Jiulong Pool is a series of nine natural stone pools of varying sizes arranged along a spiral staircase approximately 100 meters high. The largest pool has a diameter of 6 meters and a depth of 3 meters, while the smallest pool has a diameter of less than 1 meter and a depth of 6 meters. During the rainy season, the wind-driven whirlpool cascades like a silver dragon, with its tail swaying towards the northeast and its body winding southward, resembling a dragon ascending the mountain, a natural wonder of extraordinary beauty and danger.
According to legend, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea had nine sons, who, due to their mischievous nature and violation of heavenly rules, caused a catastrophe. The Jade Emperor demoted them to Kunyu Mountain to reflect on their wrongdoings. The demotion of the nine dragons led to a severe drought for decades, with people praying for rain year after year. Considering the suffering of the people, the Jade Emperor released the dragons on the 13th day of the sixth lunar month, when auspicious clouds appeared and rain fell upon the world. To commemorate this day, the locals established the Jiulong Temple Fair on the 13th day of the sixth lunar month each year, a tradition that continues to this day.
Qing Dynasty poet Zhao Ziyuan once wrote, ‘The untamed nature roars and runs, the jade box breaks, and the torrent pours out… A scale spreads its claws and fiercely fights, the angry flow surges like an octopus cave.’ Scholars believe ‘there is a dragon dwelling here,’ hence the name Jiulong Pool. The pool water originates from the mountain spring, which is sweet, clear, and bottom-visible, flowing continuously throughout the year. In spring, the stream is gentle and reflects clearly; in summer, the waterfall splashes, and the wind stirs the hanging flow, vividly like a seven-colored dragon, cascading down three thousand feet, as if scattering pearls and spraying snow, an incredibly spectacular sight; in autumn, the blue waves ripple, and the scales shimmer; in winter, the icicles hang upside down, holding and releasing pearls. The length and size of the waterfall are rare in Shandong Province, earning it the title ‘The First Waterfall of Qilu.’
Main attractions include Dragon Pool Spraying Snow, Jiulong Pavilion, Gourd Peak, Dragon King Pavilion, Ancient Papaya, and Fairy Old Man Stone. The opening hours are from 07:30 to 17:30 from May 1st to September 30th; from 07:30 to 17:00 from March 1st to April 30th; and from 07:30 to 17:00 from October 1st to November 30th. The scenic area stops ticketing one hour before closing every day and does not allow entry. The scenic area is not open from December to February of the following year for maintenance.
Preferential policies: Children: Height: 1.4 meters (inclusive) or below, free; children under 18 years old over 1.4 meters (exclusive) with ID card or household registration book, purchase child’s ticket; Students: Full-time primary, middle, and high school students with their own student ID, purchase student ticket; Elderly: Over 60 years old (exclusive) with their own ID card or elderly card, free; Military personnel: With their own valid documents, free; People with disabilities: With their own valid documents, free.
Additional note: The above information is for reference only, and the actual information disclosed by the scenic area on the day is the standard.
Kunyu Mountain Jiulong Pool
Jiulong Pool is a series of nine natural stone pools of varying sizes arranged along a spiral stairc[...]
