Five Flower Lake (Wuhua Hai)
五花海
The 'essence of the essence' of Jiuzhaigou. A single lake shows peacock blue, emerald green and goose yellow at once, sunken trees are clearly visible on the lake bed, and in autumn, when the colorful forest is reflected in the water, it becomes the face of Jiuzhaigou.
Five Flower Lake (Wuhua Hai) lies in the middle section of Rize Valley, at an altitude of about 2,470 meters. It covers about 90,000 square meters and is about 5 meters deep. Because the travertine and aquatic plants are distributed unevenly, the same lake surface shows peacock blue, dark green, goose yellow and light green. Ancient trees and dead logs piled on the lake bottom can be seen root by root through the clear water, making it the most famous lake in Jiuzhaigou. There are two best viewpoints. The first is the lakeside trail, about 1 km from the head of the lake to the tail, which lets you get close to the water colors and the sunken logs. The second is the Tiger's Mouth viewpoint on the road above Five Flower Lake, at a bend in the road. It offers the classic panoramic view of the whole lake and the colorful forest around it. From the bus stop, walk about 200 meters along the road. Downstream (north), Five Flower Lake is followed by Pearl Shoal, Pearl Shoal Waterfall and Mirror Lake. Upstream (south) are Panda Lake, Arrow Bamboo Lake and the primeval forest. How to visit: sightseeing buses stop at the Five Flower Lake station. You can also get off at Arrow Bamboo Lake and walk the boardwalk past Panda Lake and Five Flower Lake to Pearl Shoal Waterfall. This is about 4 km and takes 2–2.5 hours, and it is the most rewarding stretch of Jiuzhaigou to walk. Tickets: during peak season (April 1 to November 15), the entry ticket is CNY 169 plus CNY 90 for the sightseeing bus. In the off-season, it is CNY 80 plus CNY 80. Advance real-name booking on the official platform is required. Tips: buses do not stop at the Tiger's Mouth viewpoint, so walk up from the Five Flower Lake station or come down from upstream, and watch for traffic on the road. In peak season the boardwalks get crowded after 10 a.m., so it is best to take the bus as soon as the park opens (around 7 a.m.) straight to the far end of Rize Valley and walk back down. Do not throw anything into the lake.
Opening hours
Follows Jiuzhaigou scenic area hours: 07:00–17:00 in peak season, 08:30–17:00 in off-season
Nearby sights
- Mirror Lake
- Panda Lake & Panda Lake Falls
- Pearl Shoal Waterfall
- Arrow Bamboo Lake
- Rhinoceros Lake
- Nuorilang Waterfall
- Tiger Lake
- Shuzheng Waterfall