The Black Dragon Pool

The Black Dragon Pool used to be called Yuquan Park that is known for its limpid water and intriguing sceneries as background. The pool is about 1 kilometer north of Lijiang Old Town and at the foot of the Xiangshan Hill (Elephant Hill); one can trek along the river to get access. The Black Dragon Pool Park was first constructed in 1737, or the 2nd year of Qianlong Reign of the Qing Dynasty, and underwent several renovations since then. It was bestowed as the Pool of Dragon King by Jiaqing and Guangxu Emperors of the Qing Dynasty, thus the name Black Dragon Shrine (Heilongmiao).

The Black Dragon Pool is one of the famous places of interest in Lijiang area. It’s normally referred to as King Dragon Shrine by the local Naxi people. Old architecture complex inside include Dragon King Shrine, Deyue Pavilion, Suocuilou Pavilion, Jade Emperor Temple and Wufenglou Pavilion(Five Phoenix Pavilion ), etc, among which the most impressive is the Wufeng Pavilion. Wufeng Pavilion, also named Fayunge Pavilion, was originally situated in Fuguosi Temple on the Zhishan Mountain and was moved to the Black Dragon Pool in 1979. Fuguosi temple used to be the villa and family temple of Chieftain Mu; in the Ming Dynasty, Xu Xiake, a renowned traveler and geologist, was accommodated in Fuguosi Temple by Chieftain Mu.   　　

As the main construction of Black Dragon Pool Park, the Dragon King Shrine consists of Opera Stage, Deyue Pavilion, gate tower, two side houses, a major hall, and several courtyards. The statues of General Lobster and General Crab beside Dragon King will give much flavor to the Daoist culture; while the major hall and gate tower, magnificent, further add to the solemnity of the shrine as a sacred place to the Naxi people around.

The pool is also the major water source of the old town, there are several streams originating from it and winding their ways to the town, hence making the old town known as the Plateau Suzhou or Venice. On sunny days, you can obviously see the reflections of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the limpid water of the pool; therefore, the Black Dragon Pool has become a landmark of the Old Town of Lijiang.