A Living Tibetan-Qiang Ancient City, a Mysterious Jiuzhai Legend: A Fantastic Journey Through Time

For anyone who loves travel, Jiuzhaigou Valley must be a must-visit on their bucket list. I had been to Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan before with a tour group, but didn't explore it deeply, just a quick glance at some spots. This time, I returned to Jiuzhaigou as an independent traveler. Instead of revisiting old places, I chose a completely new journey.

Attractions such as Long Lake, Five-Color Pond, Five-Flower Lake, Rhinoceros Lake, and Nuorilang Waterfall are all well worth visiting in Jiuzhaigou, but I arranged the highlight of this trip at the Songcheng Tourist Area on the edge of Jiuzhaigou.

Jiuzhai Songcheng Tibetan-Qiang Ancient City is adjacent to the Jiuzhaigou scenic area, with excellent location and environment. It is a large Jiuzhai theme park built by Songcheng Performing Arts, which is known as the top performing arts company in China. At night, there is also a large 5D live-stage performance called "Eternal Love of Jiuzhai". This is a significant brand appeal, so it was quite attractive to me.

After entering the ancient city, we wandered around following the guide map.

To summarize, the attractions in the park include: the statue of Seme Goddess, prayer wheels, Tangka Valley, Tea Horse Post, Horse Gang Square, Bar Street, Holy Water Street, Thousand Buddha Cave, Tubo Market, and Tibetan watchtowers, all full of authentic Tibetan-Qiang culture. So this Songcheng adds an exotic touch compared to the one in Hangzhou.

On the ancient streets, there are also performers wearing traditional costumes interacting and performing, giving a real sense of time travel.

When the park opened in the afternoon, there were Snowy Tibetan songs, Panda flash mob, Sichuan Opera face-changing, and even the popular "Falling Woman" series from a while ago. The activities were diverse and colorful.

The "giant pandas" worked hard to spin and jump, looking clumsy and adorable, melting everyone's hearts. Everyone rushed to take photos with them. But it was quite hot, and I felt sorry for the staff in those panda costumes, who were all very dedicated and lovely.

Inside the scenic area, there are two Tibetan watchtowers connected by a "Heartlink Bridge". The colorful prayer flags on the bridge flutter in the wind. Since it connects the two towers, some people jokingly call it the "Magpie Bridge". We could climb the "Magpie Bridge" to overlook the whole area and take in the views of Jiuzhaigou.

But it was a bit shaky, so it was a little scary for those with acrophobia.

After coming down, we saw a marriage challenge event. The stage setting was particularly exquisite and realistic. It was a situational drama about the chieftain choosing a son-in-law. Actually, in Songcheng, many shows run on a rolling schedule every day.

The young performers from Songcheng Performing Arts, dressed in historical costumes, vividly depicted the process of a minority aristocrat marrying off his daughter during feudal times. This kind of performance allowed tourists to relax and also learn about the history and culture of the Tibetan and Qiang people.

Inside the scenic area, there were distinctive prayer flags, white stupas, and prayer wheels.

The noble statue of Seme Goddess also caught people's attention, with a beautiful legend attached to her:

Legend has it that Seme Goddess was a heavenly fairy. Envying the beautiful scenery and love of the mortal world, she secretly came down with her sisters and met brave and robust Tibetan youths like Dago. The young people were mutually attracted, so the fairies refused to return to heaven. The heaven was enraged, and with thunder and lightning, turned Seme and Dago into two snow-capped mountains, the fairies into lakes, and the Tibetan young men into nine Tibetan villages. Since then, the mountains, lakes, and villages have been inseparable, forever guarding this magical land of Jiuzhaigou. Later, local Tibetans revered Seme as the Snow Mountain Goddess and Dago as the Snow Mountain God...

Continuing our stroll, we encountered more performances in Horse Gang Square: flash mobs of historical and modern characters, Tibetan-Qiang dances and operas, folk arts, and more, one after another.

The "Eternal Love" performance is at night, usually about three shows per day at 18:30, 19:50, and 21:10, lasting about an hour. During Golden Week, there might be more than three shows.

The entire "Eternal Love" performance is divided into five acts: "The Legend of Jiuzhai", "War Song of Ancient Qiang", "Marriage of Han and Tibet", "Boundless Love", and "Blessings of Heaven and Earth". With 300 performers and a 360-degree panorama, the graceful Tibetan-Qiang dances integrate perfectly with high-tech 5D live scenery, presenting a grand visual feast!

First act, The Legend of Jiuzhai, tells the audience the well-known legends about Jiuzhaigou, including its origin and cultural heritage.

Second act, War Song of Ancient Qiang, narrates the story of the old and brave Qiang people, who formed their unique national spirit through long migrations and battles. Their unwavering determination to defend their nation and the national spirit flowing in their blood were especially moving in their performance.

Third act, Marriage of Han and Tibet, brings the eternal story of Princess Wencheng and Songtsen Gampo's union to the stage again. In 641 AD, under the order of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Princess Wencheng traveled far to Tibet for marriage. Her entourage consisted of hundreds of people, including experts in architecture, medicine, agriculture, and weaving from the Tang Dynasty. Princess Wencheng spread Han culture to Tubo, promoting local economic and social development, and fostering peace and prosperity between the Tang and Tubo, writing a significant page in Tang-Tubo history. It can be said to be the most influential marriage alliance in Chinese history. Its great significance makes this eternal story still widely celebrated today.

Fourth act, Boundless Love, is the most relatable and resonant piece. It recreates the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. At 2:00 p.m. on May 12, 2008, an 8.0 magnitude earthquake struck Wenchuan. In times of crisis, boundless love emerged in all directions. The whole nation united, fearless and indomitable, and the astonishing mobilization ability shocked the world.

Although I hadn't personally experienced it, through the performance, it felt as if everything was vividly before my eyes. My heart clenched, and my eyes moistened several times. I felt grateful and thankful for everyone's efforts.

Fifth act, Blessings of Heaven and Earth, in the final epilogue, under fluttering prayer flags, everyone rose and clasped their hands, silently offering the most sincere blessings to family, themselves, friends, and strangers far away. The scene was grand and solemn.

This attraction was one of the key gains of this trip to Jiuzhai. I had heard of Songcheng Performing Arts since I was in Hangzhou. Now there are four theme parks in Hangzhou, Lijiang, Sanya, and Jiuzhai. "Eternal Love" as their flagship show lives up to its reputation!

When we came out, it was dark. The square was still filled with songs, laughter, and lively crowds.

Everyone gathered around the bonfire, guided by the atmosphere coordinator, dancing and swaying together.

This passionate and vibrant ancient city builds and protects a Tibetan-Qiang dream for us.