“Tranquility and Transcendence” and Chaoran Tower
If one is not after profit or fame, he will reach a high goal. Staying peaceful is a kind of attitude. Climbing up Chaoran Tower, one can stay away from the common customs and transcend borders to embrace the beyond.
Chaoran Tower is the soul of the Scene of “Tranquility and Transcendence”. It was first built in the Yuan Dynasty. According to Licheng County Annals, Li Jiong, a well-known scholar in the Yuan Dynasty built it after he built a waterside pavilion by Daming Lake. Li Jiong (1274-1332), also named Gaizhi, was born in Tengzhou, Shandong. He was well-educated and talented. He was the official editor of the Imperial Academy and he took part in the editing of The Classics of the History. When the books were completed, he retired and lived in the villa of Chaoran Tower by Daming Lake. PuSongling, a well-known novelist of the Qing Dynasty once lived here. The building fell down many years later.
Daming Lake was enlarged in 2009. Chaoran Tower was also rebuilt according to its old style. The rebuilt tower is a steel reinforced concrete old-styled building. It is based on a grand granite platform and the tiles, attachments, gates and rails are all made of copper. The boards and pillars are made in the skills of cloisonné enamel. The seven-storied building is 51.7 meters high and with a building area of 5673 square meters. The elevator can take visitors to the top floor to have a bird’s view of Daming Lake and Jinan. It is reputed as “Number One Tower in North China”. On the other floors, there are wood carvings, murals, pictures and descriptions to show the visitors the cultures of springs, gardening and customs of Jinan.
On the first floor,the exhibition hall of “The Capital of Springs” shows the visitors the springs and culture of Jinan in three-dimensional animation. There are a lot of activities of “The Autumn of Que Hill and Hua Hill”, “Setting Lotus Lanterns in Daming Lake”, “The Painting Wall of the Views in Jinan”, “Taking Photos”, “Fictitious Turning Pages” and “Spring Flows over the Rocks”. Visitors can get involved and experience the magic of modern technology.
On the second floor, there is a splendid wood carving facing the gate. The wood carving shows all the well-known scenic spots of Jinan, the City of Springs. The whole wood carving is made of nanmu wood and 8 meters high and 4.9 meters wide. Based on the real layout of Jinan, the carving shows the visitors the nice places and history and culture of Jinan On the walls of the hall, are the wood carvings of “The Eight Sights in Jinan” which are Baotu Spring Gushing to the Sky, The Spring of Jinping Hill, Viewing fish in Five Dragon Pool, The Black Tiger Spring under the Moon, Chrysanthemum of Thousand Buddha Hill, Misty Rain Over Quehua Bridge, The Clouds after Snowing and The Grand View of Lingyan Mountain. In the hall, visitors also can see the precious one thousand-year-old camphorwood carving of “Ten Thousand Horses Galloping ahead”, annatto wood carving of “Fortune and Happiness”, Long Yanmu wood carving of “The Nine Carps from the Dragon Mouth” and “A Roc Taking off with Tremendous Power and Momentum”. On the walls there are also the grand bronze carving of “Lotus festival on Daming Lake”, “The Autumn of Que Hill and Hua Hill” and the works of some local artists. In the north hall, there is a pottery show of “Lao Can and Old Jinan.” On the two sides of the elevator from the third floor to the sixth floor, there are painting shows of “The Eight Sights of Daming Lake” painted by some contemporary painters.
On the third floor, there is a teahouse with a grand mural of “Ever-shining Sun and the Moon”.
On the fourth floor, is a jade carving show of Mount Tai.
On the fifth floor, is a show of precious and rare fossils.
The sixth floor is a sightseeing terrace with a teahouse. Visitors can enjoy the nice view while drinking tea.
Chaoran Tower is the highest point of Daming Lake Scenic Area. It is splendid and grand. It is like a roc taking off with tremendous power and momentum. Ascending the tower, visitors will enjoy the amazing and picturesque view of Daming Lake and have a bird’s view of Jinan.
Linked with Chaoran Tower, is Boyi Hall. It was originally the antiques show room in Xia Garden and was destroyed in the war. It was rebuilt recently with an area of 1250 square meters. It is the exhibition room of works of some well-known painters and calligraphers. To the south of Chaoran Tower, is Hesheng Studio which got the name from the former Hesheng Theatre Street.