The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Recreational Area is about a 30-40 minute drive from Lijiang Old Town and is one of the most popular excursions to take when visiting Lijiang. Within the large national park there are many different areas to visit. Because private cars cannot enter the area, you’ll have to use their shuttle buses to get around.
Some people take the cable car to the top of the mountain (5,500 meters!) to see the snow capped mountain and the vast views. It is quite cold (people were bundled up!) and the oxygen is so thin up there that they sell cans of oxygen in case of altitude sickness.
Blue Moon Valley
We chose to forego the top of the mountain and instead spend half a day down below at Blue Moon Valley. Here, we got to enjoy a stunning series of turquoise blue lakes and terraced waterfalls.
The color of the water is unbelievably beautiful, reminding me of the similar aqua blue waters in the Canadian Rockies that I had visited over ten years ago.
There is a nice walking path along these blue green “lakes” that you can explore. Allot around 1-2 hours to enjoy this walk.
We went earlier in the morning, so we avoided the crowds (which was nice!).
If you keep walking, you’ll eventually come upon this terraced stone waterfall that’s really pretty. This is probably the most crowded area, partly because of the terraced stones, partly because you can see some yaks there.
Terraced Stones + Waterfall
Our friend really, really wanted to take a photo with a yak (she loves animals).
Traditional Tibetan Outfits + Yaks
Somehow, before you know it, I had somehow been convinced to rent some traditional Tibetan costumes and take some fun photos. Bryan went along with my friend and also took some photos with the yak.
It’s a beautiful area, and definitely worth a visit! We ended up spending a whole morning exploring this area.
Posts in this Lijiang Series (links to be added once published)
Lijiang China Trip Report: Lijiang Old Town
Blue Moon Valley of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Lijiang, China
Yu Hu Village in Lijiang, China 玉湖村
Baisha Village in Lijiang, China 白沙村
