The Marvelous Stone River

The Marvelous Stone River

About half a kilometer from the Nankun Mountain Tourist Center lies a section of small river. The river is scattered with bizarre rocks, featuring a chain of seven small pools, with a larger pool located upstream. The large pool is crystal-clear, with groups of small fish swimming around. By the pool, there are two large red and bluish stones with patterns along their edges resembling a skirt — these are called the “Skirt Stones.” There is also a large rock in the river that resembles a dressing table, known as the Mirror Table Stone. Beside the Mirror Table Stone is a round small pool called the Makeup Removal Pool. This large pool is one of Nankun Mountain’s scenic spots — the Fairy Pool. The seven smaller pools are called the Seven Fairies Pools. Due to the many unusual rocks here, literati and poets named this place the “Marvelous Stone River.” There is a mythological legend associated with it:

Legend has it that in ancient times, the Seven Fairies in heaven envied the beautiful scenery on Earth. Defying the heavenly ban, they secretly descended to the mortal realm. One day, the fairies came to Nankun Mountain to roam. It was midsummer, and the heat was unbearable. Spotting a stream deep within the dense forest, where waterfalls cascaded like silver waves, the fairies were tempted to play in the water and freshen up. The local mountain god and river god, wanting to please the fairies, gathered stones to build seven small pools and one large pool for them to bathe individually and swim together. The fairies removed their ornate attire, each taking a pool to wash joyfully, then gathered in the large pool to chase and play in the water. Their laughter echoed through the valley. They had such a wonderful time that they lost track of time and stayed for seven days. When the Queen Mother of the West discovered that the fairies had descended to the mortal world without permission and had not returned for seven days, she sent celestial guards to capture them. The guards, following her decree, arrived above the Stone River and saw the fairies immersed in pleasure, unwilling to leave. He shouted, “By order of the Queen Mother, I have come to take you back to heaven!” Suddenly, the sky darkened, thunder roared, and lightning flashed. Before the fairies could even put on their clothes, the celestial guards took them back to the heavens. Their abandoned dresses and the mirror became the Skirt Stones and the Mirror Table Stone. To this day, the outline of the mirror’s frame can still be clearly seen.

With this enchanting legend, the Fairy Pool has become a place people yearn to visit. On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month every year, groups of young women from Nankun specifically go to the Makeup Removal Pool to play in the water and wash their faces with its water. It is said that doing so can make the women more fair-skinned and delicate.