Guishan Lake Park in the western part of Jinan provides a large lake and park landscape that functions as the city's recreational green lung. The park is popular with joggers, kite flyers, and families on weekends and is most pleasant early in the morning when older residents practice tai chi and ballroom dancing in the lakeside plazas. The lake itself has seasonal lotus flowers and a collection of small pavilions and bridges.
Less historically significant than the spring parks but more spacious and less crowded, Guishan Lake is the kind of park that reveals how Chinese cities work when they are not being tourist sites. The western shore has cafes and food stalls; the eastern approach is quieter and more park-like.