Huanglong, the "Yellow Dragon" of northern Sichuan, is a 3.6 km ribbon of golden travertine that climbs a high mountain valley in a staircase of turquoise pools. It sits between about 3,200 and 3,600 metres above sea level, below snow peaks of the Minshan range, and in winter frost and snow turn the whole valley white around the coloured water.
Photo: Dominik Orth
Where is Huanglong?
The Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area lies in Songpan County, Sichuan, in the southern Minshan Mountains, about 300 km by road north of Chengdu and roughly 144 km by road south of Jiuzhaigou. The protected area covers 60,000 hectares and rises from 1,700 metres to 5,588 metres at Xuebaoding, the highest peak of the Min Mountains. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 1992 for its mountain scenery, forests and travertine formations, which it ranks among the three most outstanding examples in the world.
The Yellow Dragon travertine pools
Travertine is limestone deposited by mineral-rich spring water. At Huanglong, calcium carbonate settles out as the water flows downhill, building rims that hold back thousands of shallow pools. The main stretch of flowing water runs for 2.5 km, and the Golden Sand Pavement, a sloping sheet of yellow travertine, is 1,300 m long.
The pool groups have their own names and sizes:
- Guests Welcome Pond (about 3,230 m): around 350 pools near the start of the valley.
- Flamboyant Pond: 658 pools.
- Multi-Coloured Pond (Wucai Chi, 3,576 m): 693 pools at the top of the valley, the most photographed group.
- Huanglong Ancient Temple (3,568 m) and the Middle Temple (3,470 m) stand beside the upper terraces, as seen in several of these photos.
Wildlife and forests of the Minshan Mountains
Huanglong is far more than its pools. The reserve protects permanently snow-capped peaks, including the easternmost glacier in China, deep conifer forests and waterfalls. It is home to the giant panda and the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey, both endangered, and to a rare endemic orchid, Cypripedium plectrochilum.
Visiting Huanglong: season, altitude and access
Most visitors fly into Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport in Songpan County or travel by road from Chengdu, often combining Huanglong with Jiuzhaigou. The road crosses a pass of about 4,000 metres. Inside the park a boardwalk climbs about 4 km to the Multi-Coloured Pond, and a cable car lets you ride one way and walk the other. Opening hours are 8 am to 5 pm; allow a full day.
Peak season runs from 1 April to 15 November, with autumn colour the high point. Winter is long and cold, with December to February highs around 1 °C, but snow on the forests and temples makes for the scenes in these photographs. Walk slowly: at 3,600 metres altitude sickness is common, and the park has oxygen stations along the route. Stay on the boardwalks, since the travertine rims are fragile.
More colourful water and Chinese mountains
Compare Huanglong with Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone or Japan's Biei’s Blue Pond. Related reading from China:
- Baishuitai: White Water Terraces below the Haba Snow Mountains
- Yading: Mountain Scenery within a Tibetan Cultural Landscape
- Mount Hua’s Plank Walk: What the Dramatic Video Shows
- Tiger-Killing Reports from 2014: Images, Attribution and Wildlife Crime
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