Hupao Spring is ranked the third purest spring in China, according to scientific research on the quality of the water in Leng Spring in Zhejiang Province and Hui Spring in Wuxi City of Jiangsu Province. Much pleasure can be gained from Hupao Spring listening to the water, viewing the spring, tasting the spring, feeling the spring, and even dreaming about the spring can be enjoyable.

Hupao Spring is well famed for its unique fountain. People of all ages praise it highly after tasting a cup of Longjing tea made from water from Hupao fountain. In both ancient and modern times, many poems admiring the spring have been composed by famous Chinese poets. So it is no surprise that Longjing (Dragon Well) tea and Hupao (Tiger Running) fountain bring out the best in each other and are acknowledged as the "two wonders of the West Lake".

Hupao Spring is at the foot of Daci (Great Compassion) Hill, five kilometers away from Hangzhou city, which stretches between the West Lake and the Qiantang River.

A Buddhist monastery was built near Hupao Spring. Now, Hupao Spring, the temple and the surrounding twisting valley have been turned into the Tiger Running Spring Forest Park. On the site is Li Shutong's Memorial erected in honor of the bel-esprit, who was outstanding in the fields of music, drama, painting, and calligraphy, and entered Buddhism in the Daci Temple in 1981.

  Legend

According to local legend, there used to be a temple occupied by a monk named Xingkong during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Later, due to lack of water, the monk planned to leave the temple. One night, he had a dream in which an immortal told him two tigers would move a fountain here. As expected, the next day two mighty tigers from the Hengshan Mountain circled the spot and dug a hole which caused the spring to gush forth -- hence, the name Hupao Spring (Tiger Running Spring).

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