Bailong Pool – Wusheng Temple Folklore Site in Xiechang

Bailong Pool – Wusheng Temple Folklore Site in Xiechang

The Bailong Pool – Wusheng Temple Folklore Site in Xiechang is a cultural heritage site protected by Xiangshan County.

The Bailong Pool – Wusheng Temple Folklore Site in Xiechang is located at Longtan Pit in Fan’ao Reservoir, Heping Town, Xiangshan County, and at Wusheng Temple in Xiechang Village. This site was originally a place where local people prayed for rain during droughts. In times of severe drought, local officials would personally organize rain-prayer ceremonies, which were spectacular events. People from neighboring counties such as Ninghai would also come here seeking rain. At such times, the public would wear rush shoes and official robes of Scholar Hu, proceeding to Wusheng Temple in Xiechang to perform three-day-and-three-night water-and-land Buddhist rituals. The confession texts were burned in Bailong Pool, where the White Dragon would transform into a white snake and be sent to the drought-stricken areas. After the rain, it would be returned and released back into Bailong Pool. Currently, 16 stone tablets inscribed during past rain prayers remain at the original site, and on a large rock at the foot of the mountain there is a recessed cliff inscription reading “Bailong Pool” (白龙潭), written by Lü Yaoqian, the former magistrate of Nantian County. The Bailong Pool – Wusheng Temple Rain Prayer Site holds significant value for the study of folklore culture not only in our county but across the nation. It was designated as part of the sixth batch of Xiangshan County-level cultural heritage protection units on October 30, 2007.