A View of Huanglong

　　One of Sichuan's finest scenic spots is Huanglong (Yellow Dragon) , which lies in Songpan County just beneath Xuebao, the main peals of the Minshan Mountains. Its lush green forests, filled with fragrant flowers, bubbling streams, and songbirds, are rich in historical interest as well as natural beauty.

　　Legend has it that sane 4, 000 years ago, when great floods threatened the people of central China, Yu the Great resolved to tame the mighty rivers. He journeyed inland in a boat, but was soon stopped by the torrential current. Fortunately, a yellow dragon appeared and bore the boat upstream as far as it could go. Yu succeeded in controlling the flood and went on to found the 500-year Xia Dynasty, but the exhausted dragon could not return to the sea, and died at the foot of Xuebao Peak.

　　Viewing Huanglong from a distance, one might imagine that the noble serpent for which the area was named is still lying on the hillside. Actually, this "yellow dragon' is a geological formation unique to this karst region; its yellow color is due to a layer of calcium carbonate, and the tiny, clear pools that line its back took like scales. The dragon is surrounded try, spruce trees and assorted rare flowering plants in blue, white, red, and purple.

　　黃龍奇觀

　　在四川西部，有一美妙的去處。它背倚峨山宇峰雪寶頂，樹木蒼翠，花香襲人，鳥聲婉轉，流水潺潺。這就是鬆潘縣的黃龍。

　　相傳在中國古代氣洪水肆虐，人民苦不堪言。大禹決心治水，但船不能行氣有黃龍來為他負舟，於是導水成功。黃龍疲憊，未及回歸大海，死於眠山之下，因而其地就稱為黃龍。

　　黃龍風景，自海拔近3600米處，沿山穀而下，逶迤3.5公裏，地上覆蓋著一層淡黃色碳酸鈣沉積，形成大大小小的眾多水池，狀如梯田。池水澄清，呈淡藍、淡綠各色。遠看宛如黃龍俯臥，粼光閃閃。兩旁森林，全是高大雲杉。林間地上，多奇花異草，或藍或白，或紅或紫，燦爛如繽紛。

　　山穀頂端，殘留著一座道教建築，名“黃龍古寺”。據鬆潘縣誌記載，該建於明代(公元1368一1644年)。寺前有一溶洞，深邃莫測。寺後有一石碑，除碑簷外，幾乎全被碳酸鈣沉積淹沒，碑文已不可辨認。看來，這400來年的沉積速度是相當可觀的。每年農曆六月為黃龍寺廟會期，方圓幾百裏及至青海、甘肅的藏、羌、回、漢各族人民也前來趕會。屆時，帳篷連營，人馬喧騰，歌舞相雜，十分熱鬧。