Huanglong National Scenic Area
Separated from Jiuzhaigou by a single mountain, Huanglong is remarkable for its glistening, smooth travertine rocks. The terraces wind up the gully like a golden dragon coiling its way upward.…
Huanglong National Scenic Area, Jiuzhaigou and Aba Prefecture · AI illustration for China Trip
Key facts
- Admission
- Peak season ¥170; off-season ¥60; cable car ¥80 up, ¥40 down
- Time needed
- 1 day
- Getting there
- Take a bus from Chadianzi Bus Station (茶店子车站) in Chengdu to Songpan County; the ticket costs around ¥109 per person. The Huanglong scenic area is about 40 km from Songpan County, so you can hire a car or take a taxi.
- Guidebook rating
- 5 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 374. Open in Google Maps
About Huanglong National Scenic Area
Separated from Jiuzhaigou by a single mountain, Huanglong is remarkable for its glistening, smooth travertine rocks. The terraces wind up the gully like a golden dragon coiling its way upward. Within roughly one square kilometre behind Huanglong Temple lies the “golden” core of the scenic area. Less than 100 metres behind the rear temple stands the Dragon King Temple, where the annual Huanglong Temple Fair is held. Behind Huanglong Rear Temple rise the highest pools in the gully, the “Shitazhenhai” (Stone Pagoda Guarding the Sea), also known as the Five-Colour Pools. Visiting Huanglong without seeing these pools would be a great pity.
Tips from the guidebook
- 1. Apart from Huanglong Gully, the Fujiang River Source area and the Xuelan Peak Cluster and Hongxinyan Peak Cluster require a local guide. Do not go there on your own.
- 2. The area is closed to visitors every year from December to March.
- 3. Huanglong Gully sits at an altitude of 3,100–3,500 metres. The round-trip hike takes at least 3 hours. Visitors with weak constitutions should watch closely for altitude sickness, and take the scenery at a pace your body can handle. Oxygen bags are available for rent locally to help those who are unwell.
- 4. Hygiene at Huanglong is good, and all seat cushions are disposable.
- 5. Tickets are sold on a real-name registration basis.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Huanglong National Scenic Area cost?
Admission to Huanglong National Scenic Area is Peak season ¥170; off-season ¥60; cable car ¥80 up, ¥40 down, as listed in the 2025 guidebook. Prices can change; check the official channel before you go.
How do I get to Huanglong National Scenic Area?
Take a bus from Chadianzi Bus Station (茶店子车站) in Chengdu to Songpan County; the ticket costs around ¥109 per person. The Huanglong scenic area is about 40 km from Songpan County, so you can hire a car or take a taxi.
How long should I spend at Huanglong National Scenic Area?
Plan on 1 day for Huanglong National Scenic Area.
Where is Huanglong National Scenic Area?
Huanglong National Scenic Area is in Jiuzhaigou and Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the Southwest of China.
More places in Jiuzhaigou and Aba Prefecture
Miyaluo and Bipenggou
The Miyaluo Golden Autumn Red Leaf Scenic Area is the largest and most spectacular red leaf scenic area discovered and opened in China to date. Its main attraction, Bipenggou, combines primeval forest, canyon scenery, lake waterfalls and snowy mountain meadows, where you can admire both snow and red leaves. Along the way to Miyaluo you pass Taoping Qiang Village, where you can see the most typical Qiang architecture, the diaolou (watchtowers). The towers are truly impressive.
Bipenggou admission plus shuttle bus within the park ¥60; Taoping Qiang Village ¥30 · Miyaluo: 2–3 hours; Bipenggou: 0.5–1 day
Jiuzhaigou
No river is more colourful or pure than Jiuzhaigou's, and no mountain's foliage is more brilliant and varied. Here nature is never monochrome: in spring new buds turn green, in summer orioles and swallows dart about, in autumn the mountains blaze with red leaves, and in winter the ice gleams like jade. Water is the soul of Jiuzhaigou, which is why it is said that “once you have seen Jiuzhaigou's water, you need not see any other.” The Shuzhenggou section is the main valley, about 14 km long, with more than 40 lakes (haizi), roughly 40% of all the lakes in the scenic area. It is the entrance to Jiuzhaigou: every visitor passes through Shuzheng Valley. Key sights include Penjing Beach, Reed Sea, Huohua Lake, Shuzheng Waterfall, Rhinoceros Lake and Nuorilang Waterfall. The Rizegou section is the highlight of the Jiuzhaigou scenic line, with stunningly beautiful and ever-changing scenery. Sights include the Nuorilang Lake Group, Mirror Lake, Pearl Shoals Waterfall, Peacock Channel, Five-Flower Lake, Panda Lake Waterfall, Arrow Bamboo Lake, Eagle Claw Cave, Swan Lake, Fangcao Lake, Jianyan Hanging Spring and the primeval forest. The Zharugou valley is the longest valley developed so far in Jiuzhaigou, at 18 km. It passes Jiwan Lake and Five-Colour Pond before reaching Changhai (Long Lake) at an altitude of 3,100 metres.
Peak season: entrance ¥190, sightseeing bus ¥90; off-season: entrance ¥80, sightseeing bus ¥80 · 1 day
Munigou
Munigou is covered in forest, and its mountains, woods, caves and lakes complement one another beautifully. Its large and small lakes and the magnificent travertine pools and waterfalls are its most stunning features. Munigou is a dazzling new star on the “Jiuzhaigou–Huanglong” golden tourist route. Zhaga Waterfall stands 104 metres tall and is the highest calcified waterfall in China. Separated from Zhaga Waterfall by a mountain, Erdaohai lies at the end of the Munigou scenic area and is the highlight of Munigou. It combines the charms of both Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong. At the deepest point of Erdaohai, beneath an ancient pine, lies Pearl Lake, whose waters are said to help with various skin conditions.
Zhaga Waterfall ¥70; Erdaohai ¥70; combined ticket ¥100
China Ancient Qiang City Scenic Area
The world's largest core exhibition site for Qiang culture, Ancient Qiang City combines cultural heritage protection, leisure experiences and sightseeing. It vividly showcases the past and present development of the Qiang people and their precious cultural treasures. The site includes the China Qiang Museum, an Intangible Cultural Heritage Transmission Centre and Qiang Culture Square.
2–4 hours
Zoige Rer Grassland
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Free · 0.5–1 day
Flower Lake
Flower Lake is a natural lake on the Rer Dam Grassland, shining like a sapphire set into the northwestern border of Sichuan. Its wide expanse is underlain by bottomless marsh, and walking along the boardwalk around the lake reveals endless scenery. Dense reeds grow along its shores, and the lake takes its name from a white wildflower that blooms across it. It was once named one of China's most beautiful wetlands. The best time to visit is from June to September, and mid-July is when the flowers are at their peak and the lake truly lives up to its name. It is also the best place to see the black-necked crane, a first-class nationally protected species.
Peak season ¥75 · 1–2 hours