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Yading Nature Reserve is one of the most stunning hiking and scenic areas in China, yet not as well-known as Jiuzhaigou or Shangri-La to the world due to its remoteness. Lying in the south of Sichuan, high up on the Tibetan Plateau, Yading Nature Reserve is a hidden gem where you can discover its snow-capped mountains, grassy meadows, blue glacial lakes and clear water streams. We just finished our journey to Yading Nature Reserve and still miss its unique natural beauty every day.
Because no airport or train station served nearby, the nearest entry to Yading is from the city of Chengdu. When you get to the town of Daocheng, the only way to reach the reserve is by public bus or private vehicles. Nonetheless, it’s still a relatively unknown land with few transport facilities, the number of tourists is rather low even during the high season.
Once you get to the reserve, the challenging hiking begins. It’s not an easy trek and it probably would take you four or five hours to climb the holy mountain and back. Electric carts are available near the entrance but all they could go is as far as the Luorong pasture and back. Still, I would say walking along the river to view the gorgeous scenery is worth all the effort.
When we wanted to go to the upper lakes but were afraid of getting too exhausted, we chose to ride a horse provided by the locals from Luorong pasture to the lake.
Finally, here we were with the breathtaking Milk Lake. The water on the edge of the lake has a milky white color, hence the name. Folklore tells that visitors may see their future in the water, through quiet reflection.
To reach Five Color Lake, we had to leave the horses behind and walk by ourselves. When we approached the base of the south side of the holy Mt. Chenresig, a most magnificent view spreading before our eyes, the beautiful Five Color Lake. It is said when sunlight dapples the lake, the ripples of the water reflect five colors.
We were very grateful to happen to have such nice weather, which is the most crucial thing to appreciate the best of Yading Nature Reserve.
