Emerald Green Dragon Spouts

Emerald Green Dragon Spouts

Emerald Green Dragon Spouts

The Yellow Dragon Cave is situated at the northern foot of Qixia Ridge and is also known as the Gateless Cave or Flying Dragon Cave. It was originally called “Huguo Renwang Temple.” During the Chunyou era of the Song Dynasty, it is said that a monk from Jiangxi’s Yellow Dragon Mountain came here to build a temple. One day, a yellow dragon reportedly flew down with a thunderous impact, causing a crack in the rocky mountain that resembled a dragon’s mouth. From this fissure, a clear spring gushed forth, giving it the name “Yellow Dragon Pool.” Originally occupied by Buddhist temples and Taoist monasteries, it was later transformed into a forested park centered around a pool, decorated with stacked rocks, pavilions, flower beds, lush trees, ancient trees, and graceful bamboo. Atop the mountain cliff sits a giant sculpted dragon head, from whose mouth a clear spring trickles down continuously.

The Yellow Dragon Cave is densely covered with emerald green bamboo — including robust and elegant moso bamboo, slender dark-purple purple bamboo, short and plush-like white bamboo, and the rare square bamboo with spines. With such a rich variety, every stalk sprouts vibrant green. Hence it's named “Emerald Green Dragon Spouts,” and has become one of the New Ten Scenes of West Lake. It now features the Yuan Yuan Folk Culture Ancient-Style Amusement Park, offering activities such as “Seeking Destiny,” archery, lantern viewing, and performances for entertainment.

Tucked within the dense woods and bamboo groves on the northern slope of Qixia Ridge at the northern foot of West Lake lies the historic Yellow Dragon Cave, which exudes the atmosphere of a Daoist paradise. Since the Southern Song Dynasty, it has been one of the five renowned dragon-worship sites on the lake. Among the “Twenty-Four Scenic Spots of Hangzhou” from the 19th century, “Yellow Mountain Accumulated Green” refers to this site. In 1985, the Yellow Dragon Cave, integrating religious culture with traditional temple garden aesthetics, was developed into an ancient-style amusement park and was selected as one of the New Ten Scenes of West Lake.

Between the main gate and the second gate of the Yellow Dragon Cave lies a long and winding pathway. Viewed from above, it resembles a dragon in motion. Along the way, there are ancient trees, lush bamboo, floral ponds, low walls, and lattice windows — many delightful sights to behold. In the context of temple garden design, this section is referred to as the “Guide,” functioning much like an overture. It helps transition visitors from the mundane to the serene, adjusting their mood and gradually drawing them into the beauty of the scenery.

The rockeries in the Yellow Dragon Cave are constructed from heavy yellow sandstone blocks, arranged along the contours of the terrain with rises and falls. They feature solitary peaks, clustered formations, or stacked mountains. From a distance, the stone peaks resemble a dense forest of overlapping emerald ridges; inside, the paths twist and turn, creating an ethereal and translucent atmosphere, blending grandeur with elegance. This style is distinctly different from the delicate and classic rockwork seen in Suzhou gardens, showcasing the strengths and charm of mountain-forest temple garden art — drawing close to nature, merging with it, and demonstrating ingenious design that appears effortless.

The bamboo scenery of the Yellow Dragon Cave has a long history, and the shaded bamboo path is another highlight. Towering, robust moso bamboo, some reaching over ten meters in height, forms a verdant sea. Delicate white bamboo, short and fluffy, is endearingly small. The deep-purple purple bamboo, it is said, was originally introduced from Mount Putuo. Additional varieties such as Buddha’s belly bamboo, penholder bamboo, and golden-inlaid-jade bamboo decorate the rockeries and courtyards, adding refined charm. Most noteworthy are the square bamboos — their stalks are uniquely square-shaped, as if cut, yet strong enough to serve as walking sticks, making them truly unique. With so much bamboo come plenty of shoots. Around the time of the Qingming Festival each year, after a light rain and with the warm breeze blowing, bamboo shoots emerge everywhere — along walls, roadsides, at the foot of hills, and behind courtyards. Some push aside stones with unstoppable force, while others grow in tight clusters, competing vigorously. Throughout the tranquil grounds of the Yellow Dragon Cave, both inside and out, a lively vitality abounds.