Jinan

Overview

About

Jinan, capital of Shandong, lies between the Yellow River to the north and the Taishan range to the south. Its many springs, said to number 72, earn it the name City of Springs. Its three great sights are Baotu Spring, Daming Lake and Thousand Buddha Mountain.

City sights

Baotu Spring: first-batch national key park

Daming Lake

Thousand Buddha Mountain

Five Dragon Pool: with Qin Qiong’s former home

Black Tiger Spring

Pearl Spring

Nine Points of Qi Mist: the small hills on both banks of the Yellow River north of the city

Jinniu Park: zoo

Tomb of Min Ziqian: in Baihua Park

Suburban sights

Chengziya site of the Longshan culture: Neolithic site famed for eggshell black pottery, at Longshan Subdistrict, Zhangqiu District, about 30 km east of the city

Four Gate Pagoda

Lingyan Temple: famed for its painted sculpture; “to visit Taishan without Lingyan is no visit at all”

Baimai Spring: Zhangqiu District, east of Jinan

Zhujiayu: Guanzhuang Subdistrict, Zhangqiu District, a historic village of China

Red Leaf Valley

Wildlife park

Dragon Cave

Further afield

Taishan: first of the Five Sacred Mountains, about 60 km south

Boshan: National Park of China, about 100 km east

The 72 famous springs

Jinan has been said since ancient times to have 72 famous springs, first listed on the Jin-dynasty Stele of Famous Springs; the list has changed from age to age.

The Yuan gazetteer Qicheng by Yu Qin records the springs of Lixia: Jinxian east of Baotu; Huanghua, Liuxu and Woniu east of Jinxian; Donggao and Shuyu south of it; Wuyou and Shiwan south of Baotu; Jiuquan and Zhanlu west of Wuyou; Manjing and North Zhukang north of Baotu; North Zhenzhu before the White Cloud Tower; Sanshui and Xiting east of it, Zhuoying west; Huiquan north-west of Zhuoying, the largest in the city, where all the springs from North Zhenzhu down gather over several mu, the source of Daming Lake; Zhiyu, Zhusha, Liushi, Yunlou, Dengzhou, Wangshui, Xibo, Qianjing, Mapao, Shun, Xiang, Jian, Dukang, Jinhu, Heihu, East and West Mizhi, Xiaogan, Yuhuan, Luogu, Hunsha, Huichi, South Zhenzhu, Furong, Dishui, Huiwan, Xuanqing, Shuangtao, Wen, Ru, Longmen, Ranchi, Xuan, Du, Liu, Che, Zhuzao, Lu, Baihu, Ganlu, Linji, Bai, Jinsha, Bailong, Hua, Dugu, Li, Jiangshui, South Zhukang, Kuju, Yundou, Lu and Longju; with Baotu and Baimai, 72 in all.

Four spring groups survive in the city: Baotu, Black Tiger, Pearl and Five Dragon Pool.

Five in the suburbs: Baimai (156 springs), Hongfan (37), Yongquan (115), Jiasha (60) and Yuhe (36).