Located within the south of Minshan Mountains in Songpan County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in the north of Sichuan Province, Huanglong Valley is the icon of Huanglong National Park (aka Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area). It features snow-capped mountains as magnificent as those in Canada, primitive forests as beautiful as those of Colorado, United States, and a canyon as picturesque as that of Wyoming. The travertine pools match those in Yellow Stone National Park. A mountain separates the Huanglong Valley from the Jiuzhaigou Valley, which is also a famous scenic spot. In order to reach Huanglong area from Jiuzhaigou area, tourists have to travel well over 100 km along a highway that winds up and down the mountains.
The Huanglong Valley is seven kilometers long and up to two kilometers wide. It is precisely a natural travertine museum because of its various types of travertine landscapes. Moreover, they are naturally arranged in such a way as to look like a yellow Chinese dragon, hence the valley's name of "Yellow Dragon (Huang Long)".
Major Scenic Spots in Huanglong Valley
1. Guest-greeting Pools
Guest-greeting Pools area is located 632 meters from the entrance of the Huanglong Valley Scenic Area, covering an area of 9,600 square meters and with an elevation of 3,230 meters. At the first sight tourists will see the pools when enter the valley. This group of pools with bright water is composed of more than 350 colorful pools with exquisite structures and unique shapes. The pools of various sizes are arranged in a series of terraces, and the sound of the rippling water is like a joyful welcome song, laughing to greet guests from all directions.
2. Calcareous Waterfall
Farewell to the Guest-greeting Pools, winding up the winding plank road, you can see a thousand layers of clear water breaking through the dense forest, flowing down the slope, flying over a rock ridge about 10 meters high and 60 meters wide, forming dozens of trapezoidal waterfalls, like pearls rolling down and silver shining; Like a water curtain hanging high. Cloud and mist transpiration; Slowly flowing like silk, stretching and flowing; Like a pearl curtain flashing, looks graceful. There is a steep cliff behind the waterfall, mostly in the shape of horse lungs and flakes of calcareous deposits, with a golden color, making the entire waterfall appear magnificent. After being touched by the afterglow of the sun, different colors are reflected, and from afar, it looks like a colorful glow falling from the sky, particularly brilliant and eye-catching.
3. Rippling Lake (Lianyan Lake)
Rippling Lake is 943 meters away from Fuyuan Bridge, with an area of 2,000 square meters and an elevation of 3,251 meters. The lake water is as clear as a mirror, and the algae at the bottom of the lake are diverse, making it the only lake in Huanglong Valley.
4. Flying Waterfall on Lotus Platform (Liantai Waterfall)
The waterfall is 167 meters long and 19 meters wide, with a relative height difference of 45 meters and an elevation of 3,260 meters. The golden calcareous beach is like an auspicious lotus throne or a "dragon claw" playing in the water. A silver water rolls from the forest, splashing pearls and jade on the golden calcareous body, directly pouring into the heart of the pond, forming a confused misty rain and splashing water. Under the cover of the secluded plank bridge and the jungle, tourists stop and marvel at how nature's ghost axe divine skill can sculpture such a vivid and strong "dragon claw".
5. Bathing Cave (Xishen Cave)
The Bathing Cave has an elevation of 3,280 meters. There is a 1 meter high and 1.5 meter wide karst cave on the 10 meter high and 40 meter wide travertine collapse wall, called the Body Washing Cave. The surging water flows on the travertine wall and forms a magnificent travertine waterfall, which is very spectacular.
6. Golden Travertine Shoal
In the middle of the Huanglong Valley, there is a 1,300-meter long travertine shoal, its narrowest section measuring 40 meters and the widest 122 meters. There is a kind of ridge-like slope where it is difficult for calcium carbonate substances to accumulate, settle and form pools. Hence the water flows down, rushing all over the slope, and, as a result, calcium carbonate sticks to the surface of the slope and forms a shoal covered by layers of calcium that resemble fish scales. The Golden color is predominant, embedded with shades of creamy white, gray and dark green. Getting atop the slope and overlooking the gully, one sees a golden outstretching ridge covered by Calcium Carbonate scales and washed by gently moving water, looking like a huge “golden dragon”. Geologists say that this is the largest, best preserved, longest, and the most colorful surface travertine shoal in the world.
7. Mirror Pools
Located at the middle point of the valley, the Mirror Pools area covers an area of over 3,600 square meters, with 180 colored pools at an altitude of 3,400 meters. The surfaces of the pools are as smooth as mirrors, and the water is clear and translucent. It reflects the sky, clouds, and dense forests of snow peaks in the pools, and the image is very clear. Taking a photo here, it is difficult to distinguish the right one. The mirror like colorful pool showcases everything from all angles, creating an ethereal and meaningful artistic conception that is mysterious and stunning. In addition to enjoying the beautiful reflection scenery, you can also use the pool water as a mirror to tidy up and dress up here.
8. Bonsai Pools
The Bonsai Pool area covers an area of 20,000 square meters, with over 330 colorful pools at an altitude of 3,320 meters. The pool embankments change with the roots and stems of the trees and the terrains, connecting the embankments with the shores, and the living water is of the same origin, stacked along the trend; The bottoms the pools are yellow, white, brown, and gray in various colors, and the surfaces of the pools are clean and dust-free, looking like mirrors; In the pools or by the pools, there are trees, stones, flowers and plants everywhere, green cypresses with roots, mountain flowers with smiles, and wild fruits in profusion. This magnificent landscape, like a unique bonsai created by heaven and earth, amazed horticulturists.
9. Flamboyant Pools
The Flamboyant Pools area is 3,454 meters above the sea level, covers an area of 20,000 square meters. It is composed of 658 cross-connected colored and is the second largest group of colored pools in Huanglong Valley. It is also the most diverse and beautiful color pool group among the Huanglong Valley color pool groups. The depth of the pools' water varies, and the vegetation on the banks varies. Under the sunlight, the pools reflect different color spectrums due to their irregular depths. Sometimes they appear blue when you look from a distance and green when you get close to them; they are delicate and charming when you look down to them and transparent when you look squarely at them. From bright yellow to light green and dark blue to deep blue, they turn out tenuous distinctions, looking like flowers vie with each other to show their beauty.
10. Azalea Reflection Pools
The Azalea Reflection Pools area covers an area of 6,840 square meters, with over 400 colored pools and an elevation of 3,415 meters. Various azalea trees grow around the pools, and they bloom first from April to May each year. The blue pool water and golden calcium pool walls complement the sky and flowering azaleas, creating a colorful and natural poetic scene. In autumn, the red leaves are like a reflection of red clouds in the pools, and the mountains and waters are one color; In winter, the contrast between jade like ice flowers and golden colored pools creates another scenery.
11. Middle Huanglong Temple
Middle Huanglong Temple, or Millde Yellow Dragon Temple covers an area of about 500 square meters, with an altitude of 3470 meters. It is 676 meters away from the Back Huanglong Temple and 1,011 meters from the Flamboyant Pools. Built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), the temple is a Bon temple of Tibetan Buddhism. The architecture of the temple is ancient and majestic, and the sculptures inside the hall are finely crafted, reflecting the cultural characteristics of the integration of Tibetan and Han ethnic religions in Huanglong Valley. The temple is located between the Flamboyant Pools and Multi-colored Pools. Although there is no pools here, coniferous forest such as Korean pine are all over the mountain, and azalea forests and other plants are everywhere, making the environment elegant.
12. Back Huanglong Temple
Back Huanglong Temple,or Back Yellow Dragon Temple has a history of over 600 years. This Taoist temple covers an area of over 1,000 square meters and is backed by the Multi-colored Pools, 676 meters away from Middle Huanglong Temple. The temple is an important site for investigating the evolution of Taoist culture in Sichuan province, and also an important evidence for tracing the historical sites of Dayu's flood control at the source of the Minjiang River.
13. Immortal-Greeting Bridge
The Immortal-Greeting Bridge is one of the Taoist cultural sites in Huanglong Valley. Legend has it that a devout pilgrim stepped on this bridge and heard a wave of fairy music from the sky. After crossing the bridge, he saw many immortals singing and dancing by the colorful pools. Amidst the seven colored auspicious clouds, the immortals welcomed him into the Jasper Lake Fairyland.
14. Yellow Dragon Cave
The Yellow Dragon Cave (Huanglong Cave) is the largest travertine cave in Huanglong Valley. Located about 10 meters to the left of the Back Huanglong Temple,the depth of the cave is still unknown. The cave has a hall, measures 30 meters in height, 20 meters in width, 50 meters in length, and covers an area of over 1,000 square meters. It is full of stalactite in various shapes. There is a stone step on the left of the hall, on which there are three sitting Buddha statues carved in the Ming Dynasty. The statues are covered with travertine crystals, a perfect combination of human and nature. In winter, the ice forests, ice bamboo shoots, ice curtains, and ice waterfalls inside the cave create a fairyland of crystals.
15. Five-Color Pools
The Five-Color Pools area is at an elevation of 3,576 meters, covers an area of 21,000 square meters, with 693 colorful pools. It is the largest group of colorful pools in Huanglong Valley and also the largest and highest elevation outdoor calcareous colored pool group in the world. The embankments of the pools are low and well arranged, with the water overflowing. The water in the pools is very shallow, gently brimming from one pool to another.From afar, the pools look like blue jade plates. Under the sunlight, the colors are white, purple, blue, and green, with varying shades of color, making them extremely beautiful and charming. The shapes of pools and embankments are various, including curved, fan-shaped, and skirt hem shapes, arranged in a staggered manner and stacked upwards, resembling a three-dimensional oil painting of the " Pool of Immortals on Earth".
