Visiting the Blue Moon Valley in Lijiang China, Best Views in all of China!
The Blue Moon Valley is in my opinion, the best scenic view in all of China
In the province of Yunnan, China near the city of Lijiang, there exists the most beautiful view your pair of eyes will ever see.
Situated below the towering beauty of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain are a set of lakes collectively known as the Blue Moon Valley. Even though I have just been to the previously mentioned mountain, the Blue Moon Valley takes the award for being the most beautiful natural scenic views I ever had the pleasure of seeing.
The Blue Moon Valley is honestly so beautiful and I am so excited to share the experiences with you in this blog post!
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The Blue Moon Valley’s Many Lakes
Even without the mountain, the lakes at the Blue Moon Valley is still gorgeous
The Blue Moon Valley consists of 5 lakes of which you can admire from 3 scenic viewpoints dotted along the valley.
If you are curious, the lakes are: Tingtao Lake, Blue Moon Lake, Jingtan Lake, Yuye Lake, and the Baishui Lake. Of which the Yuye Lake is the biggest (and main) one, all of the pictures in this blog post are from the Yuye Lake viewpoint.
There is a road bridge running across Yuye Lake, imagine driving across and admiring the view on both sides, that would be so breathtaking.
Blue Moon Valley Shuttle Bus
Even the ride on the shuttle bus is beautiful lol
So when you first arrive at the visitor center of the Blue Moon Valley, you’ll definitely want to take a shuttle bus as you’ll still need to travel uphill to reach the actual valley. These will cost you 20 RMB but it allows you to hop on and hop off at all 3 of the scenic viewpoints.
To be honest, traveling around this part of Yunnan is difficult due to a lacking public transport system, so I would definitely recommend taking a tour like I did. Tours like the 1-Day Private Tour to Lijiang Highlights will bring you to all the major attractions around Lijiang including the aforementioned Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (which is 100% a must visit). You can use the link to book a tour at a great price.
Pristine Scenic Views in Lijiang, China
Everything is beautiful
The Blue Moon Valley truly is beautiful, especially at the first Yuye Lake viewpoint. It’s a shame because the pictures I took, no matter how pretty they may look, cannot showcase the real awe-inspiring beauty of the scenery.
It’s just so picturesque with the gorgeous towering Yulong Mountains looming over in the background. If you happen to come on a day where the weather is clear and sunny, then your eyes are in for a treat.
Seriously guys, I’m not exaggerating lol.
Another scenic viewpoint that might come close is the Tiger Leaping Gorge which is located on the opposite side of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, near the city of Shangri-La (Yes! Shangri-La is a real place).
Can anyone tell me how these rock formations are made? Let me know in the comments please
In particular these rock formations representing steps are impressive. I’ve never seen these types of formations before, I don’t even have the slightest idea of how these can naturally form? Maybe they’re not even natural? Man made perhaps?
The water in these lakes are pristine and bright blue as well. If you’re from Thailand like me, then you know the Chao Phraya River is brown, mucky, and dirty. Heck, even the ocean water at our beaches aren’t this blue.
Humans Destroying the Natural Beauty of the Blue Moon Valley…
Absolutely disgusting behavior
Even with all its inspiring natural beauty, the Blue Moon Valley is still susceptible to the ignorant and destructive powers of man…
Trash is disgustingly littered throughout the valley, things like Oxygen canisters, plastic bottles are everywhere, especially near the railings around the lake.
I honestly felt a huge amount of anger and shame towards people who do this.
At one point I even saw those silver light reflector sheets they used in photography studio just laying there at the floor of the lake. Excuse my language, but this is absolutely sh*tty behavior…
And it’s not like bins or trash cans are hard to find, no they are placed everywhere.
Even the care taker doesn’t look too happy, I wonder how the Yak feels?
At 2 viewpoints you can spot a pure white Tibetan Yak, yes these creatures are still around, with only about less than 10,000 of these beautiful beasts still left on Earth.
But instead of being protected, these creatures are captured to be mere objects for tourists who wants to share their photos on Weibo or Instagram…
I don’t know how well these animal are treated, by the people working here. I can’t help but imagine the situations of unethical elephant sanctuaries back in Thailand and compare this to that.
Writing about how people ruin nature just makes my blood boil…
Details About the Blue Moon Valley
The Blue Moon Valley is a natural park located at the base of the Yulong Mountain’s Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It consists of 5 lakes and 3 viewpoints providing the most gorgeous vistas you’ll ever see in your life.
Location: Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang, Yunnan, China, 674106
Opening Hours: 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM | Mon - Sun
Entrance Fee: 100 RMB (+ 20 RMB for the shuttle bus from the visitor center)
How to get to the Blue Moon Valley from Lijiang City
To get to the Blue Moon Valley you must first go to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. These locations are within the same scenic park.
Assuming you’re starting at the nearby Lijiang City, take the tourist bus located at the South Gate of the Lijiang Ancient Town for 40 RMB.
You also have the option of a public bus Number 7 which you can take at Hong Tai Yang Square for 15 RMB.
Once you arrive at the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Visitor center, you can purchase a entrance ticket to the wider park area, and then take the park’s shuttle bus service to the Blue Moon Valley.
Looking for Things to Do in Yunnan, China?
6 Day Shangri-La in Dali, Lijiang, Yunnan Tour - Encountering Cangshan Erhai Lake & Climbing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain & Viewing Rizhao Jinshan Mountain
5 Day Once in a Lifetime Yunnan Tour - Yubeng Village, Ancient Temples, Rizhao Jinshan Mountain
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