UNESCO World Heritage SiteNational 5A Scenic AreaSouthwest China
Huanglong Scenic Area
黄龙风景名胜区 · Sichuan, Aba
A golden valley of cascading travertine terraces and colourful pools high on the Tibetan plateau edge.
Huanglong ('Yellow Dragon') is a valley of shimmering travertine terraces and hundreds of blue, green and golden pools cascading down a glacier valley below snow peaks. A wooden boardwalk climbs past temples and the famed Five-Color Pond, set at over 3,000 metres in scenery as striking as its neighbour Jiuzhaigou.
The travertine formations were laid down over thousands of years as calcium-rich spring water deposited limestone in stepped pools. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992 alongside Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong also hosts rare wildlife and a centuries-old Tibetan temple, the Huanglong Monastery, in the upper valley.
Day-by-day routes you won't find online — now starting with an 8-day, 1,500 km loop through western Sichuan. New regions are added regularly; tell us where you want to drive next.
