Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Jiuzhaigou, the Gem of China

In traveling China, a lot of it can begin to feel monotonous: the same kinds of dramatic mountains, the same preserved traditional villages, the same death-to-architectural-style Soviet-like concrete blocks in the cities. Jiuzhaigou, located in a fairly isolated spot in northern Sichuan Province, stands apart from all that. I spent two days there, and would gladly pay the ridiculous entrance fee every few months to see how the gorgeous scenery there changes with each season.

Jiuzhaigou (simplified: 九寨沟, traditional: 九寨溝) means "Nine Villages Gully" or "Nine Villages Valley," named after the minority villagers that used to live off the land here before it was turned into a national park. The accessible park area consists of three valleys that join together like a capital "Y". It's beautiful year-round, but most popular in the summer and autumn, when the water level is high and the colors at their fullest.

Early April meant fewer crowds, but it also meant that most things were not in bloom yet. However, the spotted effect is quite magnificent, in its own way:

Here's a closer-up look at Five Flower Lake, considered by many to be the most stunning lake in the park:

Many of the lakes in Jiuzhaigou are this impossibly turquoise color, the happy result of first being carved by glaciers, then mostly filled by slow-moving water seeping out of the ground that allows the water to be both clear and have a high concentration of calcium carbonate, travertine (limestone) formations, and ages-old natural debris.

Besides for crystal-clear turquoise lakes, there are also large and deep lakes, still clear, but darker blue. April also blesses visitors with snow-covered mountains in the background. Here is Long Lake, the largest, highest, and deepest lake in the park:

Besides for marvelous lakes, Jiuzhaigou also has a lot of WATERFALLS!
Arrow Bamboo Waterfall
Me by a random waterfall among the Shuzheng Lakes, with Shuzheng Village, one of the few inhabited villages allowed in the park, in the background
This last waterfall just might be my favorite spot in the whole park. It's an anonymous one within the Shuzheng Lakes, and hardly anyone was there because it was in between stops on the scenic bus. The water confidently surging over moss-covered rocks and into the pure turquoise lake was heaven.

Jiuzhaigou is for those who want to add some natural amazement to an otherwise history-laden China tour. It is so worth the effort it takes to get there. (More tips on how to get the most out of your Jiuzhaigou trip will follow in a separate post.)

And just because, here are some photos from the eight-hour bus ride from Jiuzhaigou to Chengdu as we left for the next leg of our journey (post to come). It had snowed the night before, and--well, I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves:

Sichuan is gorgeous, the people are friendly, and the food is delicious. I would happily go back and spend more time in that province.

Until next time!

15 comments:

  1. You'd think majestic vistas and stunning views wouldn't get old but it's amazing how that happens. Still, I'm super-happy that you take pictures and share all the beauty with those of us who are currently armchair travelers! SO PRETTY!

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  2. The water is so blue and gorgeous! I've never seen anything like it. Thanks for sharing with us!

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  3. Beautiful post! Looks like the setting of a fantasy novel. :P

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  4. What a beautiful area. Those lakes are unreal.

    It's terrible that the earthquake killed and displaced so many in the Sichuan province. Hopefully the area will recover.

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  5. That first lake is gorgeous! I'd definitely love to visit that place. I wonder what it would look like when everything was in bloom? :)

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  6. SO PRETTY! I really want to travel more - I've only been to India and, of course, America, but China seems so beautiful. Thanks for sharing, Steph! :)

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    1. I'm still working myself up to putting India on my list of places I want to go to. I'm terrified of crowds, haha. Tell me more about it so I can decide! :D

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  7. Oh my gosh, these are such gorgeous pictures! I would love to go and see the lakes up close and in person. I've only been to Beijing and Shanghai but this blows both of them out of the water! So gorgeous!

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  8. Wow, this is beautiful! You're an excellent photographer. I worked with a girl from Chengdu so I've always been interested in it. I look forward to that post.

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  9. Holy crap, this is so gorgeous. That blue in the water is UNREAL. I visited Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia last fall, which was sort of similar in its natural wonders, super beautiful even in the autumn rain but the water was NOT that blue. My parents kept wondering how it compared to Jiuzhaigou too. They've never been to Jiuzhaigou but had seen pictures and heard about it, and hopefully in the future, we'll get to visit. Thanks for sharing these beautiful pictures!

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    1. I had no idea Jiuzhaigou was known by people outside of those traveling to China, hahaha. You've gotten me curious about Plitvice Lakes National Park. Croatia is a country I really want to visit!

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  10. I went there during summer school holidays!Great place to visit at any season!

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  11. Wow, these pictures are unbelievable! I clearly need to add a visit to Jiuzhaigou to my bucket list. The color of the water and the natural beauty is just breathtaking. I love that there are still places like this in the world.

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  12. Absolutely gorgeous! That's interesting how glaciers and mineral deposits create that intense turquoise color. The landscape is even more dramatic with snow. You look so happy and relaxed. I'd love to see China one day.

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  13. Oh my! What a beautiful lake and waterfalls! The water looks so appealing! Sorry but I love swimming and everything that has to do with water so I'd gladly jump into that lake. Amazing pictures!

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