Black Dragon Pool, Cultural park in Gucheng District, China

Black Dragon Pool is a spring-fed pool at the foot of Elephant Hill in Lijiang, Yunnan, China, set within a park that is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A white marble bridge crosses the water, and on clear days the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain reflects on its surface.

The ancient buildings of the Heilongtan Scenic Area were first constructed in 1737, the second year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty. That same year the Qianlong Emperor gave the Longshen Temple, built by local Naxi people, the name Dragon God of Jade Spring. The site was listed as a Lijiang cultural relic in 1999 and as a national key cultural relic in 2006.

The park is home to a research institute focused on Dongba culture, where Naxi manuscripts and objects are kept and studied. Visitors can see how these materials are displayed within the grounds of the site itself.

The park sits about 1 kilometer north of Lijiang Old Town and can be reached on foot from there. Most paths inside are flat and easy to walk, so visitors of most ages and abilities can move around without difficulty.

The Five-Phoenix Tower on the grounds brings together architectural elements from four different groups: Naxi, Tibetan, Bai, and Han. It is rare to find a single building that so clearly shows how intertwined the cultures of this region once were.