golden hour at heilongtan

Gorgeous view over the lake at heilongtan (black dragon pool) at Lijiang.

I took a ride to the museum and walked southwards (in the direction of old town) and arrived at this photo spot (at the cafe/coffee house) just before golden hour 515pm in Sep (golden hour at 530pm, sunset at 7pm). I would have liked to stay for sunset but they had packed away all the tables and chairs (which also meant that I didn't have to buy a drink). cafe closes at 530pm.

tips. most of the places with timings close at 530pm, but some places start much earlier, like the house in the 7th photo that we could visit. they prohibited entry at 445pm and all visitors made their way out by 450pm.

museum does not open on Mondays

the South entrance is the most busy/packed. go northwards and you'll experience much more peace and tranquility.

Post by Avery Ling | Sep 25, 2025