Jiuzhaigou's entrance gate was built shortly after Jiuzhaigou was listed into the World Natural Heritage Catalog in 1992. The gate reflects the features of Tibetan remote areas. The bark of logs wraps round the whole gate that appears primitive, but also displays the flavor of thew modern arts. It seems to tell us that you will find yourselves in the world's most exciting and unspoiled nature. As you know, Jiuxhaigou has been crowned with several titles: The World Natural Heritage, The World Bio-sphere Reserve, the GREen Globe 21 and The State 4A-Level Scenery. Besides,each site and each image shows something more-the true essence, the spirit, and the magic of Jiuxhaigou, Jiuxhaigou's wonders inspire the country's top photographers and artists because the best of their work is here. Others express their feelings through words, and there are numerous quotes from writers or visitors. However, many others articulate this land that seems indescribable. As the saying goes, it is better to see once than hear a hundred times. I think Jiuzhaigou's reputation attracts all of you to come here for a vidit. I believe, whether you are a frequent visitr or someone who simply enjoys beautiful places, the visit to Jiuzhaigou will be a perfect way to remember the unique sites and beauty of jiuzhaigou in days to come.
Jiuzhaigou scenery is licated in jiuzhaigou County, the ASbe Tibetan and Qiang Nationality Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province. Jiuzhaigou literally means nine Tibetan village gullies, which are all scattered in the scenic area. The names of the villages are Heye, Shuzheng, Zech awa, Heijiao, Panya, Yala, Jianpan, Rexi and Guodu.
Jiuzhaigou scenery has taden shape due to the geographic movement in glaciations, earthquakes and calcification. However, there is some folklore that vividly describes the formation of Jiuzhaigou. Here is a story. A long tome ago, a male and female hilly deities fell in love with each other. The man is called Dage and woman Wonuosemo, who decided to reside in Jiuzhaigou because they deeply loved Jiuzhaigou's birds and animals, and forests and mountains. Unexpectedly a devil called Shemozha found out that the female deity was so beautiful that ho fool in love with her, too. Two devil didn't like the male deity to live here in Jiuzhaigou. Therefore the devil waged a war in orser to drive the male deity out and marry the female deity. A fiere battle occurred between the deity and the devil. During the battle, the female deity was snatched away by the devil. Bewildered, the female deity dropped down to the ground her precious mirror given by the male deity. The mirror was broken into over a hundred pieces, which immediately turned into over hundred high mountains and beautiful lakes. The battle continued, and the male deity and the devil fought all the way from inner Jiuzhaigou to the entrance. Despite that, there was no sign indicating who would win the battle. At this critical moment, Zhayizhaga, the king of multi-mountains arrived to join the fight on the side of the male deity. The king first put a huge screen-shaped cliff behind the devil and then crashed the devil beneath the cliff. The devil was buried there, eith his head off the cliff. Afterwards lical people called the cliff the Devil Cliff. Now ot os called the Precious Mirror Cliff. Since then Jiuzhaigou returned to peace and looked more beautiful due to the newly added over a hundred colorful lakes and mountains. The man and womand lived together in Jiuzhaigou forever as the important deities to safeguard jiuzhaigou.
Jiuzhaigou is 47 km long from the south to the north, 29 km wide from the east to the west, covering an area of 720sq. km. In 1990 Jiuzhaigou became one of 40 best scenic spots in the country; in 2000 Jiuzhaigou was evaluated as one of the first atate 4A-level sceneries in China; in 1992 Jiuzhaigou was listed on the World Bio-sphere Reserve.
In Jiuzhaigou scenic area there are three gullies that seem to be in the shape of y. There distributed 108 lakes, 47 splashed waterfalls, 12 tirbi;emt screa,s. 5 shoals and 3 Tibetan villages. All these scenic sites create a unique landscape of jiuzhaigou, to China and the rest of the world.
If you get closer to view the cliff that is over a thousand-ren cliff, you may see a bizarre figure image on the cliff. What does it look alike? It is a devil's face, and it is now called the Precilous Mirror Cliff. Down the cliff is a gully called Zharugou, where stands Zharu Monastery. In Sichuan Tibetan areas local Tibetan people believe in what can be properlyu described as "Lamaism", an ancient strain of Tantric Indian Buddhism, coupled with Tibetan Shamanism. It flourishes in regions inhabited by the Tibetan and Mongolian people. During the reign of Songzan Gapu in the 7th to 9th century, monks from India crossed the Himalayas through Nepal and arrived at Tibet to spread Tantrism. Tantrism, Mahayana and Bon, the indigenous religion of Tibet, intermingled and developed into Lamaism that strongly believes in reincarnation. Lama means "teacher" or "superiorbeing". A lama must be a monk, but not all monks can become lamas. Lamaism has several sects: the Yellow, the Red, the Black and others. The YellowSect, founded by Tsong kha pa in the early 15th century, and rapidly GREw into the dominant sect thanks to the support of the Qing government. The Yellow Sect perfected the Tibetan Buddhism and greatly promoted the evolution of the mergence of govetnment administration with religion the Tihetan a Buddha in your present lifetime. The monks in Zharu monastery believe in the Black Sect Buddhismthat is also called Bon. The religious activity of the Black Sect, much more influenced by the indigenous religilon, has centered on the primciplkes that everything has spirit; the Black Sect followers pray to gain happiness and drive out disasters.
Yoy may be aware of the dense forest growing along the sides of the road. it mirrors together thescenic sites of main plants in Jiuzhaigou. The everGREen plants consists of Chinese pine, hemlock, fir and dragon spruce; the red-leaf plants are maple, little tiller, smoke tree and others; the yellow-leaf plants are birchm, golden-rain tree, elm, larch, poplar mix together in harmony, offering a rainbow of natural pictures that easily please to our eyes, It is commonly believe that the colerful plant scenery is one of the main features manifested in Jiuzhaigou. As autumn arrives, the plants keep changing their colors. As colorful leaves and forests are mirrored on the lakes around, the stunning color images seem to allure viewers into a dreamlike world because it is too beautiful to absorb all of them during a time-limited tour.
As you enter into Shuzheng scenic site, and start walking through it, the garden-patterned landscape might inspire your passion to write poems or paint pictures. Here is the Reed Sea. If you close your eyes, you may feel as if you were in the region of rivers and lakes in southern China. Actually the sea is a kind of moisture land that suits the growth of varied water plants. Some fiah swims in the shallow sea, and they have a strange name, called"naked carp"or they has no scales, but belong to the family of the carp.
The water in Jiuzhaigou is a big attraction, and is commonly considered the soul of Jiuzhaigou because ot remaons much less touched by human beings. Ginerally the water is so clean that youy can see to the bottim even at 30m in depth. Now we wrrive at the first lake in Jiuzhaigou called Shuanglonghai. You can dimly see two calcified lower banks in the shape of tibbon. Once waves in the lake surges, the two banks seem to wriggle. The local dlegend says that they are two swimming dragons. It is said that there are four dragons in Jiuzhaigou. The dragons in the laks here are two of the four, who take charge of raining and hail. Maybe because they have no strong sense of their duty responsibility, they often make mistakes, and therefore there is no rain when it should rain; there is no hail when ot should hail. Therefore Geshaer, the Tibetan hero has subdued the two evil dragons and imprisoned them at the bottom of the lake.
The water here is closely related with calcification. The water from the Rizegou Gully has rich content in the ion of calcium and magnesiu,. Due to the suitable temperature in the water hee, the flowing ion easily turns into particulate matters, which stick to plankton or tiny sediments, and depisit on the lower earth bank. narrow mounds, trunks and tree branches in the bottom. Gradually calcified segments have fully covered the objects, forming unique natural phenomenon.
Shuzheng Waterfall, one of the main scenic sites, is 11m in height and 62m in width. It is an unseen stream from the high terrace meandering among the forests down to the edge of the cliff. As it approaches the edge, trees, bushes and rocks there devert the unseen stream into may sub-ones. The sub-streams fall downwards, presenting a splendid huge waterfall and hanging off the cliff. Down below the cliff grow rich trees and bushes and protruding rocks, and the water keep splashing off these objects in varied shape.
Beyond the waterfall is a smooth terrain. Near the road is the Xiniu Lake that is 2km long and 18m deep, the largest one in Jiuzhaigou. Toward the southern end of the lake is a forest where there is a simple bridge spanning across the lake. Nearby is a stream, and the water from the streamoffersw sweet and refreshing tastes. The local Tibetan residents think that it is a stpernatural stream, for it is said that the water from the stream can stop diarrhea and quench a thirst. The legend had it that a long time ago, ja lama from Tibet arrived here on a rhinoceros. He was so sick that he couldn't walk further. So he drank the water from the stream. Unexpectedly he was fully recovered and felt rejuvenated. Afterwards the lama drove the rhinoceros down into the lake, and he himself resided nearby.
Nuorilang Waterfall, located between the Rizegou and Shuzheng Gullies, is 30m in height and 270m in width. Nuorilang literally means magnificence. the water comes from Rizgou Gully. During the high-water season, the cascading waterfall lproduces a tremendous noise that revetberates in the gully. As the water hits the ground, the splashed liquik immediately moves high up into the air in the form of fine drops, which have been thrown, blown or projected, forming a splendid water curtain. Visitors often view a rainbow that appears in the curtain while the sun shines upon it. In autumn, the water gets much less. However, the waterfall presents another wonder. it seems as if the cliff hangs a colorful silk cloth matched wuth multi-colored bushed around.
As you enter the Nuorilang scenic site, Jinghai Lake appears at ypur sight. The lake, 925m in linght and 262m in width, is encircled by precipitous hills at three sides, and the olther side is open rather like an entrance gate. The hills by the lake look GREen and verdant, In the early morning when there is no wide, the lake is as smooth as a mirror. At this time the blue skyu, white clouds, hills and trees are all reflected in the water. The scenery in and outside the water is closely joined, and it is hard to tell which is teal one or which is a reflection. The scenery has inspired the passion of many artists and poets. A figure of speech is used here just right to describe the situation. It says, "Inside the water birds fly, and up in the sky fish swims."The depth of the lake is between 10 and 20m, bit tje water so clean that you can see sof green algae move and fish swim at the bottom, and trunks in the water fully have been covered by calcified sediments that look rather like huge corals in pretty shape.
After you leave Jinghai Parkm you continue to walk for a while before arriving at another scenic site by the name of Zhenzhutan. The slope-shaped shoal is calcified, 160m in width and 200m in length. The water flows freely downwards on the strface of the shoal that appears quite uneven due to the calcification. As the water unrolls, it splashes numerous tiny drops tather like rolls and strings of snow-white pearls spraying over the whole shoal. Moreover, poplars, williws and azalea groe all over the upper part of the shoal. In May it is amazing to view the scenic beauty as you walk underfoot the rolling water spray, passing through the patches of azalea in blossom and listening to the ceadeless gentle sound from swaying willows
Wuhuaihai Lake is ine of the main scenic sites, where it is an ideal place for photographs. The algae and bryophyte grows very well in the lake. Sediments act on the sense of these plants and give rise to the clusters of multi-colorful ribbons in the strface of the lake. When maple and smoke trees around turn red in autumn, their reflection on the water resembles raging flames. encircling the ribbons in multi-colors.
The road near Wuhuaihai Lake spirals up the steep mountain. As it turns to a curve of the mountain, two lakes emerge in sight. One is called Xiongmaohai and the other Jianzhuhai. The panda and bamboo lakes join together, which indicates that pandas used to eat arrow bamboo plants and drind water here.As you know, the plant is the pandas'chief food source, In winter the Panda Lake is frozen, but the Arrow Lake remains what it is like before. At the lower end of the lake is a Waterfall, the highest one in Jiuzhaigou. It is called the Panda's Waterfall that resembles a flight of three stages. The first stahge is 19m in height and 5m in width; the second one is 24m in height and 4m in width; the third one is 19m in height and 14m in width. Water falls down rebounding stages one after another before cascading into the deep valley. In midwinter the three stages hang ice-formed dripping water, which forms varied-patterns nd looks magnificent as if you found yourselves in the ice-carving world.
Not far from Rizegou Guesthouse is the Swan Lake. It is said that swans used to reside here. At the present time, the lake remains semi-marsh land eith waterweeds fully covered on the surface. In spring the lake resembles a carpet of GREen grass; in summer the lake is splendidly decorated with blossomed flowers; in autumn the yelliwness in the lake meets the eye in every side; in winter the lake remains a world of ice and snow. Near the upper end of the lake is an another lake called Fangchaohai. The lake leads to hills where the hill peaks raise one higher than another. However, among the hills there is a pealk that obviously towers. It is named the Sword Rock because it looks sharp on the top and wide at lower part. Passing the foot of the towering peak, you start to walk into a dense primeval forwst, where you find yourselves deep in the boundless expanse of trdds and plants, feeling as light as if you had left the world of men and became immortal beings. There are an abundance of trees that looking up you hardly see the sunshine. Some of the trees curves down like awnings; some loom up like obelisks; some stand erect like men; some recline like dragons. Beneath your feet are soft mosses that grow in a thick furry mass on wet soil. When you walk through the forest, cool greenery rests your eyes, gentle breeze sooths your ears and the utter quietness refreshes your heart.
Wucaichi, 100.8m in length and 56m in width, is the smallest lake in Jiuzhaigou. However, it is commonly believed that it is richest in color. Someone says that it looks like an emerald inlaid inside the hills. Many visitors usually stop to sit by the lake and seem to feel ease at heart. The water is ruffled, and its azure translucence below the water stretches to the bottom before your eyes. you may look in amaziment at multi-colored clusters displayed at the bottow like inexhaustible treasures supplied by the GREator. Some visitors even doubt whether it is painted by the local peoplw. The water from Wucaichi neither increases nor diminishes. It soaks into the lake from Changhai Lake. As the sun xasts lights on the water, sekiments at the bottom act on the sense of algae and bryophyte plants and give rise to the multi-colorful clusters as it occurs in Wuhuaihai Lake.
After passing a col from Wucaichi Lake, you arrive at Changhai Lake which is licated at the top of Zechawa gully at 3, 100m above sea level. There are several questeins related to the lake. Hoe did the lake take shape? Why soes the lake have no exit? Is any fish in the lake? How long is the lake? Hoe deep is it?
The first question still remains a mystery. It is uncertain if it took shape due to esrthquakes, landslides or mud-rock flow. The source of the water comes from springs from the forests and snow on the mountains around. The way of draining off water in the lake is to evaporate and permeate into the ground. In the lake the water never overflows in summer, and it never dried up in winter. The lake has no fish probably because it is too cold in the lake. a legend says that a monster had eaten yp all the fish a long time ago. The lake is 7.5km in aength, and in some parts it is 103m i9n depth.
The lake,tyhe largest one in Jiuzhaigou, glimmers like jade, nibbling at the distant hills covered with snow. GREen forests around grow verdant, casting shadows on the lake ,From here you have a view of the unruffled lake, floating clouds, water birds frolic below across the lake, displaying them merrily. as you sit here, such natural beauty strikes you as vast and imagination. Whether or not a creator exists, this sight will make you feel that there must surely be one. It seems strange that such wondwrs are set in the remote areas like this, where hundreds of years may have passed before you come along to appreciate them.
The daily tour to jiuzhaigou is steadily and serenely approaching to the end. Anticipation, curiosity, delight are all held in delicate balance. Reluctantly you are prepared to return to the reality of our own everyday world after you have enjoyed the brief glimpses of Jiuxhaigou where cool GREenery rests your eyes, running water soothes your ears, the great void revives your spirit and the utter quietness refreshes your hearts.
The first question still remains a mystery. It is uncertain if it took shape due to esrthquakes, landslides or mud-rock flow. The source of the water comes from springs from the forests and snow on the mountains around. The way of draining off water in the lake is to evaporate and permeate into the ground. In the lake the water never overflows in summer, and it never dried up in winter. The lake has no fish probably because it is too cold in the lake. a legend says that a monster had eaten yp all the fish a long time ago. The lake is 7.5km in aength, and in some parts it is 103m i9n depth.
The lake,tyhe largest one in Jiuzhaigou, glimmers like jade, nibbling at the distant hills covered with snow. GREen forests around grow verdant, casting shadows on the lake ,From here you have a view of the unruffled lake, floating clouds, water birds frolic below across the lake, displaying them merrily. as you sit here, such natural beauty strikes you as vast and imagination. Whether or not a creator exists, this sight will make you feel that there must surely be one. It seems strange that such wondwrs are set in the remote areas like this, where hundreds of years may have passed before you come along to appreciate them.
The daily tour to jiuzhaigou is steadily and serenely approaching to the end. Anticipation, curiosity, delight are all held in delicate balance. Reluctantly you are prepared to return to the reality of our own everyday world after you have enjoyed the brief glimpses of Jiuxhaigou where cool GREenery rests your eyes, running water soothes your ears, the great void revives your spirit and the utter quietness refreshes your hearts.
