【简介】蝴蝶泉位于中国西南云南省点苍山下，距离大理古城约廿七公里，为洱海的著名旅游景点。蝴蝶泉是方形泉潭，面积约五十平方米，四周为大理石，水质非常清澈。徐霞客在游记中曾这样描述：“还有真蝶万千，连须钩足，自树巅倒悬而下及于泉面，缤纷络绎，五色焕然。”，诗人郭沫若1961年到大理蝴蝶泉时，写下“蝴蝶泉头蝴蝶树，蝴蝶飞来万千数， 首尾联接数米，自树下垂疑花序”的诗句。蝴蝶泉的奇观可见一斑。可惜近年来，已很难一见。

Travel some 27 kilometers south of Dali and you will come to a popular beauty spot known locally as the 'Butterfly Spring'. Situated at the foot of Mount Shenmo, the first of the peaks of Mount Cangshan the spring rises to form a square shaped pool that is shaded by the dense foliage that lines its banks. The pool is some 50 square meters overall and above it is an ancient decumbent tree. This is the famous 'Butterfly Tree', so called as in the short interval as spring turns to summer, its fragrant blossom attracts thousands of butterflies. These small multi-colored creatures fly around the pool and settle on the tree in great clusters as they sip the nectar from its blooms. The vast numbers of butterflies are hardly distinguishable from the flowers as the whole tree pulsates with every color of the rainbow. This spectacular sight has given rise to a local festival when the Bai people gather at the tree on April 15th for the 'Butterfly Meet'. The romantic spectacle of the butterflies as they feed and mate in such abundance has become a symbol of courtship and each Bai youth will seek to engage with the love of his life by joining in with the traditional antiphonal singing. The Bai also refer to the spring as the 'Allegiance Spring' as it is here that true and lasting love may be found.

Note: You can reach the Butterfly Spring by special cars that run from the bus stations and hotels in the city. The spring is quite near to Zhou Town, which is the largest of the Bai communities and was once the imperial garden of the Dali .Kingdom. Here too you can learn more of the Bai culture and visit some truly wonderful ancient buildings.