四川黄龙风景名胜区，中国 Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area in Sichuan, China (© primeimages/Getty Images)

四川黄龙风景名胜区，中国 Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area in Sichuan, China (© primeimages/Getty Images)

China's colorful terraced pools

While the sight of these gorgeous pools may make you want to don a swimsuit and plunge in for a refreshing soak, we don't recommend it. The water may fed by underground geothermal springs, but these are no hot springs—the water's only about 41 F. We'll take it all in from dry land. Thee striking series of terraced, travertine pools cascade downward for nearly two miles. Formed over thousands of years, calcite deposits give the water its unique, and welcoming, turquoise coloration.

Huanglong is officially called a Scenic and Historic Interest Area, and we can see why. There are plenty of other things to see and do at this huge park nestled between snow-capped peaks in central China's Sichuan province. With abundant forests, lakes, and glaciers, the diverse mountain ecosystem is home to a rich variety of animals, including endangered giant pandas and golden snub-nosed monkeys. So extensive and breathtakingly beautiful is this landscape that roughly 200 square miles of it were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

中国五彩缤纷的台池

虽然看到这些华丽的池子可能会让你想穿上泳衣，跳进去泡个清爽的澡，但我们不建议这样做。这些水可能是由地下地热泉供应的，但这些不是温泉，水温只有41华氏度左右，池水将被旱地全部吸收。引人注目的一系梯田，石灰池向下层叠近两英里。方解石矿床形成于数千年前，使水呈现出独特的、令人欢迎的绿松石色。

黄龙被官方称为风景名胜区，这是为什么呢。在这个坐落在中国中部四川省白雪皑皑的山峰之间的巨大公园里，还有很多其他的事情可以看和做的。拥有丰富的森林、湖泊和冰川，多样的山地生态系统是各种动物的家园，包括濒危的大熊猫和金丝猴。这片风景是如此的广阔和美丽，以至于大约200平方英里的土地在1992年被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产。