Daming Lake () is the largest lake in the city of
Jinan
Jinan is the capital of the province of Shandong in East China. With a population of 9.2 million, it is one of the largest cities in Shandong in terms of population. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of ...
, capital of
Shandong
Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and one of city's main natural and cultural landmarks and tourist attraction. Located to the north of the historical city center, the lake is fed by the
artesian karst
Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...
springs of the area and hence retains a fairly constant water level through the entire year.
Islands

Located in the lake are nine small islands:
*Cuiliuping Island (), also known as ()
*Niaoqingqiqi Island ()
*Guting Island (), the location of the Lixia Pavilion
*Mingshi Island ()
*Huiquan Island ()
*Huxin Island ()
*Jiaxuan Island ()
*Qiuliu Island ()
*Huju Island ()
Buildings

The lake is surrounded by a park with an ensemble of historical buildings, some of which stand on the islands in the lake:
Lixia Pavilion
The Lixia Pavilion () is located on an island off the lake's east shore. The pavilion is said to mark the spot of a meeting between the Tang dynasty poet
Du Fu
Du Fu (; 712–770) was a Chinese poet and politician during the Tang dynasty. Together with his elder contemporary and friend Li Bai, Du is often considered one of the greatest Chinese poets of his time. His greatest ambition was to serve ...
and the calligrapher Li Yong (, 678–747). The pavilion was rebuilt in 1693 and features inscriptions by the Qing-dynasty calligrapher He Shaoji and the
Kangxi Emperor
The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 165420 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, personal name Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign of 61 ...
.
Lake Center Pavilion
The Lake Center Pavilion () is set on an island near the lake's center.
Moon-lit Pavilion
The Moon-lit Pavilion () is located on the north-eastern shore of the lake. It is connected to a large hall via a bridge. Military governor of Shandong and warlord
Han Fuju had an emergency escape tunnel constructed that connected the basement of this hall to the outer city. The tunnel was used by Kuomintang general
Wang Yaowu to escape from the city at the end of the
Battle of Jinan during
Chinese Civil War era.
Jiuqu Pavilion
The Jiuqu Pavilion () is located on the southwest shore of the Lake.
Haoran Pavilion
The Haoran Pavilion () stands on the lake's south shore.
Ancestral Hall of Lord Tie
The
Ancestral Hall
An ancestral shrine, hall or temple ( or , ; Chữ Hán: ; ), also called lineage temple, is a temple dedicated to deified ancestors and progenitors of surname lineages or families in the Chinese tradition. Ancestral temples are closely lin ...
of Lord Tie () is located on the northwest shore of the Lake. It is a memorial to
Tie Xuan
Tie Xuan (; 1366–1402), courtesy name Dingshi (鼎石), was a Chinese politician during the Ming dynasty. born in Dengzhou, Henan during the Yuan dynasty to a Semu Hui family, he served as a loyal officer to the deposed Ming dynasty emperor ...
, a
Ming-dynasty official during the reign of the
Jianwen Emperor
The Jianwen Emperor (5 December 1377 – probably 13 July 1402), personal name Zhu Yunwen, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Huizong of Ming and by his posthumous name as the Emperor Hui of Ming, was the second emperor of the Ming d ...
. Tie Xuan was renowned for his heroism and loyalty in the defense of the city against the rebelling Prince Zhu Di, the later
Yongle Emperor
The Yongle Emperor (2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Chengzu of Ming, personal name Zhu Di, was the third List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 142 ...
. The memorial hall was erected during the times of the Qing dynasty.
Xiaocanglang Pavilion
The Xiaocanglang Pavilion () is located on the lake's northwest shore.
Huiquan Hall
Huiquan Hall ()
Beiji Temple
Beiji Temple () is a
taoist
Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...
temple dedicated to
Xuan Wu, the god of the North. It was first built in the early
Yuan dynasty
The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...
, but rebuilt during the reign of the
Yongle Emperor
The Yongle Emperor (2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Chengzu of Ming, personal name Zhu Di, was the third List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 142 ...
of the Ming dynasty. Numerous renovations were carried out during the Qing dynasty. The temple contains several halls as well as a bell and a
drum tower. It stands on a seven-meter tall base and covers an area of 1,078 square meters.
Huibo Building

The Huibo Building () is located near the east gate of Daming Lake Park. It stands on the site of the watergate that controls the outflow of the Daming Lake into the
Xiaoqing River
Xiaoqing River () is a river in Shandong Province, China. It is part of the Bohai Sea basin and empties into Laizhou Bay. The river flows through the major city of Jinan. It is long and drains a basin, which also contains the city of Zibo.
Ec ...
.
Nanfeng Ancestral Hall
The Nanfeng Ancestral Hall () is a memorial to the
Song-dynasty scholar
Zeng Gong
Zeng Gong (; 1019–1083), courtesy name Zigu (), was a Chinese essayist, historian, poet, and politician of the Song dynasty. He was a key supporter and writer in the Classical Prose Movement and is regarded by later scholars as one of the Eigh ...
. The present structure has been rebuilt in 1829.
Jiaxuan Ancestral Hall

The Jiaxuan Ancestral Hall () commemorates
Xin Qiji
Xin Qiji (28 May 1140 – 3 Oct 1207) was a Chinese poet, calligrapher, and military general during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279).
Life
During Xin's lifetime, northern China was occupied during the Jin–Song Wars by the Jurchen peopl ...
, a military leader and statesman of the Southern Song dynasty who was born in Jinan. The temple complex cover a total area of 1400 square meters. Converted for other uses during the Republic of China, the temple was restored to its present function in 1961.
Oushen's Temple
Oushen's Temple () is a memorial temple that was originally dedicated to the Goddess of the Lotus Root. During the Qing dynasty it was rededicated to the memory of
Li Qingzhao
Li Qingzhao (; 1084 – ca. 1155), art name Yi'an Jushi (), was a Chinese poet and essayist of the Song dynasty. She is considered one of the greatest poets in Chinese history.
Biography
Early life
Li Qingzhao was born in 1084 in Jinan, S ...
, a famous female poet during Southern Song period.
Daming Lake Nanfeng Theater
The Daming Lake Nanfeng Theater () is located in the courtyard of the Nanfeng Ancestral Hall and was constructed during the late Qing dynasty.
Gardens
The park that surrounds Daming Lake features six traditional Chinese gardens:
Xia Garden
The Xia Garden () is a traditional courtyard garden that is located to the south of the lake and covers an area of about 9600 square meters. The garden dates back to the year 1909 and was formerly part of the Shandong Provincial Library.
Jiaxuan Garden
()
Qiuliu Garden
()
Huju Garden
()
Nanfeng Garden
()
Qishi Guanyu Garden
().
History

As a central site in the historical center of Jinan, Daming Lake has been the setting of many events in the history of the city: As his rebellion against the Mongol ruler
Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder and first emperor of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty of China. He proclaimed the ...
came to an end in 1262, the governor Li Tan tried to drown himself in the lake. He was rescued by the Mongols in order to be executed by being put in a sack and trampled to death by horses.
[Morris Rossabi (1988): "Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times", Berkeley: University of California Press] The warlord
Zhang Zongchang
Zhang Zongchang (; also romanized as Chang Tsung-chang; 1881 – 3 September 1932), courtesy name Xiaokun, was a Chinese warlord who ruled Shandong from 1925 to 1928. A member of the Fengtian clique, Zhang was notorious for his brutal and ruthl ...
, nicknamed the "Dogmeat General" and unpopular because of his heavy-handed rule, planned to erect a living shrine to himself on the lake, but the plans were not executed due to Zhang's fall from power. During the
Battle of Jinan in the
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led Nationalist government, government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the forces of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Armed conflict continued intermitt ...
, the commander of the city's defense against the communist
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...
,
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...
General
Wang Yaowu had his command post near the lake shore.
From March 2006 to April 2007, the Daming Lake Park was renovated and extended to connect all portions of the park for unified access. To achieve this, 1788 housing units (including 1639 residential units) were demolished.
Since the expansion, the Daming Lake Park covers a total of 103.4 hectares, 29.4 hectares (land: 20 hectares, lake 29.4 hectares) of which were added in the expansion.
[
]
Literature
The scenery of Daming Lake has been a topic of Chinese literature for at least about 1,500 years. The lake is mentioned in ''" Commentary on the Waterways Classic"'' () by Northern Wei dynasty
Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei ( zh, c=北魏, p=Běi Wèi), Tuoba Wei ( zh, c=拓跋魏, p=Tuòbá Wèi), Yuan Wei ( zh, c=元魏, p=Yuán Wèi) and Later Wei ( zh, t=後魏, p=Hòu Wèi), was an imperial dynasty of Chi ...
writer and geographer Li Daoyuan (died 527). It is described in ''"A Trip to Jinan"'' by the Jin dynasty
Jin may refer to:
States Jìn 晉
* Jin (Chinese state) (晉國), major state of the Zhou dynasty, existing from the 11th century BC to 376 BC
* Jin dynasty (266–420) (晉朝), also known as Liang Jin and Sima Jin
* Jin (Later Tang precursor) ...
poet Yuan Haowen
Yuan Haowen () also known as Yuan Yishan (遺山/遗山) or “Yuan of Yi Mountain” (1190–1257) was a poet from Xinzhou, in what is now Shanxi province, noted for his poems in the '' ci'' and the '' sanqu'' forms and for including poems in the ...
(1235) and was also described by Marco Polo
Marco Polo (; ; ; 8 January 1324) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known a ...
a bit later. The scenery of Daming Lake is also featured in the novel ''"The Travels of Lao Can"'' by Liu E and the essay ''"The Winter of Jinan"'' () by Lao She
Shu Qingchun (3 February 189924 August 1966), known by his pen name Lao She, was a Chinese writer of Manchu ethnicity, known for his vivid portrayal of urban life and his colorful use of the Beijing dialect, such as in the novel '' Rickshaw Boy' ...
.
Daming Lake is also the subject of a poem by Zhang Zongchang
Zhang Zongchang (; also romanized as Chang Tsung-chang; 1881 – 3 September 1932), courtesy name Xiaokun, was a Chinese warlord who ruled Shandong from 1925 to 1928. A member of the Fengtian clique, Zhang was notorious for his brutal and ruthl ...
, military governor of Shandong from 1920 to 1928, that has been frequently quoted to ridicule him:
Dàmíng hú míng hú dà
''The Daming ("Daming" means "big brightness") Lake, the bright lake is big''
Dàmíng hú lǐ yǒu hé huā
''In the Daming Lake are lotus flowers''
Hé huā shàng tóu yŏu há má
''On the lotuses are toads''
Yī chuō yī bèng dá
'' ouprick them once, he toadsleap once''
Visitors
Because of its cultural significance, the Daming Lake has attracted visits by artists, scholars, and political figures over the centuries.
Recorded visitors include:
Tang dynasty
* Li Yong, calligrapher
*Du Fu
Du Fu (; 712–770) was a Chinese poet and politician during the Tang dynasty. Together with his elder contemporary and friend Li Bai, Du is often considered one of the greatest Chinese poets of his time. His greatest ambition was to serve ...
, poet
* Duan Chengshi, scholar
Song dynasty
*Zeng Gong
Zeng Gong (; 1019–1083), courtesy name Zigu (), was a Chinese essayist, historian, poet, and politician of the Song dynasty. He was a key supporter and writer in the Classical Prose Movement and is regarded by later scholars as one of the Eigh ...
, Su Zhe
Su Zhe (; 1039–1112), or Su Che, courtesy names Ziyou and Tongshu , was a Chinese essayist, historian, poet, and politician from Meishan, located in modern-day Sichuan Province, China.
Su was highly honored as a politician and essayist in th ...
, Chao Buzhi, writers
*Li Qingzhao
Li Qingzhao (; 1084 – ca. 1155), art name Yi'an Jushi (), was a Chinese poet and essayist of the Song dynasty. She is considered one of the greatest poets in Chinese history.
Biography
Early life
Li Qingzhao was born in 1084 in Jinan, S ...
and Xin Qiji
Xin Qiji (28 May 1140 – 3 Oct 1207) was a Chinese poet, calligrapher, and military general during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279).
Life
During Xin's lifetime, northern China was occupied during the Jin–Song Wars by the Jurchen peopl ...
, poets
Jin dynasty
*Yuan Haowen
Yuan Haowen () also known as Yuan Yishan (遺山/遗山) or “Yuan of Yi Mountain” (1190–1257) was a poet from Xinzhou, in what is now Shanxi province, noted for his poems in the '' ci'' and the '' sanqu'' forms and for including poems in the ...
, poet and writer
Yuan dynasty
*Zhao Mengfu
Zhao Mengfu (; courtesy name Zi'ang (子昂); pseudonyms Songxue (松雪, "Pine Snow"), Oubo (鷗波, "Gull Waves"), and Shuijing-gong Dao-ren (水精宮道人, "Master of the Water Spirits Palace"); 1254–1322), was a Chinese calligrapher, p ...
, painter
* Zhang Yanghao, poet
Ming dynasty
*Tie Xuan
Tie Xuan (; 1366–1402), courtesy name Dingshi (鼎石), was a Chinese politician during the Ming dynasty. born in Dengzhou, Henan during the Yuan dynasty to a Semu Hui family, he served as a loyal officer to the deposed Ming dynasty emperor ...
, provincial official, honored in the Lord Tie Ancestral Hall
* Bian Gong and Li Panlong, scholars
Qing dynasty
* Zhu Yizun and Ruan Yuan
Ruan Yuan (; 1764–1849), courtesy name Boyuan (伯元), art name Yuntai (芸臺), posthumous name Wenda (文達), was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer of the Qing dynasty who was the most prominent Chinese scholar during the first ...
, scholars
* Wang Shizhen, poet
* Gao Fenghan, painter
* Jiang Shiquan, playwright
* He Shaoji, calligrapher
*Pu Songling
Pu Songling ( zh, t= , 5 June 1640 – 25 February 1715) was a Chinese writer during the Qing dynasty, best known as the author of '' Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio'' (''Liaozhai zhiyi'').
Biography
Pu was born into a poor merchant famil ...
and Liu E, novelists
Modern China
*Guo Moruo
Guo Moruo (November 16, 1892 – June 12, 1978), courtesy name Dingtang, was a Chinese author, poet, historian, archaeologist, and government official.
Biography
Family history
Guo Moruo, originally named Guo Kaizhen, was born on November 10 or ...
and Lao She
Shu Qingchun (3 February 189924 August 1966), known by his pen name Lao She, was a Chinese writer of Manchu ethnicity, known for his vivid portrayal of urban life and his colorful use of the Beijing dialect, such as in the novel '' Rickshaw Boy' ...
, writers
*Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...
(in 1958) and Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai ( zh, s=周恩来, p=Zhōu Ēnlái, w=Chou1 Ên1-lai2; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman, diplomat, and revolutionary who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China from September 1954 unti ...
(in 1959), politicians
Location
Daming Lake is located to the north of Minghu Road and to the south of the old city moat. The park is accessible through 4 gates, the north gate, the east gate, the main gate in the south, and the southwest gate.
See also
* List of sites in Jinan
References
External links
Official Site
{{Shandong topics
Lakes of China
Bodies of water of Shandong
Tourist attractions in Jinan