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China Elevator Stories
Baotu Spring in Jinan, Shandong (China Travel)
Emperor Qianlong (1711–1799) of the Qing Dynasty bestowed the title ‘The Best Spring Under Heaven’ upon this spring.
31/03/2025
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
Address: No. 1 Baotuquan South Road, Lixia District, Jinan City, Shandong Province, China (中国山东省济南市历下区趵突泉南路1号).
While I have visited many places featuring beautiful traditional Chinese architecture, Baotu Spring Park (趵突泉公园) in Jinan, the provincial capital of Shandong, was the first temple complex I visited where ancient Chinese architecture was combined with a spring— a beautiful combination.
I traveled to Jinan from Austria, and because my flight was rather long, with two stops (one in Amsterdam and another in Guangzhou), I decided to spend the night in Jinan to get some much-needed sleep before heading to my final destination, Tai’an, a city not far from Jinan, reachable within 17 minutes by bullet train.
Before my visit, I wasn’t familiar with Shandong province at all and had never traveled through it during previous trips to China (I had mostly explored the Southwest, Southeast, Northwest, and Northeast).
Visiting this new and unfamiliar place has been a real pleasure. I was pleasantly surprised upon arrival. The locals were friendly and laid-back, and the food I enjoyed—simple and inexpensive dishes like baozi (steamed beef buns, 8 Yuan), beef noodle soup (13 Yuan) and beef dumplings (18 Yuan)—added to the overall enjoyment. I had these dishes at two of the many Hui restaurants around town, and another restaurant that was located near my hotel.
Even though Jinan is the capital of Shandong, it has a relaxed atmosphere. It’s not one of China’s “most famous provincial capitals,” and when I visited, I saw no other foreigners. While I did hear a few people point at me and call me “外国友人” (a foreign friend) or “外国人” (foreigner), it wasn’t as overwhelming as in some of the other cities I’ve visited. A few people were curious, but it wasn’t too intrusive, and I was able to remain more or less anonymous. In contrast, in Yibin, Sichuan province, I was overwhelmed by people pointing at me and shouting “外国人” at me, with many trying to stop me to talk, often in a rude manner. Compared to Yibin, Jinan was much more relaxed, and although some people seemed surprised to see a foreigner, they weren’t too disruptive or nosy.
I woke up around noon on March 29th, 2025, and made my way to Baotu Spring Park in Jinan’s Lixia district. This park is located in the city, not far from Daming Lake, which is connected to Baotu Spring Park via a canal. I later took a small boat from Baotu Spring Park to Daming Lake, which is a simple excursion that can easily be done in a day, or even half a day, if you’re not staying too far from the area. The entrance fee for Baotu Spring Park was 40 Yuan at the time of my visit, and the boat departs from a small harbor within the park.
The park has two gates: a North gate and a South gate. I entered via the South gate, while the boat harbor is near the North gate. The park features many traditional Chinese buildings, such as small wooden temples, and many Chinese families spent several hours there with their children.
Since it was a Saturday, the park was quite crowded, but I was still able to find some quieter spots. The park also has a small bamboo forest, and a boat tour can be booked within the park (if you’re willing to wait, as the boats can fill up), or you can book a seat online ahead of time (it’s best to do this a few days prior to your visit). I booked a short boat ride on the canal to Daming Lake, which cost 30 Yuan. Longer trips, costing 60 and 80 Yuan, are also available.
Though Baotu Spring Park isn’t very large, it offers a pleasant range of activities. You can stroll through the park, enjoy a special kind of local tea at Wangheting Teahouse (served cold in glass bottles and drunk from a large bowl, unlike traditional Chinese tea, which is typically hot and served in small cups), or visit a few small temples lining the streets. The bamboo forest offers a refreshing escape into the shade on hot days.
The pavilions surrounding the spring—particularly the ones next to the pond in the center of the park—are stunning, and the cool water provides a welcome respite on warm days. Although I visited in March, it was still sunny, and I could feel how the water tempered the heat.
The park also features scenes from Chinese folklore installed on the water, which children may particularly enjoy.
A few shops sell specialty items such as movable wooden figures and other local souvenirs that make for great gifts. Other stands offer drinks and sweet snacks, like ice cream and sugar figurines.
While I didn’t spot any other foreigners during my visit, the park is quite popular among young Chinese couples and families with children of all ages.
Historically, Baotu Spring has been significant in Chinese culture. It is said to date back more than 3,500 years to the Shang dynasty (16th – 11th BC) and was first mentioned in the “Spring and Autumn Annals” (春秋), one of the five Confucian classics, attributed to Confucius. Emperor Qianlong (1711–1799) of the Qing Dynasty, who visited the spring several times during his southern tours, bestowed upon it the title “The Best Spring Under Heaven.” The spring’s water was used to brew tea, and the emperor reportedly enjoyed tea made from the clean and sweet-tasting water. The teahouse still uses the spring’s water to brew tea today.
The park as it stands today was built in 1956.
Jinan is known as the “City of Springs,” with Baotu Spring being the most famous and largest of the 72 karst springs in the city.
Have you ever been to Jinan?
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