Located at the foot of Elephant Hill, the Black Dragon Pool is a well-known pond with its ancient temples and trees. Many buildings here were built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and moved here for protections. As the water is as green and lucid as jade, the Black Dragon Pool is entitled "Yuquan" (means Jade Fountain). The entire park is covered with grass and shaded by swaying willow trees. One can see temples hidden in the trees and variegated flowers are found everywhere.
Near the Black Dragon Pool is the Black Dragon Palace which was built during the Ming Dynasty around 700 years ago. It is where memorial ceremonies were once held. The main hall features a stone plaque written by the governor of Yunnan in the Qing Dynasty to praise the views here.
When visitors walk along the stone steps, they come directly to the Dragon Fountain Temple - the largest Taoist temple in southern China. Being built during the early Han Dynasty, it was enlarged and reconstructed several times throughout subsequent dynasties.
In front of the two temples, visitors will find three huge ancient trees. The plum tree was planted over 1,200 years ago during the Tang Dynasty. And the cypress tree, planted in the Song Dynasty, takes four to five men to circle with their arms stretched out. The camellia tree was planted during the Ming Dynasty.
In the park, some buildings were collected from other places for protection. Among them, the most famous buildings are the Villa Jietuolin of the King Mu and the Five Phoenixes Tower, which combines the typical Lamaism plane pattern and the Naxi architecture.
Type: Park
Address: No.1 Minzhu Road, Lijiang Ancient Town
Opening Hours: 07:00-19: 00
Ticket Price: Free, but you need to show the receipt of the Protection fee of Lijiang Ancient Town
Recommended visit time: 2-3 hours