The springs that rise within the Jinci Temple complex — called the Difficult Old Lady Springs (Nanlao Quan) for a folk legend about their origin — were the headwaters of the Jin River and have fed an elaborate system of canals and ponds through the temple gardens for thousands of years. The water is exceptionally clear and cold, and the garden planted around the spring pools is one of the most beautiful in Shanxi: old willows, stone bridges, carved railings, and the reflection of the Song-dynasty Hall of the Holy Mother in the water.
The garden section around the springs can be visited separately from the main temple halls, and in warm weather it is a genuinely pleasant place to sit. The combination of natural water, old trees, and historic architecture is rare in a region better known for loess plateau dryness. The springs also irrigate the distinctive Jinci rice paddies — one of the few wet-rice cultivation areas in Shanxi — visible in the fields just outside the temple walls.