ChinaRoam
ChinaRoam
Metro routes that work, tickets you can actually book, food you can order, and the payment hacks no guidebook prints — city by city.
China's most beautiful valley — turquoise terraced lakes, waterfalls and snow peaks in a UNESCO park that looks painted.
Fly to Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport (JZH) — the highest commercial airport in China, then ~1.5h road transfer. From Chengdu it's a 7–8h drive or a long bus; most fly.
Entry is ticket + park shuttle; daily visitor caps in season — book both ahead online with passport.
The park's shuttle buses follow the Y-shaped valley; you hike between the lake viewpoints.
The impossibly turquoise lake — the most photographed water in China.
Reserve: Booking required
China's widest waterfall, 270 m across the valley wall.
Reserve: None
The park's largest and highest lake, ringed by forested peaks.
Reserve: None
A small gem of layered blues and greens just below the Long Lake.
Reserve: None
The chain of cascading lakes and falls along the valley's main walkway.
Reserve: None
Yak-broth hotpot in the town outside the park.
Spicy yak skewers from the night market.
The Tibetan staple foods of the high valley.
Highland wild mushrooms in local soups and stir-fries.
October's golden-and-crimson foliage over the blue lakes is world-famous — and the park is at its most booked. Plan weeks ahead.
2,000–3,100 m. Comfortable for most, but take the first day easy and hydrate.
Start at the top (Long Lake), shuttle down the Y, walk the lake loops. All in one day is standard.
Daily caps + passport-registered tickets in season — online booking is mandatory, not optional.
ChinaRoam is a crowdsourced guide to traveling China, built for foreign visitors. We started with the city guides that everyone needs but nobody could find in English: how do I actually pay? How do I book a museum with my passport? Which metro line goes where?
Unlike tourist agencies and travel portals, every entry here is written by travelers who have been on the ground — and every guide is open for anyone to correct and improve. It's a living guidebook, not a static one.
Prices, opening hours, and visa rules change. Treat every entry as a strong hint, not gospel — check official sources for things that matter. And if you spot something wrong, correct it: that's the whole point.
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