THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SEASON IN JIUZHAIGOU
SINCE MY WANDERLUST BEGAN TO STIR, I SET MY GOAL TO ONE DAY BE ABLE TO SET FOOT IN QINGHAI, THE WATERSHED OF THE MEKONG RIVER, TO SEE THE "HEAVEN ON EARTH" OF JIUZHAIGOU WITH MY OWN EYES. BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL MY THIRD TRIP TO CHINA THAT I WAS ABLE TO FULF
Jiuzhaigou has long been classified as an AAAAA scenic area - the highest ranking by the China National Tourism Administration. The site was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992.
Jiuzhaigou has long been classified as an AAAAA scenic area - the highest ranking by the China National Tourism Administration. The site was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992 and a World Biosphere Reserve in 1997. However, after the earthquake in August 8, 2017, Jiuzhaigou was closed to restore its ecosystems so many people were upset and worried that the beautiful natural landscape would never be the same. I am not an exception. So, in the last days of September 2019, when I learned that Jiuzhaigou had recovered about 80% and reopened to tourists, I was extremely happy and surprised when I was given an opportunity to visit Jiuzhaigou in the late autumn and early winter.
THE ROAD TO “HEAVEN”
My flight landed in Chengdu late at night, so I spent the night in Chengdu and then went to Jiuzhaigou the next day. The road from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou is so attractive that I couldn’t take a nap because I wanted to see the majestic mountains, take pictures of the herds of mountain goats and yaks grazing on the
mountainside, and admire the apple and plum gardens of the Qiang people in Aba autonomous prefecture (who used to be pastoral nomads). Along the way, we also stopped to visit Diexi lake, a lake formed from a landslide in the 7.5 magnitude earthquake in 1933 in the Mounigou scenic area, one of the most beautiful part of Huanglong mountain.
The beautiful scenery along the way had already captivated my heart, but when I stepped into
Jiuzhaigou scenic area, I was speechless because it was so majestic and magnificent that it was worthy of the name “heaven on earth”. I wondered how enchanting it was before if now Jiuzhaigou had just recovered about 80% of its old beauty?
Jiuzhaigou is a mountainous area in the northern part of Sichuan Province, formed on a range of sedimentary limestone mountains with heights ranging from 2,000 to 4,500 m above sea level, including 17 large and small waterfalls, about 108 alpine lakes and 2,000 types of plants. The beauty of Jiuzhaigou changes in every season and each season has its own characteristics. People think that Jiuzhaigou is the most beautiful in the autumn. But having only seen the scenery of Jiuzhaigou in the winter, I was really intrigued by the dark turquoise lakes that were not frozen and stood out in the middle of the snow-white scenery. Jiuzhaigou, literally “nine settlement valley” in the Tibetan language, takes its name from the nine Tibetan settlements along its length, including Shuzheng, Zechawa, Rize, Jianpan, Panya, Yana, Rexi, Guodu and Hejiao. The three settlements of Shuzheng Gou, Zechawa Gou and Rize Gou in particular have been put into operation for tourism and are arranged in a convenient Y shape.
WHEN I STEPPED INTO JIUZHAIGOU SCENIC AREA, I WAS SPEECHLESS BECAUSE IT WAS SO MAJESTIC AND MAGNIFICENT THAT IT WAS WORTHY OF THE NAME ³HEAVEN ON EARTH´.
Shuzheng Gou is located in the north. It is the largest and most prosperous of the nine Tibetan villages in Jiuzhaigou and also the main sightseeing route with a length of 14.5 km. I was most impressed by the diverse and beautiful lake system, accounting for 40% of the total number of lakes of Jiuzhaigou. Shuanglong Lake was formed after the earthquake, where two skyhigh reefs look like two hidden dragons. Nearby, the Reed Lake has the peaceful scenery of the reeds swaying by the wind and the sound of water gurgling around. Spark Lake is surrounded by limestone mountains and dense forests changing by seasons and from above it looks like a jade in the middle of an old forest. With decaying trees, diverse aquatic strata in the lake bed and the clear and deep blue water, the mirrorlike Spark Lake is a giant masterpiece aquarium that could not be built by any human being.
In addition, the largest waterfall of Jiuzhaigou, Nuorilang Waterfall and 9 white stupas called Lotus Bodhi Tower (representing 9 united Tibetan tribes pray for happiness and prosperity) are also popular tourist attractions in Shuzheng Gou.
At the southeast branch of Jiuzhaigou, about 18 km long, is Zechawa Gou. Zechawa Gou has Long Lake, the deepest and largest lake in Jiuzhaigou, measuring 7.5 km in length and 103 m in depth and shaped like a crescent. It reportedly gets its water from snowmelt from the surrounding mountains and is the only lake in Jiuzhaigou frozen in winter. From Long Lake, you can go down about 1 km, then walk about 300 m along the trail to reach Five-color Pond. Although Five-color Pond is just a small body of water in the scenic area, it also has many beautiful shooting and filming angles. Due to the color difference of the sediments on the bottom of the lake, the water color changes from blue to yellow or cyan. So, besides the name Five-color Pond, this pond is also called by a beautiful name “The Eye of Jiuzhaigou”.
Rize Gou is an 18 km long valley to the west of Jiuzhaigou. Perhaps Rize Gou has the fewest sightseeing spots, but it is the place most visited by tourists because it is the home of Pearl Shoals Waterfall. This waterfall is not only famous in China but also very familiar to the young generations in Vietnam because this is the filming location of the TV series Journey to the West, where Tang Monk teachers and disciples lead horses to wade in the water at the beginning of every episode.
Journey to Jiuzhaigou was an unplanned trip, but to me this was a wonderful trip above all expectations. It was even more fortunate when I saw the late autumn scenery on the first day coming to Jiuzhaigou and enjoyed the early snowflakes on the way back. The snow was so beautiful that it made me think that I was lost in a fantasy movie. But it did not satisfy me, it just made me excited and wished that I could come back to Jiuzhaigou as soon as possible in the snowy winter.