Springs bring pleasure and wealth to Jinan

Fish swim in the Baotu Spring in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province.

On a par with the rich cultural heritage established over 5,000 years are the springs, nature's generous gifts to Jinan, capital of Shandong province.

They are treasured by locals as they are regarded as the lifeblood of the city.

Jinan is blessed with a hilly area 400-500 meters higher than the city's downtown area. The geographical drop sees groundwater flow downward before gushing out at a plain where the downtown area has been built.

Although not a native, I am into the springs and understand why the locals cherish them so much. If a friend visits I take them to visit the springs.

At Baotu Spring, three torrents gush forth sending out ripples in concentric circles despite Jinan's low water levels due to a shortage of rainfall.

The photo shows the scenery of Baotu Spring in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province.

The spring presents different scenes in each of the four seasons. In autumn, water can gush as high as 10 centimeters. As the water maintains a constant temperature of 18 C throughout the year, it creates special visual effects in winter with misty vapor rising from the water.

The amazing natural phenomena have become a reference point for China's writers and artists. Couplets and poems can be seen everywhere at Baotu Spring Park. There is also a place commemorating Song Dynasty poet Li Qing-zhao (1084-1151).

Today, Baotu Spring Park tops Jinan's tourism list. Visitors can take in a Shandong opera performance and enjoy tea made with spring water.

Spring water nourishes the city and in return, the locals care about the springs. Local media publishes water conditions daily.

Tourists drink tea along the Black Tiger Spring in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province.

To limit exploitation of underground water, around 2,500 wells have been closed down and annual use has been reduced by 100 million cubic meters. Within the 2.6-square-kilometer old city limits, there are four spring clusters, Baotu Spring, Black Tiger Spring, Five Dragon Spring and Pearl Spring.

Hundreds converged to create Daming Lake, covering more than 460,000 sq km. Local government spent more than two billion yuan enlarging Daming Lake Park to 103 hectares. It's free to enjoy both the cultural and natural scenes at the park.

Yang Luyu, mayor of Jinan, said the springs are the city's "precious brand" and he will put effort into promoting it on the world stage. The city held the world's first springs festival in September and is also planning to apply for world heritage status. The fourth Jinan Spring Water Festival, held in January, attracted nearly 1,000 people from 14 countries and regions.

The 6.9-kilometer waterway connected with the Daming Lake links dozens of landmarks such as Black Tiger Spring and Jiefang Pavilion. Hundreds of pools are built along the waterway, such as Pearl Spring, Lute Spring and Crescent Spring. Willows are planted along the waterway and beside the pools.

I like to collect water from Black Tiger Spring to make tea. The 64-year-old Chen Xuguang goes to collect water at the Nine Fairies Spring every two days. "Spring water has been integrated into my life," said Chen.

Wang Li, who lives beside Qushuiting Street, collects spring water from the well in her yard. "I grew up with the spring water. I am used to cooling watermelon with spring water," said Wang. In addition to her family, Wang uses spring water to treat visitors seeking families that own spring water.

An elderly man sings Beijing Opera in the Baotu Spring Park in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province.

Spring water has brought good fortune to the city. Last year, more than 55.88 million tourists visited Jinan, a year-on-year increase of nine percent. They generated 65.79 billion yuan worth of revenue, a year-on-year increase of 14.7 percent.

What springs bring to the city is far more than I can express.