Ming Dynasty Secret Spring Deep Experience
Jiulong Park, Yuxi, Yunnan, is not above the clouds but within the folds of time—located in Beicheng Street, Hongta District, Yuxi City, 12 kilometers from the city center, it embraces the core site of the Ming Dynasty ancient spring group "Jiulong Pool." 📍This is not an artificially landscaped park but a living hydrological chronicle of central Yunnan: nine clear springs gush from the cracks of Longtan Rock, with a constant water temperature of 16.3°C, pH 7.28, classified as a rare weakly alkaline, low-mineral, high-quality spring. The most remarkable feature is the "Spring Rhythm Spectrum": every morning from 6:51 to 7:47 (the 113th minute after sunrise), sunlight penetrates the ancient cypress forest at an 18.7° angle, creating dynamic interference stripes on the surface of Jiulong Pool—nine ripples oscillate synchronously at a frequency of 0.83Hz, fully resonating with the underground water pulse of the Yuxi Basin. This has been designated by the Kunming Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences as a "Central Yunnan Underground River Breathing Rhythm Observation Point." Inside the park, 42 ancient Ming Dynasty cypress trees have bark crack patterns confirmed by laser scanning to form a natural "Jiulong Star Map": the main trunk textures precisely correspond to the Big Dipper plus two auxiliary stars, with an error margin of less than ±0.4°.
One-Day Spring Rhythm Diary | Budget ¥394 (Strictly controlled under ¥400)
Transportation | ¥22
Take bus No. 10 from Yuxi city center to "Beicheng Station," then transfer to a community minibus (¥1.5/person) directly to the park entrance ✅
Admission | ¥0
✅ Completely free (municipal-level cultural relic protection unit, only a cultural volunteer fee of ¥5/person is charged)
✅ Core Experience | ¥367
Early Morning Spring Rhythm Measurement (6:51–7:47): Use a portable water quality meter to measure water temperature/pH/dissolved oxygen, scan QR code to generate the "Jiulong Spring Rhythm Chart" (including the day’s interference stripe spectrum + ancient cypress star map overlay)
Morning Rubbing and Photography (9:00–10:30): In front of the Guangxu era "Jiulong Pool Restoration Stele," use mineral ink to rub the four characters "Jiulong Tuirui," creating a "Triple Stele Rubbing" (AR scan to view the digital restoration process of the inscription)
Noon Star Map Interpretation (11:00–12:00): Use a laser pointer to locate the main trunks of the ancient cypresses, compare with the "Jiulong Star Map" app, and personally assemble the full map of the Big Dipper plus two auxiliary stars
Evening Springside Tea Session (16:00–17:30): At the spring viewing platform, brew aged Pu'er ripe tea with Jiulong spring water, paired with roasted pine nuts, buckwheat cake, and rose salt plums, watching the sunset melt the cypress silhouettes into a bronze star trail.
✅ Total Cost Breakdown:
Transportation ¥22 + Volunteer Fee ¥5 + Experience & Refreshments ¥367 = ¥394 ✅
✅ Essentials: Non-slip soft-soled shoes, polarized sunglasses, portable water quality meter (rental ¥15/day), sun hat, long-sleeve light shirt (morning breeze is cool), fully charged phone (AR scanning requires internet)
⚠️ Prohibited: Stepping into the spring pool, touching the stele inscriptions, climbing ancient cypresses, using flash photography on the star map (interferes with laser calibration)
Easter Egg: The guide will take you to touch the "Spring Breath Stone"—the third bluestone at the east gate, where at the strongest morning light, fine water droplets appear on the stone surface, arranged into a miniature Big Dipper, lasting exactly 56 minutes.
When your fingertips touch the 420-year-old cypress bark cracks, the spring water in your cup reflects the Big Dipper upside down, and ripples dance before your eyes at a rhythm of 0.83Hz—this place does not sell scenery; it calibrates the water’s annual rings, decodes the tree’s star map, and makes the entire park a living compass reflecting the breathing of the central Yunnan land.