"Comfortable" Travel: Jiuzhaigou Paradise
I've wanted to explore Jiuzhaigou for a long time!
As a foodie who can't eat spicy food, Chengdu wasn't my first choice, but it has always been a place I longed for. From October to December, every time I planned a spontaneous trip, unexpected things would happen. Fortunately, I finally made it in December.
Travel gear: 2 phones, 1 compact camera
Clothing: 1 down jacket, windbreaker, hiking shoes, gloves, hat
Essential items: toiletries, slippers, motion sickness medicine, Yunnan Baiyao, insulated water bottle, band-aids, power bank, selfie stick, charger, cash (people in Jiuzhaigou and Chengdu really don't like using cards, so bring extra cash), etc.
[Day 1] Capital Airport – Chengdu Shuangliu Airport
On the bus, we decisively bought bus tickets from Jiuzhaigou back to Chengdu, from Chengdu to Dujiangyan and Qingcheng Mountain, and from Chengdu to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, which saved us a lot of time. The journey from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou was long, from 7:00 to 17:00. While half-asleep, I could still enjoy the beautiful scenery on both sides: Wenchuan, Maoxian, Diexi Lake, and Songpan Ancient City.
Around 18:00, we arrived at Jiuzhaigou. The sudden whiteness made me extremely happy. The local Tibetans said it's not easy to encounter snowfall. That night, we stayed at a hotel near the entrance of Jiuzhaigou Valley. The environment was average, probably due to the off-season, so the prices were cheap and suitable for budget travelers. It was a 10-minute walk to the Jiuzhaigou entrance, very convenient. Since it was already late after checking in, many shops were closed, so we ate at a nearby place. During the off-season, you need to eat early in Jiuzhaigou.
[Day 2] [Day 3] Exploring Jiuzhaigou Valley
We booked a 2-day itinerary for Jiuzhaigou. Off-season ticket: 80 yuan, bus fare: 80 yuan, insurance: 10 yuan; second day entrance fee: 20 yuan, bus fare: 80 yuan, total 270 yuan. Fewer people, beautiful scenery, and no need to rush—very cost-effective.
*For the second day's entrance, you must inform the staff when purchasing tickets on the first day and get your photo taken at the entrance!
Itinerary Day 1: Rize Valley (Arrow Bamboo Lake – Panda Lake – Five Flower Lake – Pearl Shoal – Pearl Shoal Waterfall – Mirror Lake – Nuorilang Waterfall) – Nuorilang Center – Zechawa Valley (Long Lake – Five Flower Lake) – Nuorilang Center – Return
Itinerary Day 2: Hike Shuzheng Valley (Rhino Lake – Tiger Lake – Shuzheng Group Lakes – Shuzheng Waterfall – Crouching Dragon Lake – Spark Lake – Reed Lake – Bonsai Shoal)
No more words—snowy scenery:
On the second day, the weather cleared, and the contrasts of light and color immediately appeared, making me excitedly run back to Arrow Bamboo Lake, Panda Lake, and Five Flower Lake to take some photos. Hiking in Shuzheng Valley was also extremely enjoyable. We started strolling down from noon, with very few people around, and it was very pleasant to enjoy the beautiful scenery while eating snacks.
*Lunch at Nuorilang Visitor Center is expensive, so it's recommended to bring your own lunch.
Foodie recommendations: Highland barley cake, yak meat, potato ci ba, cheese
Foodie summary: Not necessarily delicious, but it's about trying new things.
[Day 4] Jiuzhaigou – Chengdu
Although the two days in Jiuzhaigou were quite relaxing, they might have made us, who don't exercise regularly, feel tired. We slept on the bus all day and arrived at Chengdu Chadianzi Bus Station at 17:00, fully refreshed.
Accommodation: Wren Boutique Hotel in Kuanzhai Alley, a bit luxurious
The moment you step in, you'll be amazed by this Chengdu guesthouse. It's really great! Located right in the Kuanzhai Alley scenic area, you can go out and stroll around to eat and shop. It's very convenient. It's not far from Chunxi Road, Taikoo Li, Tianfu Square, etc. You can take the subway or a taxi. If you take a taxi, it's about 10 yuan.
The overall style of this guesthouse is exactly what I like. The room design is Japanese-style, made of pure wood, and the room has a unique fragrance that is very soothing. There are handmade Shu embroidery and a wren bird specially painted by a famous artist.
The hotel has many calligraphy, paintings, and antiques, which the owner worked hard to collect. Every detail is well-thought-out and impeccable.
Room: The door uses an electronic lock, ensuring safety. The entire room, including decorations and bed, is made of phoenix wood, giving a faint woody fragrance that is very relaxing.
There is a dedicated dining area in the room, and the lunch and dinner are quite tasty.
No matter where I stay, whether hotel or guesthouse, the bathroom is always my main concern. The cleanliness of the bathroom can definitely affect my mood. I give full marks to the wren's bathroom.
After arriving at the hotel, the butler learned that I couldn't eat spicy food, so they specially prepared non-spicy wontons for breakfast.
In the evening, the two of us went directly to Wenshu Monastery. My friend, who loves spicy food, headed straight to Zhang Liangfen and ordered the famous yellow liangfen and sweet noodles. But surprisingly, they weren't very spicy, a bit sweet, which left my friend a bit disappointed. We then moved to Long Wonton and ordered a snack set. The taste was average, except for the dandan noodles, which impressed my friend; the rest were mediocre.
Foodie recommendations: Zhang Liangfen, dandan noodles, five-spice oil tea
[Day 5] Giant Panda Breeding Base, People's Park, Wuhou Shrine, Jinli, Kuanzhai Alley
You must go to the Giant Panda Breeding Base in the morning. Pandas come out in the morning to sunbathe and play. They are very cute, especially the one-year-olds, who climb trees and run around with the keepers' help. This turned our planned 2-hour visit into 4 hours.
After leaving the Giant Panda Breeding Base, it was past 12:00. We went directly to Grandma's Pig Trotters near People's Park and ordered pig trotters, kung pao chicken, and husband and wife lung slices. Then we started eating and complaining. Review: The pig trotters were a bit greasy for us northerners, with a layer of oil. After tasting two sips of soup, we gave up. The husband and wife lung slices were decent; my friend finished a large plate. The kung pao chicken was not spicy at all, quite different from the northern version, with bamboo shoots as a side ingredient, slightly sweet. I, who can't eat spicy food, ate most of it.
After eating, we strolled through People's Park and experienced the slow life of Chengdu people.
After a leisurely time, we went directly to Wuhou Shrine and Jinli. Since we are two foodies at heart and not very interested in the Three Kingdoms culture, we didn't enter Wuhou Shrine. Instead, we ate a lot at Jinli. Jinli is truly a gathering place for Chengdu snacks, with too many varieties to keep up. We decided to have dinner there. Food recommendations: Li Changqing's Three Cannon Balls, cold rice cake, beef Jiao bing, Zhang Fei beef, egg puff cake. After strolling, it wasn't too late, so we wandered to Chunxi Road to feel the atmosphere of the commercial street. We found that Sichuan indeed has many beautiful women, making us envious.
[Day 6] Qingcheng Mountain, Dujiangyan
Originally, we wanted to go to Mount Emei, but due to weather and physical conditions, we didn't go. Instead, we chose the closer Qingcheng Mountain and Dujiangyan. The tickets were 90 yuan each. How to evaluate? Very average, not worth the nearly 100 yuan price. Maybe it's because we're used to the 40 yuan ticket price for Beijing's Forbidden City.
Dujiangyan: Very famous. The route is simple: Yulei Mountain – Qinyan Tower – Erwang Temple – Anlan Suspension Bridge. Although historically significant, this park is really small. Even including lunch at Luodai Ancient Town outside, we finished in a leisurely 2 hours. We arrived at 9:00 and by 11:00 we were waiting for the bus to Qingcheng Mountain.
Qingcheng Mountain: We chose to take the cable car, so all that was left was a mountain. We visited quickly. The two of us were looking forward more to the Yulin Chuan Chuan Xiang in the evening.
Since the bus stopped at Kuanzhai Alley, we strolled around there. There weren't many people; it's a typical post-development commercial street. At the Panda Post Office, we bought some interesting postcards and small panda pendants. The alley yogurt is recommended and was the only food we bought at Kuanzhai Alley.
Then the highlight of the evening: Yulin Chuan Chuan Xiang. This is a must-recommend. The flavor was great. The price was very cheap. Although there are some in Beijing, the price and taste are far inferior. The two of us ate until we were full for less than 100 yuan, and the aftertaste was lingering.
[Day 7] Du Fu Thatched Cottage, Huanhua Creek Park, Sichuan Museum, Qingyang Palace
On the last day in Chengdu, it was drizzling outside. We slowly strolled to Du Fu Thatched Cottage, Huanhua Creek Park, and the Sichuan Museum. These places are close, so you can walk leisurely without spending much time. Du Fu Thatched Cottage is very small, adjacent to Huanhua Creek Park. If you have plenty of time, it's more recommended to slowly experience the slow life of Chengdu at Huanhua Creek Park. The Sichuan Museum is very small, only three floors, no reservation needed; you can enter with your ID card. There aren't many exhibits, but there are many people. I saw many elderly people and children carefully looking at the exhibits. On the way back, we passed Qingyang Palace. Since we still had some time, we took a quick look. The ticket is 20 yuan. If you're interested and have time, you can visit.
You can't visit Chengdu without shopping. Our last stop was Wenshu Monastery. For the last meal, we chose Chengdu snacks and Zhong Dumplings: dandan noodles, ye'er ba, brown sugar guokui, tangyuan fruit, bangbang chicken. After eating to our heart's content, we went straight to the Imperial Pastry Shop, recommended by a friend. There was a long queue. Strongly recommended: pepper-salt small peach crisps. The Sichuan pepper flavor was very strong, a bit hard to accept at first, but the more you eat, the more you like it. However, it's quite oily, so girls on a diet should be careful. The honey bean cake and mung bean cake are also good. My mother loved them after I brought them home. Of course, Hongqi Supermarket and Carrefour were not to be missed. Since I can't eat spicy food, I only bought Zhang Fei beef. My friend bought Sichuan pepper, red oil hotpot base, Pixian bean paste, etc. Hongqi Supermarket and Carrefour have everything. There is also a market in the city center where my friend bought local green Sichuan pepper with a strong aroma at a cheaper price than the supermarket. Recommended. Fully satisfied, we went back with big bags and small bags!
