Long Lake

Long Lake is the largest and highest lake in Jiuzhaigou Valley, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of northern Sichuan, and one of the most majestic sights in the whole park. Tucked at the far upper end of the Zechawa Valley branch of Jiuzhaigou, it sits at considerable altitude, ringed by snow-capped peaks and steep forested slopes, and its deep blue waters, swept by mountain winds and framed by alpine grandeur, give it a character quite distinct from the smaller, more intimate lakes lower down the valley.

The setting is what makes Long Lake so memorable. The lake fills a glacial valley at the head of the Zechawa branch, so that it is enclosed on three sides by high ridges and peaks, and the views from its shore sweep up toward the snow mountains that feed its waters. The scale is larger and more dramatic than anywhere else in Jiuzhaigou, and the deep, cold blue of the lake against the gray rock, green forest, and white peaks creates one of the most alpine, mountainous scenes in the park. The lake is deepest in the autumn and freezes partially in winter, adding seasonal drama.

Unlike many of the other lakes in Jiuzhaigou, Long Lake has no outflowing stream at the surface, and its water level rises and falls with the seasons and the melt from the surrounding peaks. The clarity and color of the water, the layered forests that surround it, and the dramatic backdrop of the mountains all combine to make this one of the most photographed and most loved corners of the park, and many visitors consider a moment of quiet at the shore of Long Lake one of the high points of their day.

Long Lake is visited as the final stop on the Zechawa branch of the Jiuzhaigou shuttle-bus circuit, so it is an easy addition to any day in the park, and the boardwalks and viewing platforms along the shore make it accessible to almost every visitor. The light is most beautiful in the morning and early afternoon. For travelers exploring the lakes of Jiuzhaigou, Long Lake offers the grandest, most alpine vista in the park, and a fitting climax to the journey up the valley.