Black Dragon Pool - Best Place to Take Photos of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

There are two pools in the park, one deep and one shallow. The deep one is Black Dragon Pool, also known as Clear Pool (清水潭). The pool is a rounded pool about 15 meters deep, covering an area of 600 square meters. Clear spring gushed from the bottom of the pool. It’s a perfect place to appreciate the inverted image of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Shallow pool is located in the northeast of the deep pool. The color of the water presents yellowish, therefore the pool also being called the Turbid Pool (浑水潭). The Turbid Pool covers an area of 2600 square meters and 0.5 meters deep. Just a few step away, the water in Black Dragon Pool is totally different from the Turbid Pool. The color is distinct, one clear and one turbid, just like a Yin-yang Taiji diagram in Taoism.

Black Dragon Palace (黑龙宫)

The ancient architecture group close to the edge of the Black Dragon Pool is called "Black Dragon Palace", commonly known as Xiaguan Scenic Area. The Black Dragon Palace was first built in 1394, the palace is simple and elegant, dense of trees planted in the courtyard, and the main hall dedicated to the Dragon King and the side hall worship other aquatic noble people.

3 Unique Trees (三异木)

The park is also famous for the 3 old trees planted at the front of Beiji Hall in different dynasties - plum trees in the east from Tang Dynasty, cypresses in the middle from Song Dynasty and tea trees in the west from Ming Dynasty. A famous Chinese writer Mr. Moruo Guo had once written a poem to prise the beauty of the three trees in 1961 when he visited the Black Dragon Pool Park.

Red Maple Forest (红枫林区)

In 1997, in order to commemorate the "Return of Hong Kong", the park built a memorial maple forest. The forest covers an area of 2 hectares, planted more than 2000 red maple trees, and erected a stone monument there. Every year during the late autumn, the red leaves sway in the wind, dress the mountain in beautiful color.

Azalea Valley (杜鹃谷景区)

The Azalea Valley is close to the Fruit-plum Area, located in the valley to the north of the "Dragon Spring Plum Area (龙泉探梅)". It covers an area of 8 hectares, with more than 100,000 azalea planted. Before and after the Qingming festival, the mountains and gullies are carpeted with rhododendrons, presenting fairyland scenery of flower Sea.

Dingfeng Tower (定风塔)

Dingfeng Tower, also known as Wenbi Tower, is a seven-layer octagonal thick eaves and solid tower. Dingfeng Tower was built in the Ming dynasty, and restored in Qing Dynasty in 1852. The dolomite body of the seven-layer tower carved exquisitely and with a elegant shape. Not only four god names of Taoist are engraved on the tower, but also some Taoist scriptures.

Lijiang Old Town is a well-preserved ancient town for Naxi ethnic group. It is one of the four best-preserved ancient cities in China. The old streets are the network of the old town, flowing water is the blood, the bars and shops are the temperament and the Naxi folk customs are culture are the soul of Lijiang Old Town. You can not only explore the amazing ancient town with hundred years’ history, but also experience the spirit and feel romantic, relaxing charm of the town without city walls.

Mu’s Residence (木府)

Tusi Mu was under the ruler of Naxi Ethnic Group during Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. In the heyday of Tusi Mu, it was consisted of 100 buildings. Hence, there is a saying “there is Forbidden City in the North, Mu’s Residence in the south”. Mu’s Residence was called the miniature Forbidden City. Looked from a far distance, it likes a grand imperial palace and it is famous for the grandness and architectural buildings. Wandering inside Mu’s residence, you can visit Zhongyi Hall, Yi Gate, Wanjuan Tower, Hufa Hall, Guangbi Hall, Yuyin Hall, Sanqing Hall, Corridor, etc.

Dongba Culture Museum (东巴文化博物馆)

Dongba Culture Museum is located in the north of Black Dragon Pool Park, also known as Lijiang City Museum. The museum has 52 state-level cultural relics and more than 12,000 cultural relics, including ancient paintings and calligraphy, revolutionary cultural relics, Dongba scriptures, Religious articles etc. The museum contains Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall, Rare and Precious Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall, Dongba Cultural Center and National customs photography exhibition hall etc.

If you want to get rid of hustle of public transportation and troublesome navigation, you can travel with us China Discovery. Our local tour guide and driver will escort you to Black Dragon Pool from your hotel or any other places in Lijiang with speed, convenience and safety by the comfortable licensed private vehicle, provide you the best travel experience and take care of all the details. You just need to focus on sightseeing. Please tell us directly if you need any help!

From Lijiang Old Town to Black Dragon Pool

From the center of Lijiang Old Town - Sifang Street to the Black Dragon Pool is only about 2.2km. The best way to get to the Black Dragon Pool from Lijiang Old Town is by walking, takes less than 30mins and you can also navigate the old town on you way there.

Balck Dragon Pool is a small scenic spot near Lijaing Old Town, visitors can tour the whole place within 2 hours, and therefore most tourists would tour the Black Dragon Pool, Lijiang Old Town, Mu’s Residence and Dongba Culture Museum within a day. Then they might continue their trip to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Shuhe Old Town, Dongba mural paintings, etc. for 1-2 days. Besides, if you are fond of the emerald alpine lake and mysterious matriarchal society culture of Mosuo ethnic culture, you can plan another 2-3 days at Lugu Lake to enjoy more peaceful holiday time!

Recommended Black Dragon Pool, Lijiang Tour & Lijiang Lugu Lake Tour Packages:

>> 3 Days Romantic Lijiang Tour with Visits to Naxi Kingdom

>> 5 Days Lijiang & Lugu Lake Tour 

Quite a lot of visitors prefer travel Lijiang with Shangri-La where to seek the pure holy sceneries and Tibetan belief to catch the best essence of Yunnan province, which usually needs 5-6 days with best visits to Tiger Leaping Gorge with a memorable trekking experience, Sumtseling Monastery, Pudacuo National Forest Park, and more.

Recommended Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge & Shangri-La Tour Packages:

>> 5 Days Lijiang Tour with Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking

>> 5 Days Lijiang & Shangri-La Highlights Tour

Furthermore, actually most travelers arrange Lijiang city as a part of their Yunnan travel to visit more top destinations in one go, such as Kunming famous as Spring City and convenient province capital, Dali with profound Dali Old Town and splendid Erhai Lake, Yuanyang with terrific rice terraces, Xishuangbanna with exciting tropical flavor and Dai ethnic dances, etc., which usually needs 6-15 days based on your exploration depth!

Recommended Lijiang Yunnan Tour Packages:

>> 6 Days Best of Yunnan Tour (Lijiang / Shangri-La / Kunming)

>> 8 Days Classic Yunnan Tour (Kunming / Dali / Lijiang / Shangri-La)

>> 11 Days Amazing Yunnan Tour (Kunming / Yuanyang / Jianshui / Kunming / Dali / Lijiang / Shangri-La)

To help you enjoy a worry-free holiday in Black Dragon Pool Lijiang and Yunnan, we highly recommended you travel with us China Discovery who is a professional about the local condition of the whole Yunnan. Our local experienced drivers will escort you to the scenic area or other places with comfortable car directly with speed and safety. And our English-speaking tour guide will accompany you all the way, showing you the best travelling route and introduce highlights and history of each place so you can better enjoy your nature and humanity tour in Lijiang, Yunnan. The tour can be tailor-made according to your group size, time, physical conditions, plan, interest, budget and every special need. If you have any other ideas about the trip or you have other places or cities wanted to visit such as Sichuan, Tibet, Guilin or Guiyang, etc. our experienced travel consultants are very glad to offer their help. Please feel free to contact us if you need any help.