White Sand Well
White Sand Well: By the Pipa Stream, there is a well whose spring water flows from rock crevices. The bottom is covered with a layer of white sand, sparkling like jade—truly 'white sand beneath the water, clear spring reflecting travelers.' There is a beautiful legend about this peculiar White Sand Well. Long ago, a hunter named Yantou from Yang Fort saw a sparrowhawk chasing a white...
This article has been compiled from historical materials on 'Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network' (33519.com · Specialty Foods / Cuisine / Customs section). Prices, business hours, administrative divisions, and statistical data mentioned in the text may already be outdated. Before traveling, please refer to the latest announcements from merchants, scenic areas, and local competent authorities; the parts involving folk legends and folk customs are local historical and cultural anecdotes, provided for cultural reference.
Baisha Well
By the Pipa Stream, there is a water well. The spring water flows out from a crevice in the rock, and the bottom of the well is covered with a layer of white sand, sparkling like jade. Truly, "white sand appears at the bottom, clear spring illuminates the traveler." Speaking of this peculiar Baisha Well, there is also a beautiful legend.
That was long ago. On Yang Fort, there was a hunter named Yantou. He saw a sparrowhawk chasing a white crane, so he drew his bow and shot into the sky. The sparrowhawk and white crane both fell beyond the mountain. The lost feathers led the hunter into a nanmu forest. He saw a bright, clear spring pouring down from a rock crevice, forming a blue pool. By the pool, lobster flowers bloomed everywhere. A beautiful maiden with long hair sat by the pool, singing as she cleaned the blood from the white crane's feathers:
A single bird is so lonely, like duckweed without roots.
One day when I am reborn, I'll become a crane fairy and fly with you...
When the girl sprinkled spring water on the white crane, the bloodstained feathers shone, and the torn wounds healed. The girl poured a few drops of spring water into the white crane's mouth. Strangely, the white crane flapped its wings and flew straight toward Yantou. The girl, seeing a stranger, hurriedly hid among the lobster flowers and sang:
With a shout I cross the shrimp pool, why does a hunter stand by the pool?
You don't shoot the wild birds all over the mountain, why shoot the sparrowhawk?
Yantou was an outstanding singer in the village. He cleared his throat and tossed a song across:
Across the bank I hear a song drift by, I wonder if a song fairy has descended to earth.
An arrow shot the evil bird to save a lone crane, and all the way I searched until I reached the pool's edge.
This girl's surname was Fan and her name was Xiangnü; she was the only daughter of the Pipa Village Chief. Seeing that Yantou was honest and kind-hearted, she was immediately filled with admiration, and wanted to toss a stone to test the depth:
It's not that I, your sister, am too talkative, but there's a question I'd like to ask you, brother,
Are your honored parents in good health? How many wives and children do you have?
Yantou blushed and replied:
At home I have an eighty-year-old blind mother; mother and son depend on each other, living in a rocky cave,
Bathing in the stream, resting in a temple, all alone, one matching one.
Since ancient times it's been said that the songs of the Tujia village are the matchmaker's red thread. And so, with him singing and her answering, two hearts were tied together. Xiangnü picked a mountain lotus and pinned it on Yantou's lapel; Yantou placed that pheasant-feather arrow in Xiangnü's palm. Together they sang:
Good whetstones need no water to sharpen a knife, loving couples need no matchmaker.
Thinking carefully about today's matter of marriage, we ask the immortal crane to be our chief matchmaker.
Hearing this, the white crane indeed flapped its wings and danced around the two, as if saying: "I'll be your matchmaker!"
But the mandarin ducks met with a heartless blow.
Fifteen days later, the two met again as promised at Xiahua Pool. Yantou had just returned from hunting, so tired that his lips were dry and his mouth parched, and he lay down at the pool's edge and gulped down the spring water. Suddenly, he felt the taste was somewhat off, and sang with doubt and suspicion:
The day before yesterday the tea was rich in every cup, today the tea's taste is greatly different.
Someone must have mixed in raw water, one cup is weak and one cup is strong.
Xiangnü told him:
We were mandarin ducks swimming in the pool, who knew a great disaster had come upon us.
The thieving elder of Huangshi Village has called in a matchmaker to seek my hand in marriage.
Hearing this, Yantou with a swish drew his hunting knife, wanting to storm up Huangshi Village. Suddenly, he felt as if his whole body were being sliced by knives, and he collapsed at Xiahua Pool. Yantou's eyes went dull, his face went numb, his mouth was twisted crooked! No matter how Xiangnü called to him, he only giggled foolishly. Xiangnü scooped up a handful of water—good heavens! How had it turned black and stinking! The lobster flowers had wilted! The nanmu leaves had turned yellow! Xiangnü understood: this must be the work of some demon, who had put poison in Xiahua Pool!
The matchmaker came again. She reeked of fox musk and her mouth stank of liquor. She counted out the elder's favors, ninety-nine of them; she laid out the elder's treasures, ninety-nine pieces. But Xiangnü spat in her face and flung the betrothal gifts onto a pile of cow dung. The matchmaker was helpless, so she twisted her duck-like bottom and asked Yantou:
"You pockmarked, crooked-mouthed, squinting simpleton, are you fit to love Xiangnü?" Yantou said nothing.
"Do you even know Xiangnü?" Yantou did not answer. The matchmaker handed him the pheasant-feather arrow: "Do you dare break the arrow?" Yantou took it in his hand—"Crack!"—and broke it in two!
Xiangnü fainted. Yantou was locked in the granary. The elder's bridal sedan was about to come down the mountain!
At the third watch, Xiangnü woke. She threw herself at the door but it would not budge; she pushed at the window but it would not open. Suddenly, the window opened! A white crane flew in and transformed into a fairy in white robes. The fairy took off her white silk skirt, lit it with a candle, and burned it into silver ash. She placed the silver ash in a dressing box and softly sang:
Hurry, climb up Huangshi Village, steal a handful of lobster tea leaves.
Sprinkle a handful of silver sand to clear the water, steep the tea in cold water and my love's mouth will open.
At the fifth watch, Xiangnü stole the immortal tea and came down the mountain. She pried open the ox-tail lock, rescued brother Yantou, and sprinkled the silver ash into Xiahua Pool. The silver ash at once turned into silver sand, as clear as jade, as sparkling as stars. The pool water was clear! The lobster flowers bloomed! The nanmu leaves were emerald green! Xiangnü filled a bamboo cup with spring water, then put the lobster tea leaves in, steeping and steeping, and in a moment the tea grew strong,
and a fragrance spilled from the cup, filling the whole pool with its scent. Yantou drank the tea, his eyes brightened! His mouth smiled! His face became handsome! As if waking from a great dream, he looked at Xiangnü, thinking and thinking: "You, are you my Xiang sister?" Xiangnü smiled! Xiahua Pool smiled!
From the cove across the way, a song came drifting again:
To strike a venomous snake, strike its seven-inch mark; to cut down evil weeds, pull them out by the root.
If the two of us are to love forever, we must rid Huangshi Village of the evil man.
Yantou hung his hunting knife at his waist and slung his bow and arrows over his shoulder. Xiangnü fastened his hemp-strapped straw sandals for him and tied his embroidered waistband. They went up Huangshi Village and shot dead the wicked elder who had done so much evil. The sun rose over the mountain, and the pair of lovers held their wedding by Xiahua Pool. The villagers came to congratulate them; the white crane flew in and danced gracefully for them. Xiangnü said: "The white sand in Xiahua Pool is made from the burned feathers of the immortal crane." Yantou said: "Then let's call Xiahua Pool 'White Sand Well'!"
From then on, the young couple opened a "Slowly Strong" teahouse by White Sand Well, welcoming travelers from north and south. Some say that when old people drink from White Sand Spring, they can regain their youth and prolong their lives; when lovers drink from White Sand Spring, their love becomes purer and firmer. Don't believe it? Then listen to this ancient song sung by the Tujia people of Zhangjiajie:
Chives bloom fine and fluffy, if you love a man in your heart, don't fear poverty.
As long as the two share true affection, cold water steeps tea slowly and strong.