Baotu Spring (趵突泉)

Baotu Spring (Baotuquan) is a park at Baotu Spring South Road in the Lixia District of Jinan, Shandong, China, centred on the spring known as the First Spring under Heaven. Jinan is called the City of Springs, and this is its emblem: groundwater rises through three vents in a clear pool, bubbling up to a height that varies with rainfall. Records of the spring go back around 3,500 years. The park layout is classical, with carp ponds, stone bridges, pavilions, willows and lanes that link a series of smaller springs, among them the Golden Thread Spring and the Pearl Spring. The Li Qingzhao Memorial Hall commemorates the Song dynasty poetess born in Jinan, and includes a courtyard, calligraphy displays and a reconstruction of a scholar's study. Tea houses beside the water let visitors taste tea brewed with spring water. Visitors typically spend about one and a half to two hours. Early morning is the quietest time and the mist over the water is atmospheric; by late morning the park fills with tour groups and school outings. Spring, after seasonal rains, is often cited for stronger flow, and in winter the warmer water can steam in the cold air, creating misty photographs. Best photographic spots are the main pool with its stone railing, the bridge views of the koi ponds, and the lanes of Wanzhu Spring. The park is a five-minute walk from Quancheng Square on Metro Line 1, close to Jinan's old town, and it links easily with Black Tiger Spring and Daming Lake on foot or by short ride.