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Ruins of Bai Fu Spring — Nine-Dragon Pool and Dragon King Temple

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The ruins of Bai Fu Spring — Nine-Dragon Pool and Dragon King Temple are located on Longshan Mountain east of Huazhuang Village and are among the fourth batch of municipal-level cultural heritage sites in Beijing. The renowned Yuan Dynasty scientist Guo Shoujing, aiming to divert water to aid canal transport and solve the logistics issues of the then-capital Dadu (Beijing), petitioned Kublai Khan to channel water from Bai Fu Spring on Longshan Mountain in Changping as the upstream source of the northern end of the Grand Canal. In the 29th year of the Zhiyuan era (1292), this section of the canal (Bai Fu Weir) was completed, and the emperor bestowed upon it the name “Tonghui River.” During the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, the Tonghui River was restored twice, and the Nine-Dragon Pool was constructed at this source. The pool walls are built with granite stones, and the dragon heads are carved from white marble and embedded into the stone walls. The Dragon King Temple was built atop Longshan Mountain. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it gained fame for being “especially efficacious in praying for rain.” The temple faces south and consists of structures such as a screen wall, mountain gate, bell and drum towers, the main hall, and side halls. Within the courtyard are five stone tablets from the Ming and Qing periods documenting the history of temple renovations and rain prayers. The Nine-Dragon Pool and Dragon King Temple are important physical relics for studying the development of Beijing’s water conservancy and ancient folk customs.

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The ruins of Bai Fu Spring — Nine-Dragon Pool and Dragon King Temple are a municipal cultural heritage site in Beijing.

The ruins of Bai Fu Spring — Nine-Dragon Pool and Dragon King Temple are located on Longshan Mountain east of Huazhuang Village and are among the fourth batch of municipal-level cultural heritage sites in Beijing.

The renowned Yuan Dynasty scientist Guo Shoujing, aiming to divert water to aid canal transport and solve the logistics issues of the then-capital Dadu (Beijing), petitioned Kublai Khan to channel water from Bai Fu Spring on Longshan Mountain in Changping as the upstream source of the northern end of the Grand Canal. In the 29th year of the Zhiyuan era (1292), this section of the canal (Bai Fu Weir) was completed, and the emperor bestowed upon it the name “Tonghui River.” During the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, the Tonghui River was restored twice, and the Nine-Dragon Pool was constructed at this source. The pool walls are built with granite stones, and the dragon heads are carved from white marble and embedded into the stone walls. The Dragon King Temple was built atop Longshan Mountain. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it gained fame for being “especially efficacious in praying for rain.” The temple faces south and consists of structures such as a screen wall, mountain gate, bell and drum towers, the main hall, and side halls. Within the courtyard are five stone tablets from the Ming and Qing periods documenting the history of temple renovations and rain prayers. The Nine-Dragon Pool and Dragon King Temple are important physical relics for studying the development of Beijing’s water conservancy and ancient folk customs.

Source: Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage