Huanglong Temple Terrace Lake Scenery Gallery: Lake views and mountain scenery, a feast for the eyes

The Huanglong Temple Scenic Area and the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area are known together as "the two pearls of northern Sichuan." Huanglong Temple is located northeast of Songpan County, Sichuan, at the foot of Xuebaoding, the main peak of the Minshan Mountains, and is the source of the Fujiang River.

Among the more than 3,400 colorful pools in Huanglong Valley, eight great landscapes have formed: Xihua Pool, Penjing Pool, Mingjing Reflection, Suoluo Yingcai, Caichi Zhengyan, Qishu Liufang, Shita Zhenhai and Zhuanhua Pool. Xihua Pool is also known as Caichi Yingbin

Located at an altitude of 3,199 m-3,216 m. The colorful pools in this area vary in size, exquisite and translucent. Set off by green pines and cypresses and red flowers and green willows, they are arranged layer upon layer in terraces, like piled agate, carved jade, and inlaid coral, incomparably gorgeous

Penjing Pool, at an altitude of 3,307 m-3,335 m. There are about a hundred colorful pools in this area. The pool shapes are varied and interlock and connect, with pools within pools and pools beyond pools. Many of the pools contain small, aged ancient trees, the taller ones 3 to 5 m

the shorter ones less than 1 m, as well as rhododendrons and various wildflowers and fragrant grasses. The pool water and flowers and trees reflect each other, with color upon color. Some look like potted flowers arranged among the pool banks and pools, while others stand gracefully in the pool water. Those tree roots and dead branches in the water

because travertine deposits at an astonishing rate, in only one or two years they are wrapped by travertine, forming jade-yellow coral-like exquisite branches and jade-like roots. Penjing Pool is named for these many natural bonsai.

Zhuanhua Pool, also known as Zhuanhua Shuyu, at an altitude of 3,578 m. This is already the top of Huanglong Valley. A clear spring flows out from the rhododendron forest below Yucui Peak and spills over the sponge-like green moss.

A small round pool looks as level as a mirror at first glance, but on closer look the spring water wells up and forms a whirlpool. Rhododendron blossoms fall all over the slope and float on the water, slowly spinning several rounds before sinking into the clear emerald bottom, hence the name "Zhuanhua Pool."