Jiuzhaigou

A lake in the Rize gorge whose water divides into navy, jade and yellow within one basin. It is clear enough that drowned old trunks show on the bed. The colour bands only read as a whole from the lookout above.

Water spills in a broad sheet over a travertine ledge, the falls far wider than they are high. Part of the lip collapsed in the 2017 earthquake before the flow came back. It sits where the three gorges meet, so everyone changing buses passes through.

The largest and highest lake in Jiuzhaigou, above 3,000 metres. No outflow channel is visible, yet it never runs dry. The shuttle line ends at its shore, so many visitors begin here and see the rest walking downhill.

A small pool reached by stairs down from Long Lake, tiny but the most intensely coloured of all. Lime deposits and algae under the surface catch the light, layering blue over green. The colour is deepest when the afternoon sun stands high.

Water fans thinly over a gentle travertine slope, throwing up drops like beads. It appears in the opening of the 1986 Journey to the West series, a sight every Chinese viewer knows. A wooden boardwalk crosses the middle of the shoal.

With no wind, mountains and sky turn upside down on the water exactly. The breeze usually rises with the sun, so the glassy hour is early morning only. Many photographers ride the first shuttle and head straight here.

Fir and spruce left standing at the very top of the Rize gorge, with a boardwalk running in among them. Moss covers trunks and ground, so after rain the air is damp and cold. It is high up; walk slowly.

A Tibetan village near the mouth of the valley, prayer flags strung over the roofs. Over the stream a prayer wheel turns on a water wheel and keeps spinning as long as the water runs. Small lakes step down below the houses.

Thousands of yellow travertine pools stepping down a valley, World Heritage alongside Jiuzhaigou. The top pool lies above 3,500 metres, so riding the cable car up and walking down is easier on the body.

An old garrison town with its Ming walls and gates intact, once a pass on the tea-and-horse caravan route. Statues of Princess Wencheng and Songtsen Gampo face the gate across its square. Outfitters outside the walls sell multi-day horse treks into the hills.

A lake in Rize Valley, named for the story that pandas came down to drink. At its lower end the water spills over into a stepped waterfall. In deep winter the falls freeze into white columns of ice.

Named for the arrow bamboo, panda food, that rings its shore. Zhang Yimou filmed the duel over the water in Hero here. It is shallow and still, and on a windless morning the mountains lie mirrored on it.

The largest lake in Shuzheng Valley, where legend says a Tibetan monk once arrived riding a rhinoceros and stayed. It stretches long beside the shuttle road. Early in the day a low mist lies on the water.

A lake with a long yellow band of lime deposit on its clear bed, likened to a dragon lying asleep. The deep blue water makes the band stand out. Wind ruffles it away, so look in when the surface is calm.

A reed marsh near the valley entrance, a blue ribbon of water running through its middle. In autumn the reeds fade to gold, unlike any of the lakes. Shuttles tend to pass it by, so get off and walk the boardwalk.

A valley west of Songpan with the Zhaga waterfall pouring over travertine steps and blue pools. It looks much like Huanglong but draws far fewer visitors. The altitude is high; hurry uphill and you will be breathless, so walk slowly.