honored city bathes under sunshine and sleeps comfortably.” Eighty years later, his words still infatuate potential tourists, enticing many of them to visit the city to see for themselves. 

A Spring City

Capital of Shandong Province, Jinan boasts a healthy history. Emperor Shun, a legendary leader in ancient China, is thought to have lived in this city. As early as 2,100 years ago, Jinan already had its current name from its location just south of the Jishui River. Along with the changing route of the ancient Yellow River, Jishui River has disappeared completely on today’s maps. However, tourists in Shandong can still find city names related to the water, such as Jining and Jiyuan.

Due to climate and geographic reasons, the majority of cities in northern China are arid with little precipitation. Even in urban landscaping, aquatic elements are seldom used. In terms of both aquatic charm and waterscape, northern cities are normally bested by their southern counterparts. For thousands of years, northern residents spared no efforts in digging water channels, but these man-made projects are undoubtedly inferior to the natural irrigation of the south.

But Jinan is different from many of her northern sisters. It boasts a large number of rivers, and the Yellow and Xiaoqing Rivers, two major aquatic arteries, flow through the city. As the Yellow River’s last major city stop before reaching the sea, Jinan draws great influence from the Yellow River in terms of geography, economy, and culture.

However, Jinan’s springs are even more well-known. Perhaps because of the elementary school reading, most Chinese people will immediately think of Baotu Spring when speaking of the city. Baotu Spring, celebrated by some as the “No.1 Spring under Heaven,” is also the earliest Jinan artesian spring recorded in ancient literature. In 2002, archaeologists found mentions of Baotu Spring on ancient inscriptions on animal bones and tortoise shells unearthed in Anyang, Henan Province, which date back to 3,543 years ago. Actually, Baotu Spring is among the 72 named artesian springs in downtown Jinan. The city is blessed with more than 700 springs, a rarity in the world.

Before dawn at Heihu (Black Tiger) Spring in downtown Jinan, visitors can already see a large number of residents taking barrels and buckets to fetch water for daily use.