Baimai Spring 百脉泉

About Baimai Spring

Baimai Spring (百脉泉) is a karst spring in the grounds of Longquan Temple (龙泉寺) in Mingshui (明水), the seat of Zhangqiu District (章丘区) in Jinan (济南), Shandong. It is one of Jinan's Seventy-two Famous Springs (七十二名泉) and is ranked alongside Baotu Spring (趵突泉).

Mingshui sits where the Mount Tai and Yi hill country (泰沂山区) gives way to the plain, on ground that falls from south to north. The Shandong Department of Civil Affairs explains that groundwater moving north is held back near Mingshui and breaks the surface as springs, which is why the town is known as "Little Spring City" (小泉城); the springs cluster in three spring systems within about 2 km² centred on Mingshui. The Xiujiang River (绣江河) rises at Baimai Spring and winds north.

The Daoguang-era Zhangqiu County Gazetteer (章丘县志) describes a pool of about half a mu whose water wells straight up in countless threads, "like strings of pearls", which explains the name "hundred veins". Zeng Gong (曾巩) said of the springs north of Mount Tai that Baotu leads in the west and Baimai crowns the east. The bubbling pool heads the Eight Views of Zhangqiu (章丘八景). Longquan Temple was founded in 1450, the first year of the Ming Jingtai reign, under the name Longquan (隆泉, "swelling spring") before the character was changed to "dragon".

China Tourism News describes the spring today as three pools set in a triangle, clear blue water with red and white koi and a steady rise of fine bubbles. Mo Spring (墨泉), at the southwest corner outside the temple, gushes dark green water into a stone channel. North of the temple, Qingzhao Garden (清照园) commemorates the Song dynasty ci poet Li Qingzhao (李清照), who was born in Mingshui; it covers 18,000 m² and holds a memorial hall to her. The surrounding Baimai Spring Park also has small spring-fed lakes.

What to look for

• Baimai Spring (百脉泉), three pools laid out in a triangle, with rising strings of bubbles inside Longquan Temple
• Mo Spring (墨泉, "Ink Spring"), a gushing spring of dark green water that feeds a stone channel
• Longquan Temple (龙泉寺), founded in 1450 under the Ming dynasty
• Qingzhao Garden (清照园), an 18,000 m² garden with the Li Qingzhao Memorial Hall
• Shuyu Spring (漱玉), the garden spring linked in legend to the child Li Qingzhao and to the title of her collected ci poems
• Wanquan Lake (万泉湖, "Ten Thousand Springs Lake"), one of the park's spring-fed lakes
• Other springs of the group, including Dongmawan Spring (东麻湾泉) and Plum Blossom Spring (梅花泉)

Location & getting there

Getting to Baimai Spring

• Search for 百脉泉 with 济南市 and 章丘区.