Glacier and red stone beach at Hailuogou, SW China

Situated about 3,000 meters above the sea level in the Ganzi autonomous prefecture of Sichuan province, Hailuogou is constantly covered in ice and snow. Literally meaning "trumpet shell valley", Hailuogou is at the foot of Gongga Mountain in the east of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The glacier of Hailuogou is well known for being the lowest glacier among those of the same latitude on Earth.

Besides its glacier, which attracts many international travelers, Hailuogou is a peaceful and relaxing getaway to see beautiful trees, rare animals, Tibetan culture and a very rare, red stone landscape. Hongshitan literally means "red stone beach". The stones are not red by nature, but are covered by a special red colored moss that can only survive at high altitudes.

A photo taken on July 30, 2014 shows the Hailuogou glacier in the Ganzi autonomous prefecture of Southwest China's Sichuan province. The glacier at Hailuogou is well known for being the lowest glacier among those of the same latitude on Earth. [Photo by Zhu Jianhua/For chinadaily.com.cn]