China's Baotu Spring sees record gushing duration

JINAN, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Baotu Spring, a famous scenic spot in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, has been gushing continuously for 19 years, the longest duration since the 1970s.

The spring's water table reached 29.86 meters on Tuesday, nearly one meter higher than that recorded in the same period last year, according to the urban and rural water affairs bureau of Jinan.

The water table of springs in Jinan is mainly affected by precipitation, said the bureau, adding that the rise in Baotu Spring's water table can be attributed to the abundant rainfall since the flood season this year.

Baotu Spring began to see a seasonal hiatus in 1971 and once experienced a hiatus lasting for 926 days. However, it started gushing on Sept. 6, 2003, after a 548-day hiatus, and since then it has gushed continuously for 19 years.

Dubbed "the city of a thousand springs," Jinan boasts more than 1,000 natural springs, including 72 famous ones. Baotu Spring is considered the most famous of them all.