Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area
With an elevation of 5,588 meters, Xuebaoding, the summit of the Minshan Mountain Ridge, is covered by snow all the year round. It is often enveloped in mist and clouds. The Tibetans regard the summit sacred. According to local people, you can have a whole picture of the summit only in July and August. The water from melted snow provides moisture to this valley. This is the famous Huanglong Valley. Huanglong Valley is a travertine valley that is 3.5 kilometers long and 300 meters wide. As the mountain resembles a dragon, it is also known as Hidden Dragon Mountain.
The water from melted snow and the karst emerging from below the earth flow together in the Huanglong Valley. The calcium carbonate in the water concentrated to form solid travertine dikes. This gives rise to groups of colored ponds.
Colored travertine ponds are the main landscapes in Huanglong Valley. Altogether Huanglong Valley has over 2,300 colored ponds in eight groups. Different layers of ponds are joined together just like terraced fields. Large ponds are dozens of square meters, and the small ones are only a few square meters. The calcium carbonate in the ponds deposited to form travertine bodies together with organic and inorganic substances. The water in the ponds is in different colors when the sun shines on it. So the ponds in Huanglong Valley are called five-colored ponds.
On the hillsides by the two sides of the Huanglong Valley are virgin forests. Different types of flowers and plants are found in the forests. The evergreen coniferous trees and precious flowers and plants add to the beauty of Huanglong Valley. According to statistics, Huanglong Valley has forest coverage of 65.8% and vegetation coverage of 88.9%.
Many rare animals are also found in the forests in Huanglong Valley. Occasionally, these lovely birds visit the colored ponds.
