Long Lake (Cháng Hǎi, 长海) is one of the most photographed lakes in a valley that is practically one giant photo-op. The highest, longest and deepest lake in Jiuzhaigou—3,160 m (10,367 ft) high, 8 km (5 mi) long, 100 m (328 ft) deep—is fed solely from the fresh, pure snowmelt of the Himalayan peaks. It lies like a mirror for the sky at the end of Zechawa Gully (Zécháwā Gōu, 则查洼沟) that anyone trekking through Jiuzhaigou should see. It is said that a sneaky monster lives in the lake and appears every so often, flashing a dorsal fin or scaly grey back before sliding back into the depths—perhaps to a fantastical cave of crystal and gold where pearls shine up through the jade waters of the lake—leading cell phone toting visitors to whip out their low-res cameras and point toward the light emanating from the center of the lake and swear that the monster is real. Or not... you'll have to go and see to decide for yourself!
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