Sichuan - Huanglong

Huanglong  黄龙 

Huanglong means Yellow Dragon because it looks like a golden dragon arching across the valley.  It is a beautiful national park located Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan. It also sits on the southern part of the Minshan 岷山  mountain range.

Huanglong Scenic Area  黄龙景区 

Our main goal to this scenic area was to climb up to 3500 meters to see the famous beautiful Wucai Chi - 5 Colored Ponds. Thankfully, our ascend was aided by the wonderful 5 minute cable car ride! However, we still had to walk to the 'junction' on a platform that led us up to the the ponds, which was another 430 meters from that platform. 

Walking to the cable cars

The walk to the first platform overlooking hills

First platform 

Clean toilets

"Huanglong is a green treasure of natural flora resource with vegetation coverage of 88.90% and forest coverage of 65.80%. There are 1500 species of plants."

"According to survey, there are 12 orders, 37 families and 183 species of  birds in Huanglong."

To Wucai Pond

Saw these turquoise ponds from where we were walking

The colors are mesmerizing.... a lot richer if you see them in person

Snow mountains

Finally, reached the "T junction". We had to turn left to walk up to the Wucai Ponds. 430 meters more!

Soluble carbonate rocks on this 1300 meters slope

Finally walked to Huanglong Temple. 220 meters more to the Wucai Ponds.

The famous Wucai Chi or 5 Colored Ponds  五彩池

"Covering an area of 21,000 sq ft, it comprises of 693 colorful ponds, 3576 meters above sea level. Known as the largest cluster of open-air calcified colorful ponds with the tallest sea level in the world."

Huanglong Temple was constructed during the Ming Dynasty

Small oxygen tanks were sold all along the way up to the Wucai Ponds

Quick lunch

We walked all the way down from the Wucai Ponds at 3576 meters. It took all of our willpower to keep going although you might think it was easy as there were proper wooden stairs the whole way through and  only some short paths were still in gravel. When we reached the 420 meter platform, it started to rain. We decided to go on. That last 420 meters were the longest walk for us. It was a miracle to finally see the exit!