A painted boat in ancient-style tours in Daming Lake in Jinan, capital city of east China`s Shandong province. [China Daily/Shandong Bureau] 

In >Jinan, nothing is more attractive than the hundreds of fresh water springs dotting the landscape of the renowned >>Spring >City.

>Tourists can enjoy several famed springs lining the city’s moat by taking a painted boat thanks to the expansion work of the area around >>Daming >Lake.

>The recently devised tour route around the moat provides convenient off-shore access for tourists to experience the mysterious charm of the springs and feast their eyes on the beautiful scenery of Daming Lake, the world’s largest inner city lake converged by numerous springs.

>“With a total length of 5.5 kilometers, the current off-shore route only encompasses the western half of >>Jinan,” Han Xiaoguang, director of Jinan Landscape Bureau, said.

>During the National Day festival, flocks of tourists came to experience the offshore travel.

>Some 50 famed springs line the travel route, which is also dotted with numerous unknown ones.

>The one-hour ride stops at five main scenic spots—Black Tiger Spring, Square of the Spring City, Baotu Spring, Five Dragons` Pool and Daming Lake.

>Tourists board at Black Tiger Spring, the first stop of the boat tour..

>“Black Tiger Spring, sourced from a three-meter deep and 1.7-meter wide natural cave, is one of >>Jinan’s 72 famous springs. This spring gets the name as it sounds like tigers roaring when the spring gushes,” the tour guide said.

>Here tourists can see fresh water spewing out from three tiger head-shaped stones into the river.

>

The Black Tiger Spring is seen in this undated photo  in Jinan ,east China`s Shandong province. [China Daily/Shandong Bureau]

Around the spring, people can be seen taking photos and reading books, while some residents fetch water with buckets.

>“Residents use the fresh water to cook and make tea,” the tour guide explained.

>“I have been coming to get water for daily use since I retired. It is very good to drink the pure water,” Zhao Yun, who was getting water, said.

Around Black Tiger Spring 14 well-known springs are scattered, including Fairy Spring, Agate Spring and Lute Spring.

>Facing Black Tiger Spring is the Fairy Spring. It is said nine fairies were attracted to the water to take a bath by the sound of the spring and they loved the spring so much that they were reluctant to leave.

>From the bottom of the spring thousands of tiny bubbles emerge. With pitch arcs, these bubbles reach the serene surface of the Fairy Spring, triggering numerous small ripples.

Tourists rest along side of Xiangnu Spring, or Fairy Spring, in Jinan of Shandong province. [China Daily/Shandong Bureau]

>Beautiful pitch arcs and ripples fire the imagination of tourists with some people comparing them to the slim waists and smiling faces of the fairies.

>In the boat, tourists are served tea made with spring water. They easily get the feeling of being in a typical water-backed town in the south of>>China, given the environment they are basking in as the boat moves forward slowly with fish passing by and weeping willows stretching into the river.

>“Two years’ efforts have paid off. We see the river around the city is clear, banks of the river are carpeted with green plants and the >>Daming >Lakeis extended to a larger scale,” Han said while enjoying the city’s achievements on landscape.

>

>>>Jinan >started the project of building the off-shore travel route in November 2007.

>Kenzo Maruki, a Japanese tourist, was excited to see the springs. “>>Jinanis charming with the springs. It is smart for the city to string so many springs into one route.”

>When the boat arrives at the >>Spring City Square, some tourists get off while others embark.

>The Square provides a good place for people to enjoy the pleasure of flying kites or having fun with the many pigeons there. Young lovers are frequently seen sitting under the willow trees, talking and smiling.

>Opposite to the Square is >>Baotu >Spring >Park where the spring welcomes tourists with abundant water. Thanks to rich rainfall, the spring is spewing water as high as 20 centimeters this year.

An undated photo shows the renowned Baotu Spring in Jinan, capital city of Shandong province. [China Daily/Shandong Bureau]

>“Baotu Spring has a recorded history of 3,543 years. It produces 200,000 cu m of water daily. The spring has a constant temperature of >>18C year-round,” the tour guide introduced.

>Tourists can also watch local shows in the park while enjoying the cool breeze brought by the Baotu Spring.

>“I have lived in >>Jinan for more than 60 years. I love these springs very much,” said 84-year-old Yan Gan, who was taking photos of the Baotu Spring. He once held an exhibition of 70 photos about Baotu Spring and is very familiar with the history of the Spring.

>“Baotu Spring has spewed for six consecutive years,” Yan said.

>Since the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), dozens of well-known poets have written about Baotu Spring including the female writer Li Qingzhao of the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The Memorial Hall for this famous writer who grew up in >>Jinan also attracts many tourists.

>Beside Baotu Spring, the top of Jinan’s 72 springs, stands a stone tablet with the inscription “the >finest spring under heaven”, written by the emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is said when the emperor sampled Baotu Spring water for the first time, he highly praised it and granted it the Crown of the Springs.

>The robust Baotu Spring, numerous tiny springs, weeping willows and chirping birds combined together enrich the Park, making it vital to the area.

>On September 23, 2009, the >Baotu >Spring >Park was formally named “>>National >Key >Park” by the China Ministry of Housing and City Construction.

>The Park is equipped with specialized equipment to measure the level of spring water by the minute, which is reported to the public every day. The current water table is 29 meters and every change means a lot to local citizens.

>According to a government survey, as the City of >Springs,>>Jinan is home to 645 springs, 136 of which are in the 2.6-sq-km old urban area. It produces as much as 300,000 cu m of water daily.

>“>Jinan is the city which boasts the most abundant spring water in >>China. The spring is the city’s life and soul,” said Han.

>Without the springs, the city will lose its charm, many believe. A few years ago, due to the uncontrolled extraction of groundwater, the perennial springs stopped spewing for at least two months and at most two and a half years. To change this phenomenon, since 2001, the >>Jinan government has adopted a series of effective measures, including putting a ban on exploiting groundwater, sealing more than 500 wells, and constructing dams and reservoirs in southern mountain areas. Due to the government’s efforts, the groundwater is constantly replenished and the water table gradually rises.

>Capitalizing on the spring resource,>>Jinan is planning to develop an off-shore sightseeing route encompassing the eastern half of the city.

>“When the eastern route is constructed, there will be a complete one encircling the moat, stringing all of the city’s famous spots,” Wang Jianguo, director of the Jinan Travel Bureau, said.

>“It will become a classic travel route by offering easy access to all major attractions in >>Jinan by boat,” he added.

>Passing under a stone arch bridge, a boat sails into >>Daming >Lake, delighting the tourists on board.. Numerous boats drift on the expansive lake fringed with weeping willows.

>According to Han, due to the two-year reconstruction work, the lake areas were enlarged from 74 hectares to 103.4 hectares. Since September 21, tourists have been able to get free access to the newly-extended areas.

>By setting foot on the island in >>Daming >Lake, tourists find themselves in a place where ancient >ruins appear at every turn. There are more than 30 temples, pavilions, bridges, and ancient houses, many of which are built in the Song(960-1279), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing(1644-1911) Dynasties.

>After the tour in >Daming >Lake, tourists make a nearby visit to >>Jinan’s old streets and lanes, where they are able to sample delicious snacks, experience local customs, and shop. They can also drink a few mouthfuls of green tea or glasses of beer made by fresh spring water, which tempt them as they pass the various shops and cafes.

>When night falls, the moat and springs look even more mysterious, with a backdrop of colored lights along the waterway. If tourists decide to take a boat tour at night, they will experience another kind of beauty altogether.