A Golden Autumn Fairyland Trip to Jiuzhaigou and Exploration of Lesser-Known Destinations in Aba

Rather than just yearning, it's better to set off. In the most beautiful season of golden autumn, encounter the most colorful Jiuzhaigou. Many years ago, I went to Jiuzhaigou during a heavy snowfall. I still remember when I arrived at Long Lake, I felt as if I were in a snowy world like Narnia. So I was especially looking forward to Jiuzhaigou in golden autumn, vibrant and enchanting, wanting to feel the crisp autumn air, the clear blue sky, the jade-like lakes shimmering under pure sunlight, and the fiery red leaves competing to bloom... So this Mid-Autumn Festival, I finally encountered the long-dreamed-of paradise on earth.

Unexpectedly, upon arriving at Jiuzhaigou, I stumbled upon the spectacular 'Panda Home · Pure Land Aba · Jiuzhaigou World Travelers Conference'. This year's Jiuzhaigou World Travelers Conference combined diverse content and forms such as music festivals, forums, food, and art, giving me a real feel of a live version of 'The Big Band'. Artists also integrated Tibetan and Qiang ethnic cultures into cross-border creations, perfectly incorporating the trendiest forms of entertainment into nature. So this Mid-Autumn trip brought me many times more joy than expected. The music festival in Aba Prefecture had an incredibly strong lineup, covering rock, folk, rap, electronic, indie pop, and more.

It was my first time attending a music festival amidst mountains and rivers, truly unforgettable, especially in Jiuzhaigou's fairy-tale landscape. At the Jiuzhaigou (Ethnic) Stage, many musicians delivered the most authentic and moving music. Whether you love soul rock, folk music, or pure vocals, you can encounter your most memorable good sounds here. At the music festival, my friends and I let ourselves go with the cheerful music, having a blast!

On the Jiuzhaigou stage, the first day featured Nima Band, the Three Sisters of Snow Lotus, and other outstanding ethnic music creators who carry on traditional music. Luo Erdan opened the stage with a strong ethnic flavor through 'Zanla Girl', Mosuman sang 'Turning Mountains, Turning Waters, Turning Stupas' to the most sincere beliefs in the heart, A-Dong sang 'Celestial Drolma' for his beloved girl, Gangrui Lajin dedicated 'Hometown' to this ever-passionate land, the Three Sisters of Snow Lotus performed 'Tashi Delek' to welcome travelers from faraway cities, and Nima Band sang 'River of Life' for the sweetest waters of Jiuzhaigou.

On the second day of performances, the Jiuzhaigou Stage and the MTA Presents Mountain God Stage went off simultaneously. Electric girl NIA Yang Xinyu, from music producer to commanding the stage, opened the Jiuzhaigou (Ethnic) Stage with full energy. LOFT BEACH's psychedelic colors of the 60s and retro trends of the 90s seemed to take us to a hazy summer hot beach. Then we followed Sound Fragment to vent hidden emotions. At the passionate and frenzied performance of Mosaic, we couldn't help wanting to go back to the 80s and dance. Jiulian Zhenren's Hakka language music made the music and languages of different ethnic groups harmoniously unite at that moment, crossing all boundaries. Finally, the highly anticipated finale: following Lao Lang's 'Deskmate', the whole audience began to sing along in chorus!

On the MTA Presents Mountain God Stage, BrBY opened with firepower, bringing everyone full of happy energy. Poke B made the audience start swaying involuntarily. 6DG, the happy energy from Northeast China, successfully blew up the whole venue. On stage, dance battles, cross talk, and sketches - the Northeast F4 were all together! Finally, Ty. Ty. Ty.! The finale performance with 'Tall, Not Rich Yet, But Handsome' and 'Tigress' – the enthusiasm of the Sichuan and Chongqing people was fully displayed at this moment.

Jiuzhaigou, a classic for so many years, still shocked me physically and mentally. Especially since I was still immersed in the passionate music festival from the previous days, experiencing Jiuzhaigou on top of that gave it a unique charm. Jiuzhaigou is a World Natural Heritage site, a National 5A-level Tourist Attraction, and a National Geological Park. It is China's first nature reserve primarily for protecting natural scenery. Colorful forests, silver-white snow-capped mountains, and clear lakes, as if from a fairy tale, make one feel like in a wonderland. 'On sunny days see the water, on rainy days see the mountains, on mixed days see the clouds and mist.'

I also particularly loved the local ethnic music and dance. Aba Prefecture, where Jiuzhaigou is located, is a minority area dominated by Tibetan and Qiang people. The locals are good at singing and dancing, with wide vocal ranges. There are many intangible cultural heritages, such as the 'Zhou dance' where dancers wear animal masks, and the 'Nanping tunes', a group rap art form played and sung by folk artists. The most fun is the 'Panda dance' where dancers wear panda masks! Jiuzhaigou County actually has 90 intangible cultural heritage items, of which 4 are national-level and 4 are provincial-level. I truly admire the locals!

Exploring local cuisine is also my favorite part of every trip. Coming to the realm of my beloved Sichuan cuisine, I had to indulge. This time, thanks to the Travelers Conference, I didn't need to search far; at the food market, I could feast on Jiuzhaigou's gathered delicacies. There were familiar dishes like roast whole lamb, dried yak meat, and hand-grabbed yak meat, as well as various local foods I had never heard of: Tibetan potstickers, yak meat covered with flatbread, beef bale, fried yak yogurt, Western-region stuffed sausage, cold mixed yak head skin, etc. My eyes were opened, and my stomach was satisfied!

You must try the highland yak meat in Jiuzhaigou. These yaks are never used for labor, living a semi-wild pastoral life following water and grass, with a natural growth process. They consume a large amount of precious Chinese herbs like cordyceps and fritillaria, so the meat is tender. After being salted and marinated, sliced thin, and mixed with chili, the meat is rich in flavor with a hint of game.

Blood sausage is made from casing, blood, spices, and yak or pork. It doesn't break, crumble, or peel off. It is fragrant, soft, and tender, not greasy or dry, and nutritious! Blood sausage is also a top food in Tibetan cuisine. When honored guests visit, serving blood sausage is a sign of respect and a great honor for the guests.

Potato sticky rice cake (Yangyu Ciba) is a dish made primarily from potatoes. It is delicious and nutritious.

Many friends who come to Jiuzhaigou usually only plan for Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong. In fact, there are many beautiful places in Aba Prefecture worth exploring. This time we also visited Nen'ensangcuo, Zhongcha Valley, and Jiawu Lake.

Nen'ensangcuo: Travertine Pools Not Inferior to Huanglong

Nen'ensangcuo has unique karst landforms, with well-developed travertine landscapes, vast primeval forests, and emerald-green alpine lakes. Although it is a national 4A-level tourist attraction, not many people know about it – it is a hidden gem. In Tibetan, 'Nen'ensangcuo' means 'Fairy Pool', the place where fairies bathe. Nen'ensangcuo is the boundary mountain between Jiuzhaigou and Zoige, with an altitude of over 4,000 meters. The terrain is steep, with jagged rocks on cliffs and pine trees taking root. The scenery along the way is magnificent. I love Nen'ensangcuo. Walking on the winding wooden plank road through the primeval forest, surrounded by tall and straight firs, with various flowers and plants in bloom, listening to the flowing water and birdsong, breathing in the fragrance of nature – it is truly healing!

The travertine pools here are not inferior to Huanglong. Among them, the Yaochi (Jade Pool) has the best travertine formation, arranged in a staggered manner. However, I prefer the Lotus Terrace Colorful Pools and the Fairy Pool. The Lotus Terrace pools are connected one after another, advancing layer by layer. The Fairy Pool, surrounded by tall trees, is like a mirror when calm. This is definitely a great place to take stunning landscape photos!

Although the altitude here is over 2,000 meters, the dense forest provides high oxygen content, so no need to worry about altitude sickness.

Zhongcha Valley: A Pastoral Resort

Eight kilometers from Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, Zhongcha Valley, full name Zhongcha Valley Jiuzhai Luneng Resort, is a comprehensive tourism and vacation destination integrating leisure, cultural experience, and wellness. It is especially suitable for vacations. The resort includes well-known five-star hotels like Hilton and Ritz-Carlton, as well as the Discovery Extreme Theme Park, boutique guesthouses, and more.

The name 'Zhongcha' comes from Tibetan, meaning 'the place where the divine eagle descends'. I particularly love the ancient Tibetan villages scattered around. Surrounded by green mountains, lush meadows, and dotted with cattle and sheep on the slopes, if not for the bright prayer flags fluttering over the old Tibetan houses, I would have thought I was in Switzerland. I absolutely love the pastoral scene here.

Jiawu Lake: One of the Concentrated Activity Areas of Giant Pandas

Located in Wujiao Baima Tibetan Township, Jiuzhaigou County, Jiawu Lake is one of the concentrated activity areas of the giant panda. I think it is probably because the area is surrounded by forests, with deep woods and quiet waters, rich ecology, and full of natural wildness.

Exploring Jiawu Lake requires walking through a no-man's land. When there is no signal, no roads, and even no human presence, you can only hear your own breathing and the ethereal sounds of nature. Time seems to stand still, making you want to stop and enjoy it all. In golden autumn, the mountains on both sides of Jiawu Lake are covered with red leaves, the colorful forests are intoxicating, brilliant like clouds.

Stroll along the shady path of Jiawu Lake, feeling the reflection of the red trees on the lake water. You might mistakenly think you have stepped into someone else's painting.

This Mid-Autumn Festival was so unforgettable. Not only was I in the earthly paradise of Jiuzhaigou, but I also had the ultimate experience broadening the five senses at the 'Pure Land Aba Jiuzhaigou World Travelers Conference'. It gave us a deeper understanding of Aba and Jiuzhaigou. The World Travelers Conference is truly a strong label for Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, promoting the positive development of local tourism culture and absolutely helping the city promotion of Aba Prefecture. I hope you also get a chance to arrange a trip to Aba!

My accidental encounter with the 'Panda Home · Pure Land Aba · Jiuzhaigou World Travelers Conference' has deeply planted a seed of desire. I can't wait to start looking forward to next year's World Travelers Conference! I wonder where next year's conference will be held and what different grand and interesting activities there will be?