Jinan?

Author: Niuguo Dong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features: The old city layout with small bridges, flowing water, and residential areas is based on the terrain of a mountainous and water-rich location. It centers around the Ming and the Qing Provincial Governor's Office by Pearl Spring, with the Bureau of Revenue, Imperial Examination Hall, and Bulletin Poles positioned to the west, while the Provincial Court, Jinan Prefecture Office, and Licheng County Office are to the east. Various temples and family shrines are arranged around the central area, while the Confucius Temple, academies, storytelling venues, and theaters are located on the elegant and picturesque northern shore of Daming Lake. The clusters of springs such as Black Tiger Spring, Baotu Spring, and Five Dragon Spring are nestled along the city moat, becoming the source of the river water. The grand Daming Lake to the north, where numerous springs converge, and the surrounding mountains to the south, cleverly utilize the rare natural advantages of mountains, springs, lakes, and rivers in northern cities, creating a "Jiangnan in the North" landscape.
The impression is that the road in front of the courtyard is as wide as a plaza, and the Pearl Spring Gate is also grand and imposing. Naturally, there were guards at the entrance, and my father brought me in on the pretext of official business. The courtyard was very large and open, with tall Paulownia trees providing shade. At that time, the iron fences around Pearl Spring Pool were dark green, giving it a touch of Western garden style. The willow trees by the spring were very thick, some bending over to dip their branches into the water. Cicadas chirped loudly from the trees, and the water and banks were covered with fallen willow leaves, floating like small boats. The spring water was abundant and clear then, with strings and piles of pearls in the water, not as rare as they are now. My father asked me, "Do you know what this place was like in the past?" In ancient times, it was the residence of a prince and an office. Before liberation, it was the provincial government of the Nationalist Party. I understood but wasn’t sure, and was quite startled. From then on, I seemed to see its difference from other famous springs like Baotu Spring, Five Dragon Spring, and Black Tiger Spring. I seemed to see its "special status." Choosing Pearl Spring as the city center was no coincidence. It is located at the intersection of the old city’s east-west and north-south axes, making it accessible from all directions. The three villages of Sanlizhuang, Sili Mountain, Wuligou, Liushan Mountain, Qili Mountain, Baoliwa, and Shilihe to the south and west of Jinan all start from here. The natural charm here is also highly characteristic of Jinan. Pearl Spring is one of Jinan’s four famous springs and forms the Pearl Spring Spring Group with the surrounding springs. Although its flow rate is not large, its spouting form is unique. The spring water, like pearls falling into a jade plate, is crystal clear and round, spouting ins from the bottom of the pool, some even jumping out of the water. Emperor Qianlong loved tea and was very knowledgeable about it. Every time he traveled south, he would choose Pearl Spring water to brew tea. Because of its high quality, he granted it the title of "The Third Spring Under Heaven." The Chinese people love water and especially springs. Wherever clear springs are found, there are beautiful landscapes, naturally surrounded by government and private residences. Pearl Spring was one of the earliest springs in Jinan to be enclosed within gardens and residences. To mention earlier, in the Yuan Dynasty, Zhang Rong, the Commissioner of Shandong and Military Commander, later enfeoffed as Prince of Jinan by Kublai Khan, built a private residence here. The title of Prince of Jinan was passed down for several generations, and Zhang Rong’s descendants continued to live here. In the first year of the Tianshun era of the Ming Dynasty (1457), Emperor Yingzong enfeoffed his second son, Zhu Jianjiang, as Prince De. Originally, he was enfeoffed in Dezhou, but in the third year of the Chenghua era (1467), Prince De, who loved the mountain springs of Jinan, moved his residence here. Pearl Spring thus became the residence of the Prince De, replacing the Jin and Yuan-era Jinan Prefecture Office and the early Ming Shandong Commandery Office. The Prince De’s residence was very large, stretching north to Houshaimen, east to Xianxi Lane, and west to Furong Street, covering about one-third of the old city. Inside the residence, "palaces and pavilions were densely packed." There was a tall stone archway in front with the inscription "Guarding the State of Qi." Inside were large buildings such as Baiyun Tower, Zhengji Hall, and Yuancheng Pavilion. In the twelfth year of the Chongzhen era (1639), the Qing army attacked Jinan. The seventh Prince De, Zhu Youshu, was captured and executed by the Qing forces, and the Prince De’s residence was burned down. In the fifth year of the Kangxi era (1666), Zhou Youde, the Provincial Governor of Shandong, organized famine-stricken people to rebuild the office through labor, establishing the Provincial Governor’s Office here, also known as the Fuhuian. It served as the office for the Provincial Governor to govern, adjudicate cases, and reside. The well-preserved grand hall of the Provincial Governor’s Office, the Chengyundian, was built from the timber of the Prince De’s residence in Qingzhou, ensuring the Ming-style architectural style of the office. From this time on, the local people began to call Pearl Spring "the Courtyard," the open area outside the south gate of the Fuhuian "the Courtyard Front," and the street behind Pearl Spring "the Courtyard Back."