Why is Jinan a lotus flower on three sides and a willow on one side, with mountains and lakes in one city?

Daming Lake is located in the center of Jinan and the north of the old city. It, Baotu Spring and Qianfo Mountain are also called the three famous places of interest in Jinan. Among the eight scenic spots in Jinan, Daming Lake has three: boating in Huming Lake, experiencing the autumn wind and gathering waves at night.

Jinan is known as the "Spring City", with more than 100 famous springs, including 72 famous springs. Minghu Lake is a natural lake formed by the confluence of springs. Spring water flows in from the south bank and flows out from the North Watergate built on the north bank when it is full. The bottom of the lake is composed of impervious igneous rocks, so the lake "will not rise continuously and will not dry up after a long drought" and maintain a relatively fixed water level all the year round. The park covers an area of 86 hectares, including 46 hectares of lakes. There are six islands on the lake, including Lixia Pavilion, Huiquan Hall and Huxin Island. The natural landscape of the park is beautiful and pleasant. The lake is sparkling, kites are flying, fish are jumping and cruise ships are passing by. Since ancient times, Daming Lake has been full of lotus flowers, weeping willows and lush flowers and trees. "Lotus on four sides and willow on three sides, a city with mountains and half a city" is the best portrayal of her scenery. The human landscape of the park is very rich. More than 30 places of interest such as Lixiating, Tiegong Temple, Nanfeng Temple and Arctic Temple are hidden among trees and flowers, showing a long history and culture.

Daming Lake is a natural lake, which was first recorded in Li Daoyuan's Notes on Water Classics in the Northern Wei Dynasty. Lotus Lake was named in Sui and Tang Dynasties, West Lake in Song Dynasty and Daming Lake in Jin and Yuan Dynasties. There are many stone tablets in the garden, among which Du Fu's poem "There are many famous people in Jinan, and there are many pavilions on the right side of the sea" was written by He in Qing Dynasty. Tie Bao's couplets, He and Weng Fanggang's inscriptions all have profound cultural connotation and artistic level.

The main scenic spots in the park include memorial archway, Yaoyuan, Jiaxuan Temple, Tiegong Temple, Lixiating Pavilion, Arctic Temple, Nanfeng Temple, Huibo Building, Mingchang Bell Pavilion, Mingding Lake and Ceng Gong Painted Wall. There is also a 100-meter fountain in the middle of the lake, among which Lixiating Pavilion and Tiegong Temple are municipal-level cultural relics protection units. Every year, the park holds a variety of garden activities, including Spring Festival cultural temple fairs, Spring Festival flower exhibitions, lotus exhibitions, folk cultural activities, flower bonsai exhibitions and strange stone exhibitions.