Huanglong National Park
6:00 AM - we woke up to be the first one to enter the Huanglong national park as the reserve is always packed with tourists. That's what should have happened. The recent earthquake which has impacted the big neighbour park Jiuzhaigou scared most people to visit the area. Even if Huanglong didn't suffer the earthquake, the number of visitors have dramatically dropped from thousands per day to maybe 20! It's not a typo, you are reading twenty correctly.
The Journey to Huanglong
So we started at 9:30 from Songpan. We shared a private car we booked the day before for 400 Yuan with a friendly French couple.
After cashing another 200 Yuan each at the ticket office, we checked in at the gate. Huanglong is often overshadowed by its big brother - the Jiuzhaigou park. But make no mistake, it's a diamond in the rough. The mountain displays hundreds of natural mineral pools with spectacular colours, waterfalls and wide swaths of limestone formations. As we said before, with the recent earthquake, the relaxing park was just for ourselves to admire.
Climbing to the Colorful Pools
As we climbed up the 4 kilometres, the cascade of natural pools and the waterfalls, backdropped by magnificent green mountains, only got more spectacular.
After passing 2 Tibetan Buddhist temples, and walking up the final wooden stairs, we reached the top segment. The set was breathtaking. More turquoise and blue-tingled lakes than you could dream of. And still, we were alone to contemplate Huanglong's imaginable beauty.
We spent five hours in the park. We didn't use the cable car, and stopped to take hundreds of pictures and loads of video recordings.
Back in Songpan
Back in Songpan, and exhausted by our long day, Caroline tasted the butter tea as a final treat. The result was not expected. In a bad way ;-) The huge butter spoon dropped in the tea didn't save the taste.
Visiting Huanglong National Park
- Located about 50km from Songpan - accessible by private car or tour bus
- Entry fee: 200 Yuan per person. Private car from Songpan: 400 Yuan (can be shared)
- Allow 5-6 hours to explore the park properly - the main trail is 4km uphill
- Cable car is available if you don't want to hike, but the walk is highly recommended for better views
- The park features hundreds of colorful travertine pools, waterfalls, and limestone formations - often overshadowed by Jiuzhaigou but equally spectacular
- Pass 2 Tibetan Buddhist temples on the way to the summit pools
- High altitude location - dress warmly and be prepared for thinner air
- Visit early in the morning to avoid crowds - though visitor numbers may be low following the nearby Jiuzhaigou earthquake
- Bring lots of storage for photos - the colorful pools are incredibly photogenic!
- Try Tibetan butter tea when you get back... or maybe not! It's an acquired taste
Note:
Pin These Moments
💎 Huanglong Pools
Exploring the spectacular colored mineral pools and travertine terraces of UNESCO-listed Huanglong
🏔️ Natural Wonder
Hiking 4km through hundreds of turquoise pools, waterfalls, and Tibetan temples
🎨 Colors of Nature
Having this diamond in the rough almost entirely to ourselves - just 20 visitors in the whole park!
Have you visited Huanglong National Park? Did you hike or take the cable car? How did it compare to Jiuzhaigou? Have you tried Tibetan butter tea? Share your Huanglong experiences!