Hailan River

Hailan River

The Hailan River originates from Zhen Peak east of Changbai Mountain, flows through Qingshanli, Helongyu, and the Pingjiang Basin, and then into the fertile and beautiful Ruidian Plain, irrigating vast paddy fields before finally emptying into the Tumen River. The entire course spans 145 km. For the people of Longjing, it is a life-giving waterway and a historical witness to their shared trials and triumphs. Legend has it that in the past, across

this river, there were two large mountains on the east and west sides—Zhuyan Mountain and Piyanyan Mountain. At the foot of the mountains were two villages facing each other across the water, living in harmony. One summer, a three-headed, six-armed demon suddenly appeared on the river, causing chaos—sometimes whipping up fierce winds that blew houses away, other times greedily sucking the river dry. As a result, fish became extinct, crops withered, and the people of both villages faced imminent extinction. At this critical moment of life and death, a handsome young man named “Hai” from the eastern village stepped forward, determined to fight the demon to the death, vowing to sacrifice his life for the safety of his hometown. A beautiful girl named “Lan” from the western village also rose to the challenge and joined the battle against the demon. Faced with the enormous demon, the brave Hai remained calm and fearless, drawing his thousand-pound sword and swinging it left and right. Seizing the right moment, he successively chopped off three of the demon’s heads. But before the third head even hit the ground, the first one bounced back up nine feet high and reattached itself. After ninety-nine rounds of fierce combat, there was still no clear victor. In the hundredth round, the clever girl Lan followed the advice of the village elders. She wrapped a basin of spicy, bitter chili ash in her skirt, waiting for the moment the severed demon heads hit the ground so she could immediately sprinkle the ash on them. Finally, the giant demon spewed out a jet of black blood and collapsed with a loud thud. With the demon eliminated, peace was restored to the two villages.

Hai and Lan then got married. To commemorate the two brave youths, the villagers named the river “Hailan River.”