Dragon King Well

　　Dragon King Well, nestled on the eastern side of Guiguling. According to the "Jiaqing Revised Comprehensive Gazetteer · Ankang Prefecture": Guiguling “has a Buddhist hall on top, and beneath the Buddha’s seat lies a spring, with clouds and mist lingering all year round. Below it is a cave, not very wide or high, yet unfathomably deep. In times of drought, when people pray for rain, they throw stones into the cave, and a wind immediately blows out from it; when the wind stops, it rains,” referring to this very well. Among the locals, there is also a widely circulated legend that Guiguzi once severed one of the Yellow Dragon’s feet, which also points to this well.

　　Dragon King Well sits at an altitude of 2008 meters. Normally, the cave has no rushing currents. In front of the cave entrance lies a circular pool (the Dragon King Well), with crystal-clear water that resembles a shimmering, rippling piece of quartz, sparkling and spotless; it also looks like a mirror forged from pure steel—when you listen, it tinkles, and when you drink, it feels cool and refreshing. This pristine well is hidden within the high mountain clouds and mist, continuously flowing, drifting, steaming, and nourishing the plants and flowers on Guiguling, fostering countless living beings on the mountain. It is precisely because of this high-mountain well that Guiguling remains endlessly enchanting and forever vibrant.

　　In normal times, the surface of Dragon King Well is as smooth as a mirror. Regardless of the vicissitudes of life or whether it is sunny or rainy, it flows and pours year after year. Elders say that Dragon King Well can also become furious. Back in the days when “water flooded Yunwu Mountain,” the water gushing from Dragon King Well was fierce and powerful, with an immense force. Toward the sky, it shot up towering pillars of water that pierced through the clouds and mist; down the mountain, it poured out broad, white sheets of waterfalls. Each pillar of water, each curtain of the waterfall, rushed down forcefully, uprooting ancient trees that had stood for thousands of years, washing away tigers, leopards, and livestock in the forest, and even forcing the mountain people to abandon their homes and flee elsewhere.

　　Today’s Dragon King Well is surrounded by lush woods, bamboo groves, blooming flowers, and trailing vines. A clear pool is tucked away within a dense shade, forming a rare cool oasis on earth.