Huanglong

Huanglong, which means 'Yellow Dragon', is renowned for its cascade of colourful pools and natural ponds that tumble down a beautiful valley which are said to shimmer like the scales of a 'yellow dragon'. The astounding variety of greens, blues and yellows that colour the pools are caused by natural calcite deposits in the water. Not only famous for its colourful calcium pools, Huanglong is home to spectacular landscapes that can rival any of China's scenic areas and national parks. Surrounded by towering peaks and dotted with hot springs and waterfalls, wildlife flourishes too – the Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys and even the Giant Panda, both endangered species, call it home.

Huanglong was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. Within the park, there is a boardwalk which allows visitors to explore Huanglong at a comfortable pace. The boardwalk hugs the pools giving you a close up view of these natural wonders. There is also the option of chairlift up to the top of the Huanglong scenic area and whilst travelling, you have a bird's eye view of an array of simmering colours from the pools below.

Popular Tours Visiting Huanglong

China Splendour

14 Days from
holiday price

2,990pp

Uncover the Nine Villages Valley, a part of China with turquoise lakes and cascading waterfalls. Rarely seen by western visitors, this delightful scenery is one of China’s real treasures. Combined with the most popular sights of Beijing, Xian and Shanghai this tour really provides the best of both worlds.

Dreams of Nature

22 Days from
holiday price

3,490pp

Towering pinnacles swathed in mist, sky-skimming mountains and nature at its most verdant are just some of the wonders included on this scenic tour. Indulge your senses with China’s most spectacular, mysterious and dramatic natural highlights.

Sichuan Explorer

15 Days from
holiday price

2,490pp

Sichuan Province is the natural habitat of one of the world's endangered species – the Giant Panda. We observe these magnificent creatures at the Panda Conservation Centre in Dujiangyan as well as admire the Grand Buddha in Leshan. We also visit Mt Emei and beautiful Nine Villages Valley.

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Seven Facts About The Huanglong Pools

The pools are formed from travertine, a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs. It is algae and bacteria that create the colours.

The flora and fauna around Huanglong is particularly diverse – some of which are rare and/or endangered.

Endangered animals believed to live in the valley’s forest includes giant pandas and the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey.

A temple sits at the top of the mountain – built during the Ming Dynasty, it combines Buddhism and Taoism.

The largest group of ponds is made up of 700 pools of water and is known as Wucai Chi (Five Colours Ponds).

Huanglong has been nicknamed the ‘Fairy Land on Earth’.

The Huanglong Valley is 3.6 kilometres in length and encompasses snowy mountain peaks and glaciers.