Black Dragon Pool

About 2 kilometers north of Lijiang Ancient Town, at the foot of Elephant Hill, lies Black Dragon Pool Park (Heilongtan), which is also known as Jade Spring Park (Yuquan). The name comes from Black Dragon Pool, a lake covering about 40 hectares, and famous for the reflection of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain on its surface.

There are a number of different sights as you wander through the green grass and under the many willow trees. The Moon Embracing Pavilion (Deyue), built during the late Ming Dynasty sits on an island with access by its own marble bridge. Yiwen Pavilion is another and a waterfall cascades under the beautiful white marble Shuocui Bridge.

Longshen Temple (Dragon God Temple) is the highlight of the park. Made up of a two winged gatehouse and great hall, it was constructed in 1737 by the local Naxi people and was named by the Emperor Qianlong. Five Phoenix Tower was moved here in 1979, but was originally built in 1601 at Fuguo Temple 30km away. Now containing many cultural relics for viewing, it also has many drawings and paintings all over its structure.

Another unique feature of the park is the largest plum garden in China, which creates a wonderful scene when the trees are blooming. Ancient Plum, Camellia and Cypress trees are also to be seen.

The Dongba Culture Museum and research center is also located in the park, which has many Dongba artifacts and scrolls on display as well as information about the local culture.