Bailongguan Scenic Area

Bailongguan Scenic Area

The Bailongguan Scenic Area is located around the main peak of Bailong Taizi Mountain, covering an area of about 4 square kilometers. Here, the mountains are high and densely forested, with beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate. Numerous historical sites are scattered throughout the scenic zone, such as the ruins of Bailongguan, Bailong Cave, Bailong Well, the Tomb of Taoist Liu, Jiutian Ridge, Longquan Cave, and the Porter’s Path. Each of these historical sites has its own mysterious legend. Visiting the Bailongguan Scenic Area allows travelers to feast their eyes, delight their spirits, wander amidst the mountains and waters, explore the wonders of nature, and contemplate the true meaning of life. The experience is deeply immersive and joyful, making visitors linger and forget to leave, enchanted and reluctant to depart—much like Ouyang Xiu’s experience at the Drunkard’s Pavilion. It’s not unlike that at all.

The ruins of Bailongguan are located on the northwest slope of the main peak of Bailong Taizi Mountain. Originally, there were two temples: the Upper Temple and the Lower Temple. The Upper Temple, consisting of three rooms, was built on the cliff of the main peak and served as a place for female Taoists to practice. The Lower Temple had three stories and 48 rooms, constructed in a bamboo grove halfway up the mountain, and was a site for male Taoists to cultivate themselves. There are two legends regarding the origin of Bailongguan.

The first legend says that on the northwest slope of Bailong Taizi Mountain, there is a pool called Bailong Pool. The pool is not large and is semi-circular in shape. Legend has it that the water in Bailong Pool was once clear and bottomless, and inside lived a white dragon that would appear and disappear from time to time. Whenever it rained, the Taizi Mountain would be shrouded in clouds and mist, and the white dragon would fly among them. When the rain stopped, it would hide back in the pool. As a result, local residents would offer incense by the pool, praying for the white dragon to bring rain and blessings to protect the local people and creatures. By the Eastern Han Dynasty, a temple was built here and named “Bailongguan.” Every year on the third day of the third lunar month, a temple fair was held, attracting believers from hundreds of miles around who came to worship and pray to the white dragon for protection. The incense offerings were abundant, and the scene was spectacular, leaving onlookers in awe. Over the dynasties, the temple experienced periods of prosperity and decline. The last Bailongguan temple was built during the Qing Dynasty. Before the Anti-Japanese War, there were still more than ten Taoists residing there. By the end of 1939, Japanese invaders swept through the mountains and burned down all the temple structures.

The second legend tells of a small white dragon from Taizi Mountain in the East Sea who was punished by the Heavenly Emperor for violating heavenly laws. Later, after being enlightened by Guanyin Bodhisattva, the dragon transformed into the White Dragon Horse and carried Tang Seng on his journey to the West to retrieve Buddhist scriptures. After enduring many hardships and helping Tang Seng obtain the true scriptures, the little white dragon was rewarded for his merit, attained enlightenment, and regained his true form. Later, when he returned to the East Sea to visit his father, the Dragon King, he passed through this area. Seeing the beautiful pool, he descended from the clouds and rested in the pool. Since then, the mountain has been called Bailong Taizi Mountain, and the pool has been called Bailong Pool. The little white dragon left his spiritual essence in the pool, so whenever it rains, a wisp of white mist rises from the surface of the pool, curling upward and connecting with the thick clouds over Taizi Mountain. Within the mist, the dragon’s head can be faintly seen. Thus, the reputation of Bailong Pool’s spiritual efficacy gradually spread, and people within a hundred-mile radius all came to know of it. Visitors flocked to the pool to pray for rain and blessings. When the news reached Mount Wudang, the then-head Taoist priest of the Mount Wudang Taoist Temple sent monks to raise funds and build Bailongguan. Some Taoists from Mount Wudang came to reside here, and thus Bailongguan continued as a branch of Mount Wudang Taoism.

Of course, the truth of these legends is beyond verification. What is real, however, is the site of the former Bailongguan. Today, the old foundation of the temple has been developed into a new agricultural settlement. This area features a slope-alluvial fan terrain with fertile soil, high mountains, dense forests, misty surroundings, and a pleasant climate, making it an ideal summer retreat and health resort, often referred to as the “Little Lushan.”