Yanquan Spring is located in Lixia District, Jinan City. The spring covers an area of over 6,000 square meters with a depth of more than 20 meters. It is like a green bead inlaid in the southeast corner of Jinan City. It was listed as one of the 72 famous springs of Jinan in 2004. The water is very clear, there are the boulders surrounding the spring. The mountains around the spring are steep and the red pavilions are reflected in the water.
Yanquan Spring is also called Yanchi Pond. It is located at the foot of Yanchi Mountain. The shape looks like inkstone, hence the name.
In the autumn of 1958, people began to dig many pits in the mountain for steelmaking. But suddenly, the spring water spews out of the pits and merges into a giant pond. Since then, the green mountains and clear waters have been connected together, sparkling under the spring breeze. Wandering around the pond, you can view the shadows of trees and mountains, listening to the whistling of insects and birds. Travelers could enjoy themselves and forget the worries.
Also, in this small pond, people can find a beautiful living creature, the Taohua jellyfish. It is a small and cute freshwater jellyfish. It is said that this kind of jellyfish has the strict requirements for the water quality.
For decades, the spring water in the pond has never dried all year round. On the northeast bank of the pond, there is a monument about the spring. The two Chinese characters “Yan Quan” on the monument were written by the famous contemporary calligrapher Shen Peng.
Yanchi Mountain is a spiritual mountain with the beautiful natural scenery. It is a good place for local people to exercise or have a leisure time.