偏爱五龙潭

济南有一个五龙潭。相比趵突泉的显赫声名,她的名气似乎小得多,如在深闺。而在济南人眼中,五龙潭自有她的妙趣,她的平民化更为人们所喜爱。

老济南对五龙潭情有独钟。十几二十年前,五龙潭畔街巷纵横、泉水静流,毗泉而居的老济南人取水煎茶,一派悠然。今天的五龙潭,几经修缮,古雅之余已成为济南人一处休闲娱乐的所在。

五龙潭公园因内有五龙潭而得名。五龙潭居公园中部。据《水经注》记载,北魏以前就有这片水,称净池,是大明湖的一隅。相传,五龙潭昔日潭深莫测,每遇大旱祷雨则应,故元代有好事者在潭边建庙,内塑五方龙神,自此便改称五龙潭。

五龙潭公园内,散布着形态各异的26处古名泉,构成了济南四大泉群的五龙潭泉群。

时下,园内春色无边,百花竞放,柳丝轻柔。园内的茶社,是品茶、赏泉、观鱼的最佳去处。

五龙潭内名泉众矣,各成一景。

古温泉位于五龙潭东南侧,因泉水温度较高,且历史悠久而得名。隆冬季节、寒风凛冽,大雪纷飞,而泉中却热气蒸腾。清代泉旁曾建有漪园,后荒废。泉南侧有一座二层小楼,是早期中共山东省领导机关所在地。

悬清泉又名贤清泉,位于五龙潭北侧。泉池深2.4米,呈不规则状,以自然石驳岸。泉水清澈,杨柳垂荫,景色怡人。清人沈廷芳在《贤清园记略》中写道:“济南名泉甲天下,旧传七十有二……其著者为趵突,为珍珠,而贤清实具二泉之体而微焉者也。”清代悬清泉畔曾建有一处别致的水景园――朗园。现朗园已废,人们在其旧址上修建了揽泓榭,景色亦佳。

天镜泉又名江家池,位于五龙潭南端。因泉水清澈明亮,日月星云倒映水面如天垂镜,故名。天镜泉是五龙潭泉群中第二大泉,水势甚好。池内青藻浮动,锦鱼穿梭,很是好看。

七十三泉在五龙潭西南侧葡萄架下。泉池以自然石驳岸,玲珑别致。泉水从石缝中流出,汇入五龙潭。七十三泉的出现有一段佳话:清乾隆五十六年(1791),著名学者桂馥命人在五龙潭西侧修建潭西精舍。孰料在挖地基时,竟挖出一个泉眼,泉水汨汨喷涌,水势甚佳。桂馥大喜,大宴宾客,请众人为此泉起名。众人七嘴八舌,所起的名字都不甚理想。最后桂馥灵机一动,为此泉起名为“七十三泉”,众人无不称妙。桂馥还赋诗一首:“名泉七十二,不数五龙潭。为劳算博士,筹添七十三。”

凡是地灵之处,总有异相之说。五龙潭也是如此。

据历史明确记载,每逢乱世与人心向恶的时代,此潭便会发生异相。最近几次经过明确考证的记载。一是清末1908年,此潭在深夜突然沸腾,随即有一处唐代府院浮现,这在《山东志》中有明确记录;还有一次是1938年,一夜之间潭中水声巨响,第二天早水面漂浮大量古书。目睹当时情况的是当时山东民办大学一李姓教员。而1982年,当时济南市园林局工作人员对五龙潭两侧进行清理时,曾挖出一块唐代石碑,上书“唐左武卫大将军胡国公秦叔宝宅”,至尽保留在五龙潭公园内。多年来,有很多济南市民在潭边捡拾到古物与器件,却不知道从那里来的。 

最近一次的五龙潭异相发生在2002年。当时济南地区大旱,千年从没有干枯过的五龙潭也破天荒地干枯了。当时潭里水域面积被缩小到很小的一块。由于潭里有大量鱼与龟,人们为了不使鱼因为水干枯而遭殃,便准备把鱼与龟全部打捞上来转移。但是神秘的是,潭里的水已经很少了,鱼和龟根本无处躲藏,但人们却找不到任何鱼等水生物。由于五龙潭与外界水系或泉群没有连通,所以鱼不可能游到外面,但就是找不到。而2003 年济南地区雨量增大,五龙潭又恢复了过去的喷涌,水量也恢复到以前,让人惊奇的是,那些鱼龟又出现了。所以有人断定,潭底必然有秘道,更加应证了秦琼府邸的传闻,而百姓则认为此潭里面有秦琼化身的龙在守护。

传闻的源头还要追朔到唐朝玄宗李隆基时期,五龙潭就是在那个时期形成的。当时这里是唐朝名将秦琼的府邸,并没有五龙潭。由于秦琼是唐开国名将,祖籍济南人,与程咬金、罗士信都是唐初的英雄。他去世后,他的儿子一直居住于此。到了唐玄宗李隆基末期,由于玄宗宠爱杨贵妃,荒淫无度,使朝政荒废,政体腐败,奸臣当道,民不聊生。秦琼之子正直不阿,看不惯时政,便与一些仁人志士聚集在府里痛斥朝廷的腐败与奸臣的恶毒,结果被小人告发。奸臣借此在玄宗面前污蔑他,使玄宗大怒,派人到济南缉拿秦琼之子,查抄秦府。当朝廷官兵快到秦府之时,突然电闪雷鸣,有人见五条金龙闪现空中,随即秦府塌陷,形成渗坑,大水冒出,形成了今天的五龙潭。之后,关于此潭的传说很多,记载曾有水性好的人下到潭中,游入很深,发现一处府院,上写“秦琼府”,里面用具齐全,有人居住,明代还有人在潭边见秦琼显灵。

五龙潭是上天赐给济南的礼物。我们偏爱五龙潭,我们也由此愿意相信那些美丽的古老传说。

There is a Wulong (Five Dragon) Pond in Jinan. Compared to the eminent reputation of the Baotu Spring, she is much smaller, like an unknown beauty. However, in the eyes of Jinan people, the Wulong Pond has the charm of her own. The easy access enables her to be the preference of common people in Jinan.

Native people in Jinan show great preference for the Wulong Pond. Ten or twenty years ago, besides the Wulong Pond, streets and alleys used to interweave and spring water flow quietly; native Jinan people living near the springs used to make tea by using the spring water with great ease. Today, the elegant Wulong Pond, after several renovations, has become a place for recreation.

The Wulong Pond Park is named after the Wulong Pond which is located in the center of the park. In Shui Jing Zhu (The Commentary to the River Classic) written during the North Wei Period (A.D.386~557), it was recorded that this pond of water had existed before the North Wei Period, was called Jingchi at that time, being part of the Daming Lake. According to legends, the Wulong Pond was bottomless in the past. When drought happened, it would rain if people prayed. As a result, a temple was built in the Yuan Dynasty (A.D.1206~1368), inside which five dragon gods were built. Thus the Jingchi was renamed Wulong Pond since then.

Inside the Wulong Pond Park, are scattered 26 famous ancient springs of different shapes, which constitute the Wulong Pond spring cluster, one of the four most famous spring clusters in Jinan. Many springs form the large Wulong Pond spring system that become the spring cluster with best spring water quality among the four largest famous spring clusters.

Now, the park is wrapped in the beautiful spring scene: all the flowers are flourishing and the willows are weeping in the wind. The teahouse in the park is the best place for enjoying tea, spring, and golden fish.

There are many famous springs in the Wulong Spring Park, each forms a characteristic scene.

Legends tell that the Wulong Pond has a spirit for it must rain if prayers are offered in times of drought.

The Wulong Pond is a gift for Jinan endowed by nature. We thus show our preference for it and are willing to believe those beautiful and ancient legends about it.