Meandering through the valleys at the foot of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Mountain), the beautiful river flows through the lush vegetation in a way such that it allows the valley to form a distinct crescent-shape. On bright sunny days with clear skies, the whole river valley seems blue, thus earning it its title as the “Blue Moon Valley”. The river, formed from the snowmelt in the mountains, is bright turquoise and appears white at the rapids, resulting in the local Naxi people naming it the White Water River.

The river is sacred to the locals and flows eastwards until it meets the Black Water River, forming a famous mixture of black and white water, which the ancient Dongba scriptures deemed create peace and a balance in nature. There are various caves, waterfalls and lakes in the vicinity, surrounded by lovely wildflowers and local mountainous plants. Between the mountain and the river, there are four lakes formed in the Blue Moon Valley as well: the Yuye, Jingtan, Lanyue, and Tingtao Lakes, stained blue from the snowmelt and the copper ions found it the water, making it unfit to drink but most certainly beautiful to observe.

The White River Terraced waterfall is a highlight of the river valley, and you can hire yaks to take rides across the river at this point or around the rolling hills. Legends say that it is also good luck for couples to dip their feet into the river together against the backdrop of the mountains, so make sure to go there with your loved ones and stand in the freezing waters if you can!