Guanyin Pool

Guanyin Pool

About four kilometers west of Nankun Mountain Town lies a scenic spot called Guanyin Appreciating Water. It is situated in a mountain stream and features three cascading waterfalls. The lowest waterfall has a white stone hidden behind a veil of water, resembling Guanyin sitting serenely to admire the green pool below. Visitors can faintly see this stone Guanyin through the water veil. There is a mythological legend about this scenic site:

Legend has it that long, long ago, the Goddess Guanyin, intrigued by its fame, came to Yekun Mountain to “take in the full beauty of the southern hills.” One day, she arrived at a place called Youlou Cave and saw the stream plunging down three times, forming three waterfalls that then flowed into a deep pool—quite a different charm compared to the Lushan Waterfalls. So, she sat on the rock behind the water veil, holding a cup as she admired the water, lingering there for a long time. When she left, she used her power of duplication to leave behind an effigy and a golden cup for holding water. This golden cup had miraculous powers: when the stream flow was heavy, it would store the excess; when the water was scarce and the waterfall less spectacular, water would spill from the cup to maintain the falls and keep the mountain stream flowing endlessly. It is said that greedy people once tried to dive into the deep pool to steal the golden cup—but though they could see it, they couldn’t get in; those who got in could see it but couldn’t touch it; and those who touched it couldn’t get out. Because those who were greedy enough to try their luck at stealing the cup often met with misfortune, no one dared to attempt it again.