Jinan: the city of sacred springs

Known for centuries as the 'city of springs' for its seventy-two natural water fountains, Jinan remains a historic cultural center of Shandong.

The center, celebrated for its springs considered sacred, can be comfortably visited on foot.

The Baotu Spring, the most celebrated of the seventy-two city springs, has bubbled forth uninterruptedly for over two thousand years and is considered the first among China's springs.

A few steps away, Daming Lake, fed entirely by the city springs, hosts traditional pavilions and gardens along its shores.

Continuing you visit the Shandong Museum, which displays archaeological remains from the province dating back to the Neolithic period.

As evening approaches, the Furong Street quarter, with its traditional houses overlooking canals fed by the springs, comes alive with shops and local restaurants.

Jinan officially counts seventy-two natural springs recognized within its urban boundaries, a rare geological phenomenon that made the city a vacation destination as far back as the Song dynasty.

The Baotu Spring was celebrated in antiquity by Chinese poets and calligraphers, who described it as the purest spring under heaven in texts dating back more than a thousand years, a title the city proudly claims to this day.