Jiuzhai Gou

Everything in China is on a grand scale. We have the biggest cities, the biggest population, the biggest wall. But I think all that man-made stuff isn’t nearly as impressive as our natural wonders. Some westerns may not believe it because they didn’t actually think that China had any natural wonders. However, it turns out that they were wrong until they are in Jiuzhaigou.

Jiuzhaigou is a world heritage site tucked away in Sichuan province. The place is a pure and precious natural wonder with waterfalls, snowy peaks and its trademark 114 lakes. Literally translated, its name means ‘nine-village valley’ because of the nine Tibetan villages located in the area. Agricultural activities are forbidden in the park, so the villages rely on tourism. Not quite an authentic Tibetan experience but you do still get as sense for the people who settled on this beautiful land over 1300 years ago.

Believe it or not, the rest of the world didn’t find out about it until, like, 30 years ago when loggers were sent in here to destroy it. Obviously, they couldn’t bring themselves to do it. Instead, they alerted the local authorities, who made it a world heritage site and along came the tourists.

In peak season, this national park attracts over 10,000 visitors a day. In a single day you can see this amazing contrast in seasons. Spring certainly gets its moment in the sun，and summer really does hog the limelight. Winter always gets a guernsey because of the snow, which covers the top half of the park, resembling something like Canada’s Rocky Mountains. And what about autumn? It’s high time we saw her in all her glory. And with a little less elevation, she’s taking the stage for one show-stopping performance. There’s little wonder autumn is the peak tourist time here because the colors explode all around the park.

Water is the spirit of Jiuzhai Gou. There are 114 lakes in the park. And no matter how well-traveled you are, the lakes here will leave you dumbfounded. Legend has it that long ago a goddess was given a mirror by the mountain god who was in love with her. But the devil appeared and she dropped the mirror, shattering it into 114 pieces, causing the creation of the lakes. Yeah, but actually the true story is that because of the earthquake and the landslide, that’s why it formed these beautiful lakes and the waterfalls. Well, something has to describe this beautiful scene. We say, “In the sky they have a paradise. On the earth we have Nine-TibetanValley.”

This area is one of the most popular destinations for Chinese travelers but remains pretty much undiscovered by westerners. Even with hordes of tourists pounding down the track day after day, compared to the big cities of Beijing and Shanghai, this is the type of holiday experience locals and any international visitors really appreciate. Reality for most Chinese these days is craziness and smog of big cities. So this is the place local guides are proud to show off. As you can see, it’s a place which is so beautiful with so many trees, so many blue skies and blue waters.

        Dear friends, now it’s time for you to explore this wonderful land.