Yong'an Yulongquan Trail Introduction
Yulong Spring is a natural spring located in the Yong’an community, which has formed a rich natural ecosystem and forest landscape thanks to abundant water sources. Local residents regard it as a "sacred spring," and every year during the Dragon Boat Festival at noon, all villagers gather to collect the spring water, making it one of the local customs of Luye Township. The Yulong Spring Ecological Trail is 1,100 meters long and consists of three major sections. The first section is the Sacred Peace Palace Ladder Trail, which connects the Yong’an Sacred Peace Palace to Yulong Spring, featuring a staircase path with 108 steps. Along the way, there are the Yulong Spring spring zone, wetland ecological zone, footbridge, and water play area, totaling about 250 meters; the second section is the Yulong Spring Riverside Trail, which features stream ecological areas, soil and water conservation education zones, and parent-child water play areas. This section runs alongside the stream and includes stone and cement pathways with abundant forest vegetation, approximately 550 meters long; the third section is the High-platform Shaded Ladder Trail, which includes a staircase with 370 steps in the middle. Walking the entire Yulong Spring Ecological Trail takes about 50 minutes without stopping, and it is quite cool to stroll through the woods, where the rich plant diversity, ample water sources, and clear streams nurture a vibrant natural ecosystem, with butterflies fluttering and birds thriving. Along the mountainside with shallow streams, clean environment indicators allow watercress to flourish. Under the protection of watercress, one can see tree frogs, crabs, and freshwater shrimp busy foraging, with various types of crabs and frogs making their home here. The dominant species is the two-colored crab, along with other species such as the gray-shelled crab, Cai's crab, and the La's clear stream crab, as well as various frogs including the white-throated tree frog, brown tree frog, La Duxi’s red frog, and the Black Mountain West's small rain frog, as well as the Japan tree frog that loves to soak in hot springs. To ensure that animals and insects crossing the road are not disturbed by tourists, the children from Yong’an Elementary School ingeniously paved the path with tires and even painted them, affectionately nicknaming it the "Flower Tire Trail," which is quite unique, allowing visitors to cross muddy areas without wetting their feet and leaving a deep impression of the children's thoughtfulness and kindness. The Yulong Spring Ecological Trail has a water resource platform with various landscape features and ecological pools made using traditional methods, providing resting spots for close observation and understanding of the rich natural ecosystem. Along the way, there are resting benches, and upon finishing the ladder trail, visitors will reach the high-platform scenic tea garden. At the end of the trail, there is a large viewing pavilion called "Tea Garden," set up by the Scenic Area Administration, offering a panoramic view of the gorge scenery, perfectly concluding a beautiful journey.
