Baotu Spring Park is located in a bustling area in the center of Jinan City. It leans against Qianfo Mountain in the south, backs on Daming Lake Scenic Area in the north, and is connected to Quancheng Square in the east. It is a characteristic garden with springs as the theme. Baotu Spring, known as the ‘Number One Spring under Heaven’, ranks first among the ‘Seventy-two Famous Springs’ in Jinan and has a history of more than 2,000 years.
It has also appeared in literary works many times. The representative one is ‘Baotu Spring’ written by Lao She. Tourists come here to witness the magnificent sight of the three springs of Baotu Spring erupting. Baotu Spring is the main scenery in the park. The spring water is divided into three streams, clear and cool, gushing day and night. When the water is abundant, it can reach several feet high. There are large blocks of masonry around the spring, surrounded by guardrails. You can overlook the wonders of the three springs gushing in the pool by the guardrail. There is a stone tablet beside the spring, inscribed with ‘The First Spring’. Its color is dark green. It was inscribed by Wang Zhonglin of Licheng County during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. In addition, near Baotu Spring, there are also more than thirty famous springs such as Jinxian Spring, Shuyu Spring, Xibo Spring, Liuxu Spring, Huanghua Spring, Dukang Spring, and Bailong Spring, forming the Baotu Spring spring group. Since there is more rain in July and August, this is a better season to come and watch the springs. In midsummer, tourists can have a close contact with the springs in the park. Some springs are not surrounded by railings. There are stone paths in the pool. The spring water flows on the stone paths. Tourists can go down into the pool and get close to the water. Walking on the stone paths, the insteps will be wetted by the spring water, giving a cool feeling. In addition to getting close to the water, there are also free spring water for tourists to drink directly beside Baotu Spring Pool. On the east side of the spring, there is Wangheting Teahouse. Here, there are fragrant teas brewed with Baotu Spring water specially provided for tourists. The prices are moderate. In addition to the springs, there is another scenery worth seeing in the park, which is the south gate of the park. It is luxuriously decorated and elegant. The horizontal plaque on the gate, ‘Baotu Spring’, with blue background and golden characters, is the imperial handwriting of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. It is praised as the ‘Number One Gate’ of Chinese gardens. In previous years, Baotu Spring often appeared in a seasonal shutdown state. After protection in recent years, its normal water level has basically been restored. In addition, Baotu Spring Park also often holds various cultural activities. On the first day of the first lunar month every year, there will be a lantern festival in the park, which lasts for 20 days. In late September every year, there is also the Baotu Spring Water Culture Festival, which lasts for about 10 days. At that time, there will be various folk activities, calligraphy and painting exhibitions, opera performances and other performances for tourists to enjoy. From the end of October to the end of November every year, there will also be a chrysanthemum exhibition in the park. In the golden autumn season, all the springs gush together. Chrysanthemums and springs complement each other and are very worth seeing. In addition, the Baotu Spring Scenic Area has also launched cruise routes. After tourists visit the Baotu Spring Scenic Area, if they are interested, they can board the ship from the Baotu Spring ship exhibition and take a boat through Ximen Bridge in the old city area of Jinan. Passing by the east gate of Wulongtan Park, they enter the first passenger ship lock in Jinan’s history – Wulongtan Ship Lock. During this period, they can feel a drop of more than 2 meters.Sitting on the east side of the boat, you can also see the reliefs of ‘Eight Scenes of Jinan’. Along the shore, there are many aquatic plants, and the river is crystal clear. The cruise ship finally passes through Yanbo Bridge and enters the Daming Lake Scenic Area.
Opening hours: Open all year round from 07:00 to 19:00.
Preferential policies:
Seniors: Tourists aged 60 years old (inclusive) and above can enter for free with their senior citizen privilege cards or ID cards.
Free Blood Donation: Holders of Jinan City’s Honorary Blood Donation Card enjoy free services. Mobile Charging: Tourist Service Center provides mobile charging facilities. Tour Guide Service: The Tourist Center offers guided tours. Stroller Rental: Reference price: Deposit: 300 yuan per stroller, free for the first hour, overtime charge: 5 yuan per 30 minutes; Address: Tourist Service Center. Rain Gear Rental: Reference price: Deposit: 30 yuan per umbrella, free for the first hour, overtime charge: 2 yuan per 30 minutes; Address: Tourist Service Center. Wheelchair Rental: Reference price: Deposit: 600 yuan per wheelchair, free for the first hour, overtime charge: 5 yuan per 30 minutes; Address: Tourist Service Center. Restrooms: Multiple restrooms are available within Baotu Spring Scenic Area, with clear signs along the way. Nursing Room: Address: Baotu Spring Tourist Center. Souvenir Shops: Multiple souvenir shops are located within the scenic area. Vending Machines: Multiple vending machines are available within the scenic area.
