Walking towards Black Dragon Pool Park, there is a large statue of Mao on the ironically monikered Democracy Road. There are also some of the most ornamental rubbish bins you are likely to see.
The entrance to the Park is quite expensive by Chinese standard, at 80 Yuan, but this also gains entry to Mu’s Palace and a monastery, although these are walks up a mountain from the Dragon Pool Park and my knees which, as a result of the Annapurna trek in Nepal still hurt whenever I walk long distances, are not up to it.
The Black Dragon Pool Park was originally built in 1737 during QianLong’s reign. It is mostly ornamental, although there are a number of ancient buildings around the park though most are also shrines. The pool itself is fed by a clean spring descending from the surrounding mountains, and it is beautifully reflective of the surrounding architecture and the snowy peaks in the backdrop. Laurie and I spend a peaceful few hours walking around.
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| so the rumours are unfounded...seen in the same place at the same time... |
We also walk around the old town for a while. It is very pleasant, but as with many of the ‘ancient’ parts of China, there is a slight feeling of Disney-fication of these towns. So well renovated and maintained is Old Lijiang that, although it’s the real thing, it still seems somehow artificial.
I don’t prolong my walk very long and I leave Laurie to go walking around the market while I go back to the Amsterdam Bar to get a burger and a beer. Here I find some of the other UK to Oz group. They tell me the bar owner has said that he took more money last night than he ever has in one night since he has been in business. He will probably take a few days off after we leave Lijiang tomorrow.
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