Santan Jilang Scenic Area

Santan Jilang Scenic Area

Another place as mystical as Little Penglai is Yuwang Bay. Once a fishing village and dock, Yuwang Bay gradually became fertile farmland as the seawater receded eastward. Secluded and sparsely populated, the area has retained its natural environment with little human interference, and its simple, rustic charm offers a strong taste of countryside life. Many descriptions of mountain forests in the classic novel *Flowers in the Mirror* are based on this region.

In the thirty-six scenic spots of Mount Yuntai, Yuwang Bay is known as "Santan Jilang" (Three Pools Drawing Waves). As you enter the valley, the first sight is the Three Dragons Pool, where the water is crystal clear and fish are easily visible. Beside it, huge rocks lean precariously like makeshift shelters, so threatening that people dare not approach too closely. During the rainy season, the rushing stream flows into the pool, resembling a wide silver screen. Hiking up the stone path along the mountain, you’ll see countless oddly shaped rocks—though polished smooth by the stream, each has its own distinct form and is arranged in an orderly fashion. At the Second Dragons Pool, the water surface is larger and the temperature bone-chillingly cold. Further upstream, steep cliffs rise sharply on both sides, making you feel as if you’re walking through a narrow alley. After several twists and turns, you’ll come upon the Old Dragons Pool Waterfall, where water plunges straight down. The pool below is dark blue, unfathomably deep, with splashing foam misting like fog or smoke. At this point, aside from the way you came, the other three sides are sheer cliffs, forming a dead end with no path forward—so all past written records of the site end here.

Since the spring of 1995, when tourism development began in Yuwang Bay, the landscape has been completely transformed. First, the mountain path was extended to the Old Dragons Pool, and then a tall “Stairway to Heaven” was built on the southern side of the pool, leading directly to the top of the Old Dragons Pool Waterfall. Here, there are streams within streams and waterfalls above waterfalls. The Hidden Dragon Cave is especially spectacular—it can accommodate dozens of people, and its entrance is adorned with a continuous waterfall curtain that refracts a rainbow of colors. After heavy rain, the curtain can completely cover the cave mouth, much like the Water Curtain Cave described in *Journey to the West*. Though this cave doesn’t lead to the Dragon King’s Palace under the Eastern Sea, you can crawl out through the upper opening and continue on to the next attraction, Green Water Pond.

Today, Yuwang Bay has transformed from a quiet little mountain village into one of Lianyungang’s famous tourist destinations, ranking just behind Huaguo Mountain and Xilian Island in popularity. In addition to further improving tourism facilities, efforts will continue to develop another mountain stream, more than doubling the current scenic area.