Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area lies in Songpan County in northwestern Sichuan, in the mountains of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. Its name means “Yellow Dragon,” but the landscape needs no legend to explain its appeal. A long chain of mineral terraces and pools descends through a forested valley beneath the Minshan peaks. The colors change with water, light and season, while waterfalls and limestone formations give the site a geological character as distinctive as its mountain setting.
UNESCO inscribed Huanglong on the World Heritage List in 1992. The protected property covers 60,000 hectares and rises from a base of about 1,700 metres to peaks reaching 5,588 metres. UNESCO describes snow-covered summits, the easternmost glacier in China, diverse forest ecosystems, hot springs and limestone formations. The scenic valley is one part of a much larger natural property, so a visit to the main boardwalk does not represent the entire reserve.
