Coloured pools
Hundreds of basins.
Chensiyuan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · chensiyuan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 2.0 · Unknown — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fanghong — CC BY-SA 3.0 · gdczjkk — CC BY 3.0 · liuzusai刘祖赛 — CC BY 3.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 2.0
A mountain valley of shimmering terraced pools of travertine, lime laid down by water, in shades of yellow, green and blue, which from afar look like a golden dragon winding between the snowy peaks, hence its name Huanglong, «Yellow Dragon»; it has been on the World Heritage List since 1992. The area covers 700 square kilometres between 1,700 and 5,588 metres above sea level, crowned by Xuebaoding, the highest peak of the Min Mountains; the travertine in the main valley runs for 3.6 kilometres, with a watercourse 2.5 kilometres long and 30 to 170 metres wide, broken by waterfalls and small caves. Its best-known sight is the coloured pools at the top of the valley, hundreds of small stepped basins mirroring the sky and forest; visitors ride the cable car up and walk down on long boardwalks beside the pools, and giant pandas and golden monkeys live in the area's forests. Tickets cost CNY 170 in season and CNY 60 in winter, and the cable car CNY 80 up and 40 down, stopping in winter, per visitor guides. The upper pools lie well above 3,000 metres, so move slowly and drink water.
Hundreds of basins.
The travertine course.
Down beside the pools.
Songpan County, about 100 km by road south of Jiuzhaigou
Yes, they are usually combined on a two- or three-day trip, as Huanglong lies about 100 kilometres by road south of Jiuzhaigou; its ticket is CNY 170 in season, per visitor guides.