Daming Lake is located in the northeast of the central part of Jinan City. Daming Lake covers an area of 46 hectares in an 86-hectare garden. Formerly known as "Lotus Seed Lake" and "West Lake", the lake got its current name in the Jin Dynasty and it was not until the Ming Dynasty, when the city wall was restored, that the lake took the form we see today.
The lake, with a history of over 1400 years, is fed by waters from many springs, including the Pearl Spring, the Washing Ying Spring and the Prince's Residence Pool, converge in Daming Lake, and the water here neither rises substantially during rainy days, nor dries in drought. Willow trees planted along the shore and 40 hectares of lotus flowers provide additional color, while it is considered a treat to watch the autumn moonlit reflection of the Thousand Buddha Mountain in the lake's lapping waters.
For its beauty, Daming Lake has been the converging place for celebrities throughout history. In 13 century, the Italian traveler, Marco Polo marveled here as "what a beautiful landscape of lake and rocks." In the center of the lake perches the Lixia Pavilion, upon which hangs the horizontal name scroll written by an ancient emperor and the vertical scroll, "Old is the pavilion in central China and many are celebrities in Jinan", written by Du Fu.
With some other scenic spots dotted inside, such as "Rest Garden", "Jiaxuan Temple" and "Beiji Temple", the Lake has become very popular among tourists from home and abroad.