Baotu Spring Park

Baotu Springs Park is situated in the city of Jinan , Shandong Province. Besides being home to 70-odd renowned artesian springs, the area surrounding the city of Jinan is also home to Bamboo Woods Garden with its memorial hall dedicated to the famous 20th century painter and calligrapher, Li Kuchan (1899-1983), the Three Grand Halls, and a memorial hall on the grounds of Baotu Springs Park itself dedicated to Li Qingzhao (CE 1084-1151, circa), the famous writer and poet of the Song (CE 960-1279) Dynasty who is regarded by many as the preeminent female Chinese-language poet. Baotu Springs Park is a natural rock and spring garden park, defined first and foremost by its natural springs, of which the most famous is Baotu Spring itself. Other prominent springs in the park are Shuyu Spring and Jin Xian Spring.

Baotu Spring

Also called Jianquan Spring, the waters of Baotu Spring gush forth with a thunderous roar from three holes in the underlying bedrock. "When the springhead gushes up", wrote geographer Li Daoyuan during the Northern Wei (CE 386-533) Dynasty, "the water rolls like a wheel". The waters of Baotu Spring preserve a year-round temperature of 18 degrees celsius (65 degrees Fahrenheit), with the result that a cloud of mist often curls up over the spring on winter days, its uppermost extremity constantly sliding upwards into oblivion as fresh mist forms below.