Why Visit the Blue Moon Valley?

Blue Moon Valley (“蓝月谷” in Chinese), nestled in the towering mountains of Lijiang, is an impossibly turquoise river originated from the melting snow of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. If you plan a trip to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Blue Moon Valley is the not-to-be-missed part which is just located at the entrance of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area

On a clear day, water in the Blue Moon Valley presents charming azure, and the valley is crescent-shaped, which looks like a blue moon inlaid at the foot of a Jade Dragon from a distance. Besides, the beauty of the valley is very similar with the Blue Moon Valley which written in the Lost Horizon by the English writer Hilton. That’s how Blue Moon Valley earn herself the beautiful name.

As the turquoise river passing over the beautiful terraced-valley, it forms four large colorful lakes, dozens of miniature whitewater waterfalls, combined with the flowers, gorges, and meadows that surround them, makes Blue Moon Valley one of the most attracting scenic spots in Lijiang.

Most Popular Lijiang Tour to Visit Blue Moon Valley:

>> 3 Days Lijiang Cultural & Natural Tour with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Highlights in Blue Moon Valley

There are four lakes divided by small waterfalls or giant rocks along the river which form a natural mirror reflecting the grand snow mountain, surrounding cliffs, and lush plants, namely Jade-Like Lake (Yuye Lake), Mirror Pond (Jingtan Lake), Blue Moon Lake (Lanyue Lake), and Wave-Listening Lake (Tingtao Lake). Besides, Baishui Terraced Waterfall is also a natural marvel that you can’t miss.

Baishui River

Baishui River is a river formed by the melting glacier and snow water of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The water is well-protect, waterbed and terrace are formed with white marble and limestone rubble, so that the water seems to become whiter, hence being called Baishui River (“Baishui” in Chinese means white colored water). It is said that the water of Baishui River comes from the mouth of Jade dragon, the legend spiritualized the river, therefore local people also regards this place a holyland for love.

Blue Moon Lake

Blue Moon Lake is surrounded by indigo mountains and emerald forest, shining under the bright sun. The jasper-like lake twinkle with sapphire light makes people feels like they are either in a fairyland or in a dream. If you are lucky enough to come across the wonder golden sun shines on the top of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, you will know what the spectacular scenery would be like in the famous poem “At sunrise riverside flowers blossom more red than fire, in spring green river waves grow as blue as sapphire”

Jade-like Lake & Mirror Pond

The Mirror Pond is a small-size, comely, tranquil and cozy lake. Wandering alongside the lake would give people a confusing feeling that they are in Jiuzhaigou Valley.

Jade-like Lake is located in the upper reaches of the Mirror Lake. It is once said that the beauty of Jade-like Lake can be compared to the Milk Sea in Maldives. Perhaps it is because of the water is deeper and rich in copper ions, makes it looks bluer.

Baishui River Our Guests Take a Photo at Blue Moon Valley
The Mirror Pond Our Guest Enjoy Happy Time at Blue Moon Valley

How to Get to Blue Moon Valley

Blue Moon Valley is a popular spot inside the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area, 31km away from Lijiang Old Town. You can choose regular bus, taxi or city bus to get to the snow mountain first and then transfer to sightseeing bus. It takes about 1 hour to get to the entrance of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain by car.

Travel with China Discovery

If you want to get rid of hustle of public transportation and troublesome navigation, you can travel with us China Discovery. Our local tour guide and driver will escort you to Blue Moon Valley from your hotel or any other places in Lijiang with speed, convenience and safety by the comfortable licensed private vehicle, provide you the best travel experience and take care of all the details. You just need to focus on sightseeing. Please tell us directly if you need any help!

For Independent Travelers - By Taxi or By Bus

Hiring a minivan or taxi in Lijiang Old Town to Blue Moon Valley Scenic Area will likely cost around CNY 70 one way. It’s a time-saving way and comfortable way of travel for independent travelers.

For tourists with limited budget can take a Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Special Bus Line to get to the entrance of Blue Moon Valley at Guchengkou Bus Station (古城口站), the whole journey takes about 1.5 hours.

Get around Blue Moon Valley & Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

► Upon arrival, take a sightseeing bus at the visitors' center near the gate of the scenic area to the valley, the fare is CNY 20 per person.

Other spots inside like Spruce Plateau, Yak Plateau, and Glacier Park Cable Car Terminus can also be accessed by sightseeing bus, you can take the sightseeing bus to get to the cable car points first and then transfer to cable car to reach other scenic spots.

► There are three cable car lines in Jade Dragon Scenic Spot. The destination of the Big Cable Car (大索道) is Glacier Park. If you want to get to Yak Meadow, you can take Maoniuping Middle Cable Car (牦牛坪中索道) to get there. For those who want to get to Spruce Meadow, you can take Yunshanping Small Cable Car (云杉坪小索道).

► There are also battery cars running in Blue Moon Valley Scenic Area, the fare is CNY 50 per person.

Private Car Service Private Car Service
Blue Moon Valley Click to Enlarge Blue Moon Valley Transportation Map
Jade-like Lake Our Guests at Blue Moon Valley

How to Travel Blue Moon Valley with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Besides visiting the Blue Moon Valley, there are many other attractions and highlights worth to see in Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area, such as the Glacier Park, Spruce Meadow or Yak Meadow, Impression Lijiang etc.

The best tour route is visit Ganhaizi and Glacier Park in the morning. After visiting the place, take a cable car down and transfer to sightseeing bus to get to the place where Impression Lijiang perform. When the show finished, you can have a simple meal near the Blue Moon Valley, then tour Spruce Meadow and Blue Moon Valley in the afternoon.

Best Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Tour:

>> 3 Days Lijiang Cultural & Natural Tour with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Tourists Map Click to Enlarge Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Tourists Map

Ticket Price in Blue Moon Valley & Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

The ticker price of Blue Moon Valley is included in the ticket of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area. There are two tickets in Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Area:

Huge Yulong Scenic Area through Ticket: CNY 230/person

(Including Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area, Dongba culture sites, Baisha Mural area, Jade Water Stockade Village, Yuzhuqingtian, Jade Peak Temple; excluding tramway, Lijiang Ancient City Protection fee, and the fee of Impression Lijiang Show, etc.; valid for 2 days)

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area: CNY 130/person

(Including Ganhaizi, Blue-Moon Valley; excluding tramway, Lijiang Ancient City Protection fee, and the fee of Impression Lijiang Show, etc.; valid for that one day)

Cable Car to Glacier Park: CNY 182/person (round trip)

Cable Car to Spruce Meadow: CNY 57/person (round trip)

Cable Car to Yak Meadow: CNY 82/person (round trip)

Sightseeing Bus in Jade Dragon Snow Mountain: CNY 20/person

Battery Car in Blue Moon Valley Scenic Area: CNY 50/person

Useful Tips for Traveling Blue Moon Valley

1. Weather and Best Time to Visit

The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain belongs to the temperate plateau monsoon climate area. Annual average temperature is around 13°C. The rainy season lasts from June to October.

From October to next year April is the best time to experience the snow-covered landscape in Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, so if you visit the scenic spot during this time, highly recommended you to take the big cable car to the Glacier Park, you will be amazed by the astonishing view. Blue Moon Valley and Ganhaizi (甘海子) are suitable to travel all year around. Do remember to take enough clothes and wear comfortable shoes, because the temperature at the top is very low. Before your Blue Moon Valley tour, check more about Lijiang Weather and Climate | Best Time to Visit Lijiang

2. Impression Lijiang

The Impression Lijiang is a large-scale live-action performance directed by the world famous director Zhang Yimou who is the chief director of both the opening and closing ceremonies of the 29th Olympic Games held in Beijing in 2008. 500 local people from 10 minority nationalities perform this amazing show at the height of 3100 m. This show provides you a “BOOM” to your eyes and ears, with their wonderful dancing and singing and the unique fine background of the white Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as well as the blue sky.

3. About High Altitude Sickness

Since the snow mountain has a high altitude of 5596m, so to avoid or relieve altitude sickness, you need to sleep well, drink enough water, have enough fruits and vegetables, and keep a calm mood to release your body, which is also helpful. Strenuous exercise and alcoholic drinks are better to avoid. Passengers who have severer altitude illness could take some anti-high-altitude sickness medicines, after a while, you will feel much better.

4. Other Useful Tips

There are usually many people visiting Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, so it may cost you much time to wait for the queue of the cable car (especially the Big Cable Car to Glacier Park) during the peak seasons.

How to Plan a Blue Moon Valley Tour

Blue Moon Valley is a popular spot inside the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area. Most travelers would spend a whole day to explore Blue Moon Valley with other scenic spots in Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, such as Ganhaizi, Glacier Park, Spruce Meadow etc. And watch the large-scale live-action performance - Impression Lijiang to boom your eyes and ears. Before or after your Jade Dragon Snow Mountain tour, you can spend 1-2 days to discover Lijiang Old Town (Mufu Palace), Shuhe Old Town, Dongba mural paintings, Black Dragon Pool, etc. Besides, if you are fond of the emerald alpine lake and mysterious matriarchal society culture of Mosuo ethnic culture, you can plan another 2-3 days at Lugu Lake to enjoy more peaceful holiday time!

Recommended Lijiang Blue Moon Valley Tour Packages:

>> 3 Days Lijiang Cultural & Natural Tour with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

>> 3 Days Romantic Lijiang Tour with Visits to Naxi Kingdom

Besides, quite a lot of visitors prefer travel Lijiang with Shangri-La where to seek the pure holy sceneries and Tibetan belief to catch the best essence of Yunnan province, which usually needs 5-6 days with best visits to Tiger Leaping Gorge with a memorable trekking experience, Sumtseling Monastery, Pudacuo National Forest Park, and more.

Recommended Lijiang Shangri-La Tour Packages:

>> 5 Days Lijiang & Shangri-La Highlights Tour

Furthermore, actually most travelers arrange Lijiang city as a part of their Yunnan travel to visit more top destinations in one go, such as Kunming famous as Spring City and convenient province capital, Dali with profound Dali Old Town and splendid Erhai Lake, Yuanyang with terrific rice terraces, Xishuangbanna with exciting tropical flavor and Dai ethnic dances, etc., which usually needs 6-15 days based on your exploration depth!

Recommended Lijiang Yunnan Tour Packages:

>> 6 Days Best of Yunnan Tour (Lijiang / Shangri-La / Kunming)

>> 8 Days Classic Yunnan Tour (Kunming / Dali / Lijiang / Shangri-La)

>> 11 Days Amazing Yunnan Tour (Kunming / Yuanyang / Jianshui / Kunming / Dali / Lijiang / Shangri-La)

Lijiang Old Town Lijiang Old Town
Shangri-La in Yunnan Shangri-La in Yunnan

Travel Blue Moon Valley Yunnan with China Discovery

To help you enjoy a worry-free holiday in Blue Moon Valley, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Lijiang and Yunnan, we highly recommended you travel with us China Discovery who is a professional about the local condition of the whole Yunnan. Our local experienced drivers will escort you to the scenic area or other places with comfortable car directly with speed and safety. And our English-speaking tour guide will accompany you all the way, showing you the best travelling route and introduce highlights and history of each place so you can better enjoy your nature and humanity tour in Lijiang, Yunnan. The tour can be tailor-made according to your group size, time, physical conditions, plan, interest, budget and every special need. If you have any other ideas about the trip or you have other places or cities wanted to visit such as Sichuan, Tibet, Guilin or Guiyang, etc. our experienced travel consultants are very glad to offer their help. Please feel free to contact us if you need any help.

Kunming Stone Forest Kunming Stone Forest

Recommended Lijiang Tours

Top 3 Lijiang tours chosen by most customers to explore Lijiang in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us.

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