Jade Dragon Pool and Black Dragon Pool

Jade Dragon Pool and Black Dragon Pool

Jade Dragon Pool and Black Dragon Pool

Jade Dragon Pool and Black Dragon Pool are located on the mountaintop at the border of Xiaowan Town and Fengshan Town, with altitudes ranging from 2400 to over 2860 meters. They are about 10 kilometers from the new Xiaowan Town and now fall within the Lancang River Provincial Nature Reserve. Jade Dragon Pool is lush with grass and trees, with clear pool water and several small islands in the pool. Around the pool, there are hundreds of acres of wild…

Jade Dragon Pool is rich in vegetation and dense with woods, featuring crystal-clear waters and several small islands. The surrounding area has hundreds of acres of wild large-tree rhododendrons, while the forest is home to a large number of solid bamboo, Lady Amherst's pheasants, wild chickens, and other precious animals. The air is fresh and the scenery is enchanting.

Originally a natural pool, Jade Dragon Pool is said to have been inhabited by a little white dragon that brought rain and directed water flow to irrigate farmlands in Azao Mountain, Stone Village, Fern Grass Dam, and Agucun during droughts. In the early 1970s, to develop water conservancy, the pool was turned into a small reservoir capable of holding over 1.2 million cubic meters of water.

To support the construction of the Xiaowan Hydropower Station and develop eco-tourism, relevant departments plan to build a Lolo (Yi ethnic group) cultural resort in the nearby mountain forest. The resort will mainly showcase the local customs and traditions of the Lolo people, allowing visitors to experience their simple lifestyle, culture, customs, and etiquette. It will also feature a hundred-acre “Azalea Garden,” a “Rare Plants and Flowers Garden,” a “Four Seasons Tea Garden,” as well as two “Pool-View Pavilions” to the east and west. Walking paths will be constructed for viewing the full panorama of Jade Dragon Pool.

History has endowed Black Dragon Pool with a legendary sense of mystery. It was once part of the horse trail used by people from Xiaowan, Shangda, Panxiang, and Zhengyi to reach the county town. Entering the primeval forest of the Black Dragon Pool area gives one a feeling of “pitch-darkness.” It is said that those with good hearts will stay clear-headed and safely walk out of the forest, while those with ill intentions may fall into the pool and never emerge. Of course, this remains just a legend, but the area remains a pristine sanctuary where the original appearance of the primeval forest is still preserved.