White Camel Spring

　　 White Camel Spring is located in Sanlanbahai Village, Jiezi Township, five kilometers from the county seat. It is a sacred site at the birthplace of the Salar people.

　　 Legend has it that the ancestors of the Salar people migrated from Samarkand in Central Asia during the early Yuan Dynasty. Leading their tribes and bringing with them a white camel that carried water and soil from their homeland as well as a copy of the Quran, they traveled across regions until they arrived within the boundaries of Xunhua. As they passed through the Xichang Valley, crossed the Mengda Mountains, and ascended the Wutusi Mountain, night fell and the camel went missing in the vast wilderness. The next day, they found the camel lying in a clear spring, having turned into white stone. Upon testing, they found the soil and water to be similar to that of their homeland, so they decided to settle there and named the place “Camel Spring.”

　　 In the early 1980s, the government allocated funds to renovate the walls and entrance gate of Camel Spring. Granite sculptures of three differently styled camels were placed by the spring, along with planted flowers, trees, and the construction of a waterside pavilion and stele pavilion. The renovated Camel Spring is as clear as a mirror, with rippling waters reflecting the blue sky and white clouds. The exquisitely carved stone camels stand gracefully beside the spring, lifelike and majestic. Within a hundred steps of the spring lies the Jiezi Grand Mosque, the ancestral mosque of the Salar people, as well as the tombs of their forefathers, Kalman and Ahman. Verdant ancient elm trees complement the scenery, creating a unique charm that attracts many visitors. A poem reads:

　　 A fossil legend spans seven hundred years; witnessing countless changes through time;

　　 Head held high, it neighs toward the sweet dew, while pavilions and greenery display nature’s art.

　　 Forefathers founded their home in the Salar plains; their tombs sealed with messages from the past;

　　 Brick carvings and jade inlays connect to the earth’s veins, crafting a serene and harmonious heaven.

　　 The grand mosque rose from tribulations in prosperous times, standing majestically and solemnly;

　　 A single moon and star span the universe, as the Quran is passed down through the ages.