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 Yu
Quan, or the Jade Spring, is located on the Yu Quan Hill in the west
suburb of Beijing City.
Yu Quan has been famous for its fresh and clean water for hundreds
of years. In the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234 AD) there was a royal villa
here for the Emperor Zhang Zong. In the Qing Dynasty the Emperor
Qianlong used a very special method to justify the famous springs
and waters in China: he invented a silver measure cup to measure the
weight of every spring in this country. Among all of them the Yu
Quan water was the lightest, which means the mineral component is
the lowest. Furthermore, the Yu Quan water was very clean and sweet
and perfect for tea drinkers. It is also the closest to the royal
family -- just a couple miles from the Emperor's summer palace (Yi
He Yuan). That's why it is entitled as the "No. 1 Spring" of the
country. Since then, Yu Quan has been used for the royal only.
Everyday there is a small carriage transporting several barrels of
fresh water from Yu Quan to the Forbidden City. This is the drink
water resource for the emperor and his family for the whole dynasty.
Today, the Yu Quan is still closed to the public: it is the
sanatorium for the high rank officials of Chinese central
government. The water is still very clean and fresh and it is still
one of the best springs of China.
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