The companion site to Jiuzhaigou in western China is less crowded, smaller and has only one trail, going from about 3,000 meters to 4,000 meters in elevation and covering about 7km each way. So for those less fit, oxygen cannisters are recommended to relieve headaches from oxygen deprivation, or one can be heartless and hire a sedan and be carried up.

It is better to get acclimated by visiting JZG the day before at 3,000 meters then do HL instead of the other way around because the altitude is really uncomfortable for those not used to it.

Huanglong, or yellow dragon in Chinese, consists of a section of highly mineralized stream that flows through the length of the park. The minerals leave a yellow deposit and accumulate into pools (see photo), and forming dozens of waterfalls. The water is inhospitable to microlife, therefore the water is blue and crystal clear.

I went in the summer. I heard that in winter when the dozens of waterfalls freeze, the view is spectacular and different.