Huanglong | The Colorful Ponds in Textbooks
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Huanglong Scenic Area Travel Guide
I. Introduction to the Scenic Area
Huanglong is located in Songpan County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. It is a World Natural Heritage Site and a national 5A scenic spot, famous for its calcified colorful ponds, snow-capped mountains and canyons, primitive forests, and Tibetan and Qiang customs. The core landscape is the "Golden Dragon", a 3.6 km-long surface calcification deposit, with more than 3,400 colorful ponds, known as "Wonderland on Earth".
II. Best Time to Visit
- July–October: Abundant water volume, the most colorful ponds, alpine azaleas and autumn leaves intertwined (September–October is the best).
- May–June: Fewer tourists, snow-capped mountains have not melted, and the pool water is clear.
- November–April: Some boardwalks are closed in winter, but the snow scene and icefall have a unique charm (pay attention to the scenic spot's opening announcement).
III. Transportation Guide
[External Transportation]
1. Airplane:
- To Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport (altitude 3,448m), transfer to the airport bus or charter a car to Huanglong Scenic Area (approx. 1 hour, there are direct buses during peak season).
2. Self-driving:
- Departure from Chengdu: Chengdu → Wenchuan → Maoxian → Songpan → Huanglong (approx. 6–7 hours, many mountain roads with curves).
- Jiuzhaigou → Huanglong: Approx. 2.5 hours drive, passing through Xueshan Liangzi (4,007m altitude viewing platform).
3. Bus: Take a bus from Chengdu Chadianzi Station to Songpan/Chuanzhusi Town, and transfer to the scenic spot's direct bus.
[Transportation within the Scenic Area]
- Cable car: CNY 80/person for the upward journey, CNY 40/person for the downward journey. It is recommended to take the cable car up the mountain → walk down the mountain (save energy).
- Hiking route: Approx. 4.5 km of wooden boardwalk, altitude 3,100–3,600m, the tour takes 4–6 hours.
IV. Must-Visit Attractions
1. Colorful Ponds
- The calcified colorful pond group at the top of Huanglong, showing a gradient of blue, green, and yellow under the sunlight. The best time to take pictures is 11:00–15:00 (sunny day).
2. Contending Beauty Pond
- The largest colorful pond group, with more than 700 ponds inlaid like gems. The pool water has different colors due to different mineral content.
3. Huanglong Temple (Back Temple)
- An ancient temple of the Ming Dynasty, backed by snow-capped mountains, integrating Tibetan and Han styles. The viewing platform in front of the temple offers a panoramic view of the colorful ponds.
4. Flying Waterfall
- A golden waterfall on the calcified beach, with water mist refracting sunlight to form a rainbow spectacle.
5. Sands Paving the Ground
- A 1.3 km-long golden calcified beach, shining like giant dragon scales in the sun.
V. Coping with Altitude Sickness
- Preventive measures:
- Take Rhodiola Rosea 1 week in advance, and do not take a bath, drink alcohol, or do strenuous exercise on the day of arrival.
- Carry an oxygen cylinder with you (approx. CNY 30/can outside the scenic area) and glucose oral solution.
- Relief methods:
- If you experience headache or shortness of breath, rest and inhale oxygen immediately. In severe cases, retreat to a lower altitude area.
VI. Featured Food Recommendations
- Yak meat hot pot: The yak meat on the plateau is firm, with a wild mushroom soup base (recommended "Gaoyuan Yak Hot Pot" in Chuanzhusi Town).
- Butter tea + highland barley cake: Traditional Tibetan breakfast to relieve altitude sickness discomfort.
- Pickled cabbage noodles: Sour and spicy, suitable for replenishing energy after hiking.
- Songpan Smoked Pork: Smoked pork with chili noodles, unique flavor.
VII. Accommodation Recommendations
- Entrance of the scenic area:
- Serges International Hotel: A 5-minute walk to the cable car station, offering oxygen bar rooms (approx. CNY 600/night).
- Chuanzhusi Town (40 minutes from the scenic area):
- Minjiangyuan International Hotel: Cost-effective, convenient for visiting Jiuzhaigou the next day (approx. CNY 300/night).
- Songpan County (1 hour from the scenic area):
- Songpan Ancient City Homestay: Tibetan style, experience slow life (approx. CNY 200/night).
VIII. Precautions
1. Ticket reservation:
- Peak season (April–November) ticket is CNY 170, off-season is CNY 60, and you need to make a reservation in advance on "Aba Tourism Website".
2. Wearing equipment:
- Waterproof and non-slip hiking shoes, windbreaker (mountain weather is changeable), and a thin down jacket in summer.
3. Environmental protection guidelines:
- Do not step on the calcified ponds or throw coins, and take the garbage with you.
4. Signal and cash:
- The signal is weak in the scenic area, so bring a small amount of cash to buy supplies.
IX. Itinerary Reference
[One-day tour]
- Morning: Cable car up the mountain → Wanglongping Viewing Platform → Huanglong Temple → Colorful Ponds.
- Afternoon: Contending Beauty Pond → Sands Paving the Ground → Flying Waterfall → Hike down the mountain.
[Two-day tour to Jiuzhaigou]
- Day 1: Chengdu → Huanglong → Overnight stay in Chuanzhusi Town.
- Day 2: Chuanzhusi → Jiuzhaigou (2 hours drive) → Visit Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area.
Huanglong is an artwork sculpted by nature and time. The colorful ponds, snow-capped mountains, and forests jointly compose the poetry of the plateau. Prepare for altitude sickness prevention before departure, bring your camera and a heart of awe, and feel this visual feast! 🏞️📸💧
March was not the peak season, the view was incredible beautiful. willing to come again.
March was not the perfect time to visit. The view was nice but not beautiful as advertise.
The scenic area is very beautiful. If the weather is good and there is enough time, you can go up the mountain by yourself. The temperature was low and it was snowing on the day we went, so we chose to take the cable car to the middle of the mountain and then walk. The altitude is relatively high, and people who lack physical strength need to wear oxygen cylinders. The entire scenic area is well managed, and the Five-Colored Pond is really the finishing touch. The appearance of the snowy day + the Five-Colored Pond will make you forget everything and be completely immersed in it!
Visiting Huanglong Scenic Area in winter is like stepping into a unique ice and snow wonderland. The snow is covered with calcium pools, and the blue pool water is reflected in the pure white snow, just like the dust of Dianchi Lake. In the cold air, the color pool is covered with glazed luster in the sun, the transpiration of the mist is in the forest, and the ice hangs down the branches. Every step is like stepping on a broken Qiongyu. The cold fragrance of cedar is wrapped in the cold wind, and the ice crystals are only heard in the silence of all the world. If you are in a secret world, it is very heartwarming.
Huanglong Scenic Area is located in Songpan County, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, people can reach here by self-driving, high-speed rail, plane, transportation is extremely convenient. The scenic spot is dominated by more than 3,000 terraced-shaped color pools, of which the colorful pools and sands are the most famous. These pools will show blue, green and yellow gradient colors under the sun, known as the world's Dianchi Lake. In addition to these colorful pools, the scenic spot also has four amazing landscapes such as wetlands, snow-capped mountains, forests, canyons, etc., which are beautiful. However, the height of the scenic spot is 3900 meters, so you should pay attention to prevent altitude sickness. It takes about 7 kilometers to walk on foot, but you can choose the combination of ropeway up the mountain and walking down the mountain, and you can take into account the efficiency and viewing. In general, Huanglong Scenic Area is still worth a visit.
Although the water of Huanglong is not as gorgeous as the water of Jiuzhai, there are many large and small calcification pools along the way, flowing down the hillside, reflecting the green mountains and green trees, blue sky and white clouds, and it is also very beautiful, not losing the colorful pool of the mountain. It is recommended to take the cable car up the mountain, walk down the mountain, it will save some effort, and will not miss the calcification pool and waterfall along the road.
At a glance, the Huanglong in the Dianchi Lake on the earth stepped into the Huanglong Scenic Area, just like opening a dream date with nature. The continuous snow-capped mountains, the clear blue sky, and the dense forests are all so beautiful that they are so unreal that people seem to be in a fairyland. Along the plank road, I licked the colorful pool, which is a dreamland composed of countless colorful pools, the pool water is crystal clear, refracted by the sun, showing colorful colors, as if nature carefully overturned the color disc, every color is intoxicating. Going down from the colorful pool, it is the scenic spots such as the Yanchi Lake and the bonsai Lake. They have their own characteristics, one step at a time, and one step at a time. Calcified beaches are shining with golden light under the sun, like a golden dragon in the mountains, which is amazing. However, the altitude of the scenic spot is high, and you have to take a leisurely time to avoid strenuous exercise to prevent high reaction. It is correct to prepare an oxygen cylinder in advance. In addition, there are few dining options and the price is high, and it is more suitable to bring some food to supplement energy. Huanglong, it is not only a natural landscape, but also a spiritual baptism. Every scenery here makes people feel the magic of nature and infinite charm. This trip, is my romantic encounter with Huanglong, is an unforgettable journey of the soul, let me deeply intoxicated, reluctant to leave.
Huanglong Scenic Area is a world natural heritage site, a national 5A-level scenic spot. People say that Jiuzhai returns without looking at the water, I want to say that Jiuzhai Huanglong returns without looking at the water. Huanglong's water is more colorful because of the shallow water and the color of calcium at the bottom. The water capacity of Jiuzhaigou is large and deep called the sea, and the water volume of Huanglong is small and shallow called the pool.