Huanglong Biosphere Reserve, Nature reserve and tourist attraction in Songpan County, China
This protected area occupies a 7.5-kilometer mountain corridor featuring more than three thousand limestone terraces formed by natural mineral deposits that hold turquoise waters in a stepped arrangement.
The travertine formations began developing roughly twelve thousand years ago through limestone-rich meltwater from surrounding glaciers and have evolved continuously through ongoing mineral deposits that led to protected status being granted in 1982.
This protected area serves as a sacred site for Tibetan Buddhist communities, hosting monasteries and religious structures that have drawn pilgrims and monks to these remote mountain regions for centuries.
A cable car transports visitors to elevations above twelve thousand feet (3,600 meters), where marked trails navigate through the terraced pools, with visits recommended between July and October for better weather conditions and optimal water coloration.
The Five-color Pool cluster contains 693 separate basins at 11,732 feet (3,576 meters) elevation, forming the highest concentration of natural travertine pools worldwide, with colors shifting between gold, green and blue depending on light conditions and mineral content.
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