Mingshui Ancient City

The real Mingshui Ancient City was founded during the Tang Dynasty, with Xiquan Town established in the Zhenguan period; by the Song and Yuan dynasties, it became one of the four famous towns of Zhangqiu, and its administrative center was located at the current site of the ancient city, with a history of over 1000 years. Today's Mingshui Ancient City is mainly composed of Ming and Qing architecture, designed by the team led by Chen Xianghong from Wuzhen scenic area in Zhejiang, with an investment of 1.1 billion yuan completed. The tourist center, smelting workshop, cloth workshop, Meng Family Courtyard, city towers and walls, Huashen Temple, Shuangquan Hotel, and the supporting hotel complex have all been completed. It officially opened to the public on October 1, 2023. During the trial operation, the ticket price is 68 yuan, including the original Baimai Spring Park, with various discounts for the elderly, disabled, military personnel, tour guides, blood donors, and residents with Zhangqiu district ID cards, who need to exchange free tickets at the ticket office with their ID cards to enter the ticket gate. The cultural and tourism resources of Mingshui Ancient City are quite distinctive. The first special feature is the springs. Zhangqiu is known as the 'Little Spring City', and the ancient city scenic area includes the Baimai Spring system, with Baimai Spring, Plum Blossom Spring, Ink Spring, Dongmawan, Shuyu Spring... Each ancient city has small bridges and flowing water, but here the flowing water is unique living spring water. The second is that Zhangqiu is the hometown of 'the greatest talented woman of all time' Li Qingzhao and the founder of the time-honored Chinese brand Rui Fuxiang, Meng Luochuan, which is also a unique cultural resource. Between the south and west gates of the ancient city is a section of rammed earth wall remains, actually an ancient 'polder wall', about 4 meters high, built from tri-mixture earth slabs. This inconspicuous section of rammed earth wall is pockmarked with bullet holes, bearing the history of the 'Three Attacks on Mingshui City' in 1946. In contrast with the towering new city wall behind it, it has a flavor all its own. Mingshui Ancient City is quite ingenious in terms of commercial formats. At the beginning of its opening, the so-called 'Zhangqiu's three great furnaces' of black pottery, iron pots, and silver teapots have all settled in. Zhangqiu was once prosperous in dyeing, weaving, and cloth sales. Inside the ancient city, there is an area similar to a museum, displaying several traditional looms, recreating the ancient weaving scene. Some handmade works made with Zhangqiu's traditional dyeing, weaving, and sewing skills have become the favored works of ingenuity for modern people. The Mingshui Street inside the ancient city is especially lively, not only replicating various time-honored brand shops from the past but also gathering traditional crafts such as dough figurine, sugar figurine, and paper-cutting, offering all kinds of food, drinks, and entertainment. Strolling on Mingshui Street, with a dazzling array of goods and a prosperous commercial atmosphere, one feels as if they are in the midst of ancient market life, experiencing a different kind of worldly hustle and bustle. Scattered throughout the ancient city are workshops such as cloth, smelting, wine, tofu, oil, and soy sauce gardens, reviving the prosperity of ancient Zhangqiu. Walking in the ancient city, shuttling among various workshops with intangible cultural heritage skills, one can feel the charm of Jinan's intangible heritage. If you are tired from playing, you can stop for a rest in front of the ancient city's snack stalls, tasting authentic local delicacies. Spring water mutton soup, hanging oven baked cakes, turntable cakes, fried tofu corners, Jinan green onion roast, Shandong pancakes, iron pot roast, and many other delicious varieties bring a unique enjoyment to your taste buds. In Mingshui Ancient City, you can also explore the traces of two historical figures. One is Li Qingzhao, the 'greatest talented woman of all time' and representative of the graceful school of poets, and the other is Meng Luochuan, the sixty-ninth generation descendant of the sage Mencius and a great merchant of his time. In Mingshui Ancient City, you can also embark on a journey of springs. The original Baimai Spring Park has been completely integrated into the ancient city, with some areas undergoing upgrading and renovation. As night falls, the lights are brilliant. The most worthwhile wait in the night of Mingshui Ancient City is a spring show performance. Dressed in ancient costume, holding a paper umbrella, strolling through the ancient city is picturesque, with tourists in ancient costumes taking photos everywhere. The daytime has the ancient charm of the day, and the night has the splendor of the night. The clear and rushing memories of the springs, the intangible heritage skills passed down through the ages, the delicious local snacks, the cultural memories of a generation of Confucian merchants, and the talented woman of all time... What is displayed is the unique beautiful scroll of the Little Spring City Zhangqiu.