Beautiful Scenery, Huanglong
Unique Building
Streams in Huanglong
The Five-color Ponds, Huanglong
Huanglong, situated in Songpan County in Aba, is known as the 'Jade Pool on Earth' and is also a world heritage site. It is said to personify the best qualities of Canada's mountains, Wyoming's gorges, Colorado's forests and the pools of Yellowstone Park, coloured by rock deposits.
The scenic area consists of two parts: Huanglong itself and also Mounigou, with an area of about 700 sq km (172,974 acres). Huanglong features truly beautiful sights such as caves, bonsais, pools and waterfalls coloured by travertine rocks. The rock deposits are not only extensive, but also colorful and varied in shape. Having naturally arranged themselves into the form of a terrace, they look from afar like a golden mega-dragon winding through snow-capped mountains and dense forests. This is said to be how the area earned the name Huanglong (yellow dragon). There are also precious flora and fauna in abundance in the area. Rare and endangered animals such as giant pandas, golden monkeys, white-lipped deer, clouded leopards and crimson tragopans (a breed of pheasant) can all be seen living wild here.
The main attractions are in the Huanglong Valley, stretching a length of about 3.6 kilometers (2.2 miles). The altitude of the valley is 3,100 - 3,500 meters (10,171 - 11,483 feet), while the snow-capped peak along the valley is 4,300 meters (14,108 feet) high. This high altitude and the long distance make it quite an arduous walk across the valley. The valley's most famous attractions include the Potted Landscape Ponds and Jinshapudi, Shitazhenhai, and Huanglong Temples. Attractions at Mounigou lie within Mouni Valley, which is made up of two scenic areas: Zhaga Waterfall and Erdaohai Lake.
Travel Tips
The best time to visit the scenic area is between April and November. During winter the mountains may be rendered inaccessible by snow and fewer transport services are available. Every lunar Jun 15th, a grand temple fair is held at Huanglong Temple and all ethnic residents from nearby come to celebrate there. There are two hotels: the Huanglong Hotel (3 star) and the Seercuo Hotel (a guest house).
Transportation
By air: Jiuhuang Airport is located in Chuanzhushi Town, 43 kilometers (27 miles) from Huanglong. Visitors can fly there from Chengdu and Chongqing, and then catch a shuttle bus to Huanglong.
By bus: Bus travel from Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou to Huanglong is convenient. Visitors alight at Chuanzhusi Town and can then transfer to a local bus. All of the Chengdu bus stations offer services to Chuanzhusi.
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