Libo Wild Boar Forest

Libo Wild Boar Forest

Libo, located in a corner of southeastern Guizhou Province, is where the Zhangjiang River connects and blends together ethnic groups such as the Buyi, Shui, Miao, Yao, and Han, creating a vibrant tapestry of diverse cultures. The Little Seven-Arch Bridge, nestled among trees with twisted branches, quietly spans the mirror-like Hanbi Pool, as if telling the story of its over 100 years of glory. It is named after this very bridge. So how did the scenic area’s “Wild Boar Forest” and “Mandarin Duck Lake” get their names? Let us tell you their beautiful legends!

Legend has it that long ago, Apan, a handsome Yao youth from Yao Mountain Township, and Ama, a beautiful Shui girl, fell in love. They sang folk songs in the mountains, and before they knew it, the moon had climbed high into the trees. The two leaned against a large rock, expressing their feelings through song throughout the night. Their melodious and lingering voices captivated the surrounding trees, which leaned in to listen quietly. The entire forest was enchanted, lost in a dreamlike state. When the sun rose in the east and its light shone down, the trees’ peculiar shapes were frozen in time, becoming what is now known as the “Drunken Forest.” This grove, with its unusual tree forms and remote location, was once home to many wild boars, hence it also came to be called the “Wild Boar Forest.”

Legend also tells of a tyrannical local chieftain who had long lusted after the beautiful Ama and tried repeatedly to force her to become his concubine, but she refused every time. Now, seeing the poor young man Apan and Ama in love, dancing together like butterflies, he flew into a rage. He sent his servants to hunt them down in the mountains. Cornered at the edge of a cliff with no escape, Apan and Ama swore to live and die together and refused to surrender or be dishonored. Singing the song “Good Flowers Are Red,” they held hands and leapt off the cliff together. Suddenly, the earth shook, thunder roared, and in an instant, two lakes—one large and one small—appeared in the mountains, connected by a waterway. A pair of mandarin ducks swam neck to neck, whispering softly to each other. To commemorate the loyal lovers, later generations named the lake “Mandarin Duck Lake.”

Admission Fee

Free

Location

No. 25, Zhangjiang East Road, Libo County, Guizhou Province