Moon Immersed in the Dragon Pool

Moon Immersed in the Dragon Pool

The Dragon Pool is located to the north of the west end of the original wooden bridge over the Yi River (the bridge was demolished in the 1980s) in the western part of the county town. The so-called Dragon Pool is an unfathomably deep pool (known locally as a "yānzi"), said to be the dwelling place of the Dragon King of the Yi River. During the Qing Dynasty, on the fifteenth day of each month, on clear, moonlit nights, the moon would cast its reflection in the pool, creating the illusion of two moons shining together—hence the name “Moon Immersed in the Dragon Pool.”

There is also a mythological story about the Dragon Pool. Legend has it that during the Qing Dynasty, a county magistrate came to Yishui with his family to take up his post. One night, the magistrate’s young son went alone to admire the “Moon Immersed in the Dragon Pool” and became so enchanted that he lost track of time. Late at night, a beautiful woman emerged from the pool, claiming to be the daughter of the Dragon King of the Yi River, and said she was fated to marry the young man. The dragon maiden pointed her hand toward the pool, and the waters parted to reveal a path. The young man followed the dragon maiden into the underwater palace and married her. When the son failed to return home that night, the magistrate was frantic and sent people to search everywhere, but to no avail. Three days later, the young man returned home on his own. He told his father about meeting the dragon maiden. Upon hearing this, the magistrate flew into a rage and personally wrote a denunciation, criticizing the Dragon King of the Yi River for lax parenting, allowing his daughter to engage in inappropriate behavior, and tarnishing the dignity of the divine realm. He then burned the document and cast it into the pool. The magistrate also ordered lime to be purchased and piled up by the pool, planning to dump tens of thousands of pounds of it into the water once enough had been gathered. That night, the Dragon King appeared to the magistrate in a dream, admitting fault in his daughter’s upbringing and insisting that the young man and his daughter were truly fated to be together. The Dragon King begged the magistrate not to dump the lime into the pool and said they would move away immediately. At dawn, people were sent to inspect the pool, only to find it had been completely silted up and filled with sand. From then on, the scenic wonder of the “Moon Immersed in the Dragon Pool” disappeared. It is said that the Dragon King of the Yi River moved to a deep pool in Miaojiagu (now part of Yinan County). The Yishui County Annals compiled during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty recorded: “The Dragon Pool, located to the west of the county, was one of the Eight Scenic Spots, but now it is silted up.” This confirms that by the Daoguang era, this scenic site had already vanished. A poem bears witness to this:

Moon Immersed in the Dragon Pool

Yang Guangpu

A hundred-foot spring immerses the moon so bright, Where wind and moon commonly whisper with delight.

The Han concubine sets wine where silver trays sway, And fairy girls from Xiang make mirrored waves decay.

Half an acre of jade fields shows white gems aglow, A furnace of elixir dots gold here below.

I can’t bear the clear chants by my pillow at night, They must be sharing pure thoughts with the moon so bright.

Moon Immersed in the Dragon Pool

Dang Baoxiu

West of Yi, vast pools lie deep in island’s core, For twenty years I’ve slept by spring waters before.

First-quarter moon leaves no trace in sapphire deep, While streams run dry, locking western gates from sleep.

Dragons ply the rain in midnight’s secret hour, While townsfolk kneel, praying in empty tower.

Such scenic fame now lost is such a shame, Yet moonlight stays as fresh, as bright as flame.