Laojunshan National Park (老君山国家公园) is China’s 2nd national park and was granted this status as a showcase for biological and cultural diversity. The park covers 1085 square kilometers and is home to the Lisu ethnic minority as well as 168 endangered plant and animal species including the Yunnan Golden Monkey. It also boasts 10% of the world’s rhododendron species.

The main highlights of the park are Thousand Turtle Mountain (千龟山), a spectacular expression of China’s Danxia formations and the 99 dragon pools (九十九龙潭), a beautiful hike through rhododendron forests and alpine lakes. Liming Laojunshan is also a popular destination for rock climbing and via ferrata adventures.

Related: Conquer the heights of Liming Laojunshan on a via ferrata