After the Earthquake, Is Jiuzhaigou Still as Blue and Green?
From Mount Siguniang via 'Panda Road' to Chengdu, at Yingxiu there is a three-way intersection. Heading north is either the Duwen Expressway or the old Lanmo Line to Jiuzhaigou, which takes about 7 hours. Suddenly I thought, my first visit to Tibetan areas 11 years ago was to Jiuzhaigou, traveling over mountains and rivers, and now the road is right before me. Why not go again? That time it was autumn, what would spring look like? So I checked the weather forecast, which said it would snow tomorrow. I've never seen Jiuzhaigou after snow!
Jiuzhaigou is located in the transition zone from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Western Sichuan Plateau to the Sichuan Basin. It is a mountain valley more than 50 kilometers deep, named after nine Tibetan villages such as Shuzheng, Heye, and Zechawa in this area of alpine lakes. Springs, waterfalls, shoals, and lakes form colorful jade basins, known as the 'fairy tale world' and hailed as the 'king of waterscapes.' After the double blow of the 8.8 earthquake and the pandemic, Jiuzhaigou scenic area has made a strong comeback. Tickets are currently discounted and can be booked directly online.
According to the current Y-shaped route plan, take the scenic bus from the entrance to the innermost and highest Zechawa Valley's Long Lake, then return, stopping at each spot along the way to Nuorilang Visitor Center. Then head toward Rize Valley (currently, the section from Nuorilang to Five Flower Lake is open; the inner area is closed), then return to Nuorilang and go toward Shuzheng Valley to the exit. Most scenic spots along the way have bus stops with a single ticket, and nearby attractions can be visited on foot.
Due to a spring snow last night, half of Jiuzhaigou is silver, half green. Long Lake, at over 3,000 meters elevation, is covered in snow all around, curving into the mountains, its ice surface not yet melted, suddenly returning to winter.
About 1 km down from Long Lake, the Five Color Pond is hidden in the deep valley below the road. The snow clothes the forest in silver, and the pond lies like a huge sapphire in the dense woods. It is Jiuzhaigou's smallest and most colorful pond, known for its beauty, diversity, purity, and transparency.
Next, the Upper Seasonal Sea and Lower Seasonal Sea have no water—after all, they are seasonal seas!
Following the bus route back to Nuorilang Center, then toward Rize Valley, first to Five Flower Lake and then back. Five Flower Lake is praised as a unique wonder of Jiuzhaigou. In the same water, it can show goose yellow, dark green, deep blue, and navy blue. The forest on the shore reflects in the water in red, orange, yellow, green, mingling with submerged wood and plants, creating a colorful, dreamy scene. It is one of the most spectacular spots in Jiuzhaigou.
This place is completely different from the frozen Long Lake. You can rent a set of ethnic costumes and take beautiful photos with nature under the warm sun.
From the Tiger's Mouth perspective, you can overlook the full view of Five Flower Lake, like a peacock with full feathers.
Downstream from Five Flower Lake is the Pearl Shoal Waterfall, surrounded by pine and fir trees. A few points along this section can be visited on foot. A wooden boardwalk goes through the Pearl Shoal, where a thin layer of water flows over the shoal, shining like ten thousand pearls under sunlight, then falls into the waterfall.
Remember the 1986 version of 'Journey to the West' that dominated screens? There has been debate whether the waterfall scene in Jiuzhaigou was shot at Pearl Shoal or Nuorilang. I walked down through Pearl Shoal; the waterfall water flows slowly over a shoal with an incline of about 20-plus degrees, then drops vertically. The entire waterfall has calcified scales, colorful wherever water flows. At the bottom viewing platform of Pearl Shoal, there is a sign confirming it as the filming location for 'Journey to the West.'
The waterfall is over 20 meters high. It is where the four characters (Tang Monk and disciples) led the horse through the water.
Further down from Pearl Shoal Waterfall is Mirror Sea. As its name suggests, it is like a mirror, replicating the scenery on land and in the sky onto the water surface without distortion. If it is the first light of dawn, with the eastern sky dyed red, the sea is as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, and snowy mountains, creating the wonder of 'fish swimming in clouds, birds flying in water.' However, following the bus schedule and route, you basically won't encounter the morning glow.
Nuorilang Waterfall is at the junction of the Y-shaped route, where Zechawa Valley and Rize Valley meet. It is a must-visit spot for Jiuzhaigou tourists. In Tibetan, 'Nuorilang' means tall and majestic. The waterfall is 270 meters wide, making it the widest waterfall in China.
During the 8.8 earthquake in 2017, Nuorilang Waterfall suffered serious collapse. After restoration, it seems unchanged. The top is flat like a platform, and water suddenly drops at the edge. In spring, it is like a child just waking up, joyfully rushing down the green cliff, ethereal and green, with water flowing like a curtain.
Legend has it that there was no waterfall here, only a platform. A beautiful Tibetan girl named Ruoyiguo learned to use a spinning wheel. She set up the spinning wheel on the platform at the junction of three valleys for other sisters to watch and learn, so people called it the 'Spinning Platform.' The cruel headman Luozha thought she was doing evil, kicked her and the spinning wheel off the cliff. Immediately, a flash flood burst, washing Luozha and his accomplices off the cliff. The Spinning Platform became a waterfall, and the water became spun yarn.
From Nuorilang Waterfall, it is toward the exit, also the direction of Shuzheng Valley. Extending five or six kilometers along the valley are Bonsai Sea, Reed Sea, Spark Sea, Sleeping Dragon Sea, Tiger Sea, and Shuzheng Group Lakes, composed of dozens of large and small lakes, like green jade inlaid in the deep mountains. Connected by green trees and small silver waterfalls, they form a beautiful emerald necklace for Shuzheng Village. This section is full of beautiful scenery, suitable for walking. If time is late, the bus will urge you; they need to take all tourists out before they finish work. So it is recommended to spend more time here.
The water from the upper lakes overflows the embankment, spills through the trees, stirring up white splashes, hopping and bouncing in the green, forming water curtains distributed among the lakes of different sizes, like thousands of troops beating drums and waving flags. Shuzheng Waterfall is by the road upstream of Shuzheng Group Lakes. It is the first waterfall seen when entering the valley and the smallest of the four major waterfalls in Jiuzhaigou. However, with the bus, this is the last valley visited.
Peach blossoms in Jiangnan have faded for over a month, but the pink peaches in Jiuzhaigou still complement the blue sea and green water, adding spring colors. The earthquake caused severe damage, but after restoration, Jiuzhaigou still lives up to its reputation of 'returning without seeing water.' However, several spots in Rize Valley are still not open, so a thorough visit may require more time, preferably two days.
