Black Dragon Pool () is a famous pond in the scenic Jade Spring Park (Yu Quan Gong Yuan) located at the foot of Elephant Hill, a short walk north of the Old Town of Lijiang in

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...

province, China. It was built in 1737 during the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

and offers views of the region's tallest mountain, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, over its white marble bridge. In the past, the pool itself has sometimes been dry, spoiling the famous view. In 2010, however, the park was declared a water conservation area by the local government. As of 2014, the pool stands full of water, its former beauty restored. The park features several smaller temples and pavilions: *The Moon-Embracing Pavilion (), originally built in the late

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

. The current structure is a reproduction from 1963 after a fire in 1950. *The Longshen Temple (), also known as Dragon God Temple, was constructed by local Naxi people in 1737 and is located to the east of the park. It was given the name Dragon God of Jade Spring by the

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 t ...

of the

in the same year. *The threefold overlap Five-Phoenix Tower (Wufeng Tower) was built during the

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

(1601), and today is located at the north end of the park. The tower was originally situated at the Fuguo Temple, which is to the west, but was moved to Jade Spring Park in 1979. *Forest of Stele(simplified in Chinese:碑林，pinyin: bēi lín), is the treasure house of Naxi culture. It is composed of more than 50 famous steles from the Tang Dynasty to the Republic of China, and it has high historical value. The park is further home to the Dongba Culture Research Institute and the

Dongba Culture Museum Dongba Culture Museum () is a museum in Lijiang City, Yunnan, China which deals with the Dongba culture of the Naxi (Nakhi) people. The Naxi is a minority with a long history and a brilliant culture. With a population of 300,000, this group live ...

References

External links

Black Dragon Pool
at travelchinaguide.com

at onetourchina.com {{Yunnan World Heritage Sites in China Geography of Lijiang Lakes of Yunnan Tourist attractions in Yunnan Bodies of water of China Ponds of China