Is Black Dragon Pool in Lijiang Worth Visiting? Here’s My Experience and Tips for You
When I was first searching for where to visit in China, one pretty picture caught my eye — and it felt like a calling! I just couldn’t settle my mind elsewhere. I thought, this is it! This is where I’m going next in this beautiful world.
It was a photo of Black Dragon Pool with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the backdrop. If you search "Lijiang" on Google, it’s one of the first pictures you’ll see.
Anyway, my blabbering aside... let’s get into Black Dragon Pool!
📸 And here’s a recapturing of that scenery from my camera:
🚕 How to Get There
Black Dragon Pool Park is located very close to Lijiang Old Town. You can walk from the north exit of the Old Town to the North Gate (Heilongtan North Gate) of the park.
But here’s how we went:
We didn’t know it was that close, so we took a Didi (China’s version of Grab or Uber) from Lijiang Old Town to what we now know was the Main Gate of the park — located on Minzhu Road, also called the Wenming Archway.
It was about a 10-minute ride, and honestly, I’m glad we did it that way. I usually don’t like to walk too much in the sun (even though it was very cool and breezy in April!). But when we got down from the taxi and started walking in, here’s the first view we saw — and it was a total WOW moment!
🎫 Entrance Info (as of April 2025)
There’s a ticket counter at the entrance where staff members help tourists with the booking process. The entrance fee was 50 yuan per person.
The booking process was simple:
Enter your full name
Enter your passport number
Pay via WeChat Pay (also known as Weixin Pay)
But… we had a small issue 😅
We hadn’t set up WeChat Pay properly before reaching China. We thought Alipay would be enough, but turns out, WeChat Pay is required for certain bookings — like this one.
Thankfully, the lady at the official ticket counter helped us. We gave her cash, and she booked the tickets using her app on our behalf.
✨ Bonus tip: Set up both Alipay and WeChat Pay before arriving in China — this is a must-have to avoid last-minute hiccups!
🗺 Walking Back & Navigation
After exploring the park, we walked back to Lijiang Old Town — and it was very easy. The path was clear, and we used Apple Maps, which worked fine for us in Lijiang.
✨ Bonus tip 2: Don’t rely on Google Maps in China — it might not load properly or show accurate routes. From what we found in our research, a lot of people use Amap instead. It’s very accurate but mostly in Chinese, so it can feel a little confusing at first.
If you prefer something simpler, Apple Maps is a decent alternative — especially in cities like Lijiang.
And if you’re taking a taxi back or heading elsewhere, you can easily figure it out using Apple Maps, and book a ride with Didi. Super convenient once you get the hang of it!
🧭 What to Do Inside
Once you’re in, take your time and just wander around!
We spent about 2 hours, but it didn’t feel like enough. If you can, go after lunch and spend your whole afternoon till dinner here. It’s a peaceful, scenic place — perfect for slow exploration.
There’s also a short hike up Elephant Hill, located on one side of the park. We didn’t do it this time.
📸 Don’t forget to take pictures! The Chinese-style pavilions, the reflection in the lake, and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the background make it one of the prettiest spots in Lijiang.
🍵 Time to Relax
We stopped by a little café inside the park to sip on some flower tea and just chill.
It’s a bit pricey, but it was totally worth it for the view and the vibe. Sitting there with a warm drink, surrounded by nature and mountains — what more could I ask for?
🎥 Want to See More?
Excited to see what this park really looks like?
Click on my YouTube short for the full experience — from the walk in to the lake views and that calming tea moment. (Video coming soon!)
Whether you’re planning your China trip or just dreaming about it, I hope this helps!
Happy travels! - 🖤 Dinuka Love snow-capped mountains? The Himalayas are the answer! ❄️🏔️ Here’s a beautiful village in Nepal that gives off similar vibes to Lijiang. 🇳🇵✨ Lijiang is a fairytale city — just like Prague. Click here to read about my Prague experience from a couple of years ago.
