Longwangtang

Longwangtang

Longwangtang is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

Also known as Yuquan, Longwangtang is located at the foot of Longxi Mountain in Langyi Village, Beibanqiao Township, Baoshan City. During the Ming Dynasty's Jiajing era (1522–1566), Yan Shitai, the prefect of Yongchang, used the local spring water to irrigate farmland. After years of development, it became a scenic area featuring attractions such as Qiushui Cave, Dragon King Temple, and Princess Spring, along with expansive water surfaces, covering a total area of 0.83 square kilometers. The area is covered with ancient trees and draped in hanging vines. Springs gush from crevices in the rocks, creating a thunderous roar audible from over a hundred paces away. The spring water flows through three channels, reaching nearby villages around Langyi and extending all the way to the Baoshan Basin, irrigating tens of thousands of acres of fertile farmland.

Legend has it that this area was once extremely arid and barren. A kind-hearted third princess of the Dragon King married here and, despite working hard with her husband, could not achieve food security. The Dragon Queen stabbed a rock with her hairpin, and a clear spring immediately gushed out. Hence, this spring is also called Princess Spring. To commemorate the Dragon Queen, people built a statue and a temple for her—this is the Divine Dragon Shrine standing above the spring. The dragon statues and nearby canals have been renovated through generations. The temple is filled with flowers and trees, with red walls and yellow tiles hidden among lush greenery. On the 16th day of the first lunar month, people from nearby villages come here for temple fairs, ancestor worship, and prayers, making it quite lively.

On June 13 of the 12th year of the Chongzhen era in the Ming Dynasty (1639), Xu Xiake passed through Langyi Village on his way from Baoshan to the Reclining Buddha Temple. He noted: "The village houses are connected, with a long road stretching directly north for two li, where the village ends. Turning west around the village, water flows from a weir to the north—that is the downstream of Longwangtang. Following the stream and walking northwest along the slope... I heard the sound of boiling water from the valley to the north, where dense trees and thickets obscured the view above and below, and the path wound along the northern edge of the valley. Within half a li, passing through a gate and heading uphill, the majestic Dragon King Shrine stands facing east, with wild valleys and lush growth both in front of and to its left, while the sound of bubbling springs fills the air. I then descended through the thicket to the left of the shrine. Within a hundred paces, a clear spring overflowed from a cave. It poured eastward down into a pit; in the northern part of the pit, water also flowed out from tree roots and plunged into the same valley. Below, the drop was steep, and vines were densely tangled. I pushed through the vines and waded through the valley to find it, but from the lower gorge, it was blocked above, and from the upper gorge, it was blocked below. The branches hung overhead, and the dense vines layered like barriers, leaving me unable to see within an inch, only the roaring sound reaching my ears" (from Xu Xiake’s Travels · Diary of Travels in Yunnan, Volume Ten).

Longwangtang has a gated entrance wall, with the horizontal plaque inscribed with the four characters “Longwang Shengjing” (Dragon King’s Splendid Scenery). On either side of the plaque are small landscape paintings, with poetic verses inscribed in the spaces between them. Walking into Longwangtang and circling the mountain, you’ll find a turtle-shaped earthen mound on the right side of the mountain path, called “Turtle Mountain.” Climbing onto this “mountain” and looking around, you’ll see Longwangtang roughly shaped like a crescent moon, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with the pool nestled in the center. Above the azure spring water stand pavilions and towers. The mountains on three sides are covered with tea plantations, interspersed with fruit trees and bamboo. Red flowers, green trees, blue skies, and white clouds are all reflected in the emerald pool, truly creating a scene of “floating pavilions and terraces, with jade springs embodying heaven and earth.”

Continuing from “Turtle Mountain,” you’ll see another small pool on the ground, about one acre in size, with crystal-clear water. In the pool is an artificial hill, and to the right, a spring cave gently flows, continuing southward along the channel. An exquisitely crafted stone bridge spans the channel, with a small pavilion nearby offering views of the distance. Heading up the right side leads to the Yuquan Building, a two-story structure recently refurbished. The front of the upper floor features a round arched door. From the windows upstairs, you can gaze into the distance and take in the surrounding scenery. The downstairs serves as a teahouse. Exiting through the right door of Yuquan Building offers mountain views, while the left door reveals water scenes.

Longwangtang is a park established by local farmers and is also the first farmer-built park in Baoshan.

During the Cultural Revolution, the scenery was damaged. In 1981, park construction resumed, expanding the visiting area from 40 mu to 500 mu. Pavilions, towers, and shrines were renovated, and new attractions such as “Overlooking from the Terrace,” “Gazing at the Moon over the Dragon Pool,” “Cave Morning Glow,” “Long Bridge Flowing with Love,” and “Mist-Shrouded Willows Along the Dike” were added. Attractions under construction include Qingyun Pavilion, Shuiliandong (formerly Qiushui Cave), statues of the Dragon King’s Third Princess and Xu Xiake, as well as cultural teahouses, colorful scenic areas, restaurants, small inns, and amusement facilities like electric airplanes.

Admission Fee

30 yuan

Opening Hours

All day

Location

At the foot of Longxi Mountain, Langyi Village, Beibanqiao Township, Longyang District, Baoshan City, Yunnan Province