五彩池

Five-Color Pond is one of the smallest but most intensely beautiful lakes in Jiuzhaigou Valley, the great UNESCO World Heritage Site of northern Sichuan, and for many visitors the single most vivid body of water in the whole park. Tucked into the upper reaches of the Zechawa Valley branch of Jiuzhaigou, it is celebrated for its extraordinary color and its remarkable clarity, and despite its modest size it consistently ranks among the most memorable sights in a park filled with extraordinary lakes.

What makes Five-Color Pond so striking is the intensity and variety of its hues. The water is saturated with dissolved calcium carbonate, which scatters the light and gives the pond its vivid, shifting shades of blue, green, and turquoise, so that from different angles and in different lights the pond seems almost to glow from within. The colors are at their most brilliant in sunlight, when the pond becomes a palette of jewel-toned blues and greens, and the pond is one of the few in Jiuzhaigou that does not freeze, so its colors can be admired even in the depths of winter.

The clarity of the water is the other great wonder of Five-Color Pond. Because the water is so clear and the pond so shallow, the travertine deposits, underwater formations, and fallen logs on the bottom are clearly visible, giving the pond a layered, almost three-dimensional quality. The contrast between the brilliant surface colors and the textured bottom creates an effect that is closer to a stained-glass window than to an ordinary lake, and it is easy to see why the pond has become one of the most photographed spots in all of Jiuzhaigou.

Five-Color Pond is visited as part of the standard circuit of the Zechawa branch of Jiuzhaigou Valley, and because it sits close to a shuttle bus stop, it is an easy stop on any day in the park. The light is most beautiful around midday, when the sun reaches deepest into the water, so plan your timing accordingly. For travelers exploring the lakes of Jiuzhaigou, Five-Color Pond is one of the purest, most concentrated expressions of the park's famous magic.