Black Tiger Spring
黑虎泉
Three stone tiger heads beside the city moat spout spring water. Residents lining up to fetch water is Jinan’s most lively everyday spring scene. The spring group and Jiefang Pavilion area are open to the public for free.
Black Tiger Spring lies on the south bank of the city moat, below Jiefang Pavilion. It is one of Jinan’s four major spring groups. The Black Tiger group includes 14 springs, among them Pipa Spring, Agate Spring and Nine Maidens Spring. Water wells up from caves and is channeled into the moat through three carved stone tiger heads. The sound of the water is like a tiger’s roar. In the rainy season, the three jets can shoot nearly 1 m. It is one of the largest-volume springs among the Seventy-Two Famous Springs.
The most distinctive sight is local residents lining up with buckets and bottles at the tiger heads to fetch spring water to take home for tea. The water is safe to drink directly, and visitors can also bring their own bottles to fill up and taste it. Jiefang Pavilion, which commemorates the 1948 Jinan Campaign, lets visitors climb up and look over the moat. Together with Black Tiger Spring Square, the riverside walkway and the boat dock, it forms a free waterfront park. At night, the lights reflect on the water, making it a good place for an evening walk or night outing.
Suggested route: Visit early in the morning, between 6 and 8 a.m., to see residents fetching water and people exercising, which feels most like everyday local life. Walking west along the moat for about 15 minutes brings you to Quancheng Square (with a music fountain on a fixed schedule) and the east gate of Baotu Spring. To the northeast is the southeast corner of Daming Lake. You can also take a moat boat (about 100 yuan), which links Baotu Spring, Black Tiger Spring and Daming Lake. Open all day, free of charge.
Getting there: Take several bus lines to Black Tiger Spring Station or Jiefang Pavilion Station. From Quancheng Square, it is about a 10-minute walk.
Tips: Bring your own container to collect spring water, and do not occupy the tiger heads for long. The stone steps by the river are slippery. After rain in summer, when the spring water is cloudy, it is not advisable to drink it.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- City Moat Boat Tour & Jiefang Pavilion
- Kuanhouli Food Street
- Pearl Spring & Wangfu Pool
- Furong Street
- Baihuazhou & Qushuiting Street
- Lao She Former Residence
- Quancheng Square
- Jinan Confucian Temple