Ruins of the Longquan Sword Pool

Ruins of the Longquan Sword Pool

The Longquan Sword Pool Ruins is a cultural tourism attraction.

Sword Pool Lake is located about 1.5 kilometers south of Longquan City, by the side of Qinxi Mountain. In ancient times, there were seven wells arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper; after the Ming Dynasty, only one well remained, which still exists today. Legend has it that during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the famed swordsmith Ou Yezi forged three swords here — “Longyuan,” “Qin’a,” and “Gongbu” — making Longquan swords famous throughout the land.

The Northern Song Dynasty’s "Taiping Huanyu Ji" states: “In ancient times, people quenched swords in the water here, and the swords turned into dragons and flew away, hence the swords were named Longquan.” The Qing Dynasty’s "Yitongzhi" records: “South of Longquan County in Zhejiang, there is a body of water called ‘Longyuan.’ During the Tang Dynasty, to avoid the naming taboo of Emperor Gaozu (Li Yuan), it was renamed ‘Longquan.’ In the Song Dynasty, it was again renamed ‘Sword Pool Lake.’ It is said that Ou Yezi forged swords here.” Sword Pool Lake thus became a symbol of Longquan being established as a county. A Sword Pool Pavilion has now been rebuilt on the site of the ancient pool and is a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit.

Location

183 Sword Pool West Road, by Qinxi Mountain, Longquan City, Zhejiang Province