Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area


World Heritage Identification Number: 638

World Heritage since: 1992

Category: Natural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇨🇳 China

Continent: Asia

UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific

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Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area: A Unique Blend of Natural Beauty and Cultural Significance

The Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area, located in the northwest part of Sichuan Province, China, is a captivating testament to the harmonious coexistence of natural beauty and cultural significance. Designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992, this region offers a unique blend of breathtaking landscapes, diverse ecosystems, and rich cultural heritage.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Situated in the north-west of Sichuan Province, the Huanglong valley is made up of snow-capped peaks and the easternmost of all the Chinese glaciers. In addition to its mountain landscape, diverse forest ecosystems can be found, as well as spectacular limestone formations, waterfalls and hot springs. The area also has a population of endangered animals, including the giant panda and the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey.

Encyclopedia Record: Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area

Huanglong is a scenic and historic interest area in the northwest part of Sichuan, China. It is located in the southern part of the Minshan mountain range, 370 kilometres (230 mi) north-northwest of the capital Chengdu. This area is known for its colorful travertine pools formed by calcite deposits, especially in Huanglonggou, as well as diverse forest ecosystems, snow-capped peaks, waterfalls and hot springs. Huanglong is also home to many endangered species including the giant panda and the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey. In addition, a large population of the endemic orchid species 'Cypripedium plectrochilum' was discovered at the site. Huanglong was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992 because of its outstanding travertine formations, waterfalls and limestone formations as well as its travertine terraces and lakes rating among the three most outstanding examples in the world.

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Additional Site Details

Area: 60,000 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (vii) — Contains superlative natural phenomena or beauty

Coordinates: 32.75417 , 103.82222

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Image of Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area

© Kounosu, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

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Country Information: China

Flag of China

Official Name: People's Republic of China

Capital: Beijing

Continent: Asia

Population (2024): 1,408,975,000

Population (2023): 1,410,710,000

Population (2022): 1,412,175,000

Land Area: 9,388,210 sq km

Currency: Chinese yuan (CNY)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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