Xiwan Wanglong Pool

Xiwan Wanglong Pool

In the dreamlike and mystical Kaola Mountain lies a magical and enchanting blue pool — the famous Xiwan Wanglong Pool.

Also known as Misai Pool, Wanglong Pool spans 4 meters in width, is 1.5 meters deep, and is covered in moss, with water that is crystal clear and sweet to the taste. The most distinctive feature of Wanglong Pool is that it is “approachable and intimate.” Upstream, the Misai Waterfall gathers the essence of Kaola Mountain’s waters, appearing like mist, like a curtain, like snow, like jade. Looking northward, verdant pines, slender bamboos, tung trees, peach blossoms, bayberries, and camellias blanket the mountains in rich greenery, exuding wild charm. Downhill, the road winds like a jade ribbon through the jungle by the stream. Gazing down at the blue pool, its shimmering surface glistens like jade, surrounded by picturesque piles of mountain rocks and hanging green mosses and vines. Qing Dynasty poet Ye Yuanyao once praised Wanglong Pool in a poem: “Lush grass circles the pool, sharing moisture into autumn’s green.”

According to local legend, long ago in Wangjiadai there lived a father and son. The son was named Wang Long, and the two made a living by chopping firewood and picking tea leaves. One early morning, father and son were carrying firewood down from Kaola Mountain when they reached the foot of Lion Mountain. Suddenly, thick fog rolled in, obscuring everything beyond ten steps. Wang Long, intent on hurrying home with the load, unknowingly left his father behind. Hungry and thirsty, he set the firewood down by the pool to take a drink. As he crouched to scoop water, he suddenly felt dizzy and fell headfirst into the pool with a splash. When his father returned looking for him, he found only the firewood — no sign of his son — and was overcome with grief. Every year during the Qingming Festival, Wang Long’s father would bring a sieve and offerings to the pool to honor his son. After falling into the pool, Wang Long was said to have been sanctified through years of incense offerings, eventually transforming into a dragon. Whenever drought struck, locals prayed to him for rain, and Wang Long never failed to respond — his help was miraculous. Out of gratitude, people would burn incense at the pool each year, praying for favorable weather in the coming year. And thus, Misai Pool came to be known as Wanglong Pool.

The most captivating sight at Wanglong Pool is the waterfall after rainfall. During heavy rain, looking up at the towering cliffs, the waterfall cascades like a dragon diving into the sea, thundering like an ominous roar. In light rain, the waterfall resembles the gentle washing of silk by the legendary beauty Xishi — soft, ethereal, with sounds like wind flutes and shepherd’s pipes. The pebbles beneath the pool take the shapes of turtles, frogs, birds, and beasts, all strikingly lifelike and brimming with vitality.