Scenic Wonders of Huanglong

The scenic and historic area at Huanglong in Songpan County, Sichuan Province, is known for its limestone-formation landscapes. The colorful travertine (limestone-deposit) pools set against mountains, rivers, and forests are as beautiful as a fairyland. Huanglong is of great scientific importance because of its well-preserved landforms and its biological resources.

Huanglong is 65 kilometers west of Songpan County and is one of the highest scenic areas in China, nestled among mountains and peaks 3,000 meters above sea level. The main sights of Huanglong are in the 7.5-kilometer Huanglong Ravine at the foot of Xuebaoding, the main peak of the snow-capped Minshan Mountains, near the source of the Fujiang River.

At the end of the ravine, near the foot of Jade-Green Peak, water from melting snow in the mountains mixes with limestone water from underground. The water flows down the mountain terraces, depositing the calcium carbonate from the limestone water on the rocks, stones, and fallen branches in its path. The calcium carbonate develops into solid, low travertine banks and also reacts chemically with organic and inorganic substances, resulting in various kinds of calcareous deposits that shine with many colors in the sunlight and form the area's highest group of colored pools, known as the Colorful Pools at Huanglong.

When the flowing water descends to the 2.5-km slope, it creates a magnificent wonder, the Golden Sand Beach. The slope is covered with layers of milky yellow calcareous deposits, and the water flowing down the slope shines like gold in the sunlight. The entire ravine looks like a giant yellow dragon flying downward, with the ups and downs resembling the bends in the dragon's body. Hence the name Huanglong (Yellow Dragon) Ravine.

When the water meets the terraces in the woods, it forms another group of waterfalls and colored pools, including the Potted Landscape Pools, the Mirror-Like Pools, the Flamboyant Pools, and the Dragon's Golden Back Waterfalls. The Flamboyant Pools, with their high banks, are also known as the Terraced Pools and form the largest group of pools in terms of area and number of pools. The Flamboyant Pools and the Colorful Pools are the most attractive sights of Huanglong.

At the end of the Golden Sand Beach lies the Bathing-Cave Waterfall. Legend has it that the heavenly goddess Xuannu once bathed there. The waterfall rushes down the seven-meter cliff and splashes like pearls, forming a sort of water curtain. This waterfall and the nearby Brilliant Flying Waterfall are the most representative of the travertine waterfalls at Huanglong. Below the waterfalls are the Guest-Welcoming Pools, the first sight for tourists on their visit to Huanglong. Then the water winds its way down to the foot of the mountain and divides into several tributaries that empty into the Fujiang River and the Red Cloud Gorge.

The unique scenery at Huanglong has been noted since ancient times. Tradition has it that the True Man of Huanglong, an immortal of Taoism, lived alone and meditated here. According to The Songpan County Chronicles, Huanglong's three temples, one behind the other, were built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and attracted a great number of worshipers. The front and middle temples are mostly dilapidated, but the back temple, at the end of Huanglong Ravine and the Hall of the Goddess of Mercy in the middle temple are well preserved. The back temple contains a statue of the True Man of Huanglong. In the middle ten days of the sixth lunar month each year, a temple fair at Huanglong attracts people from the Tibetan, Qiang, Hui, and Han ethnic groups. The fairgoers offer incense, pray, sing, dance, and enjoy the scenery.

As a natural wonder, the scenic area at Huanglong is now well managed and preserved by the state and relevant departments. To protect the travertine banks and river bottoms, tourists may no longer wear boots to wade in the water. Bridges and wood-plank paths now arch and wind among the sights of Huanglong, and visitors can see elegant pavilions here and there. Tourists who come in autumn find themselves in a picturesque fairyland. "I have been to many places in the world," says the manager of a transnational American tourism company, "but I have never seen a place as beautiful as Huanglong."