Jiuzhaigou – A hidden treasure of China

In this article, I would like to share with you the beauty of Jiuzhaigou National Park through a collection of pictures of mine. I had not known something beautiful like the park existed until one day some friends shared stories and pictures about it. As I love nature, mountains, lakes, flowers and so on, their stories have stolen my heart. I knew I had to go there. A year later, May 2016 to be exact, I packed my suitcase and… oh boy, was I not disappointed! The name may not be easy to remember but this amazing place is now imprinted in my memory.

What and where is Jiuzhaigou
Jiuzhaigou is a mountain forest park located in Sichuan Province, China. It covers an area of 720 km2 (180,000 acres). The name literally means “nine villages valley” referring to the nine Tibetan ethnic villages that lived there. The park is a protected ecosystem which houses thousands of primal plant species and many endangered animal species. It was selected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992.

Entrance fee
I paid CNY 110 ($16.50 or €14). The price is cheaper during low season (winter). The ticket desks accepted Chinese Yuan or Renminbi only. Some of them accepted cash only. There was only one ATM machine near the entrance gate. The ticket line was very long and crowded. Actually, I could not see any lines. I just saw people scattered everywhere.

Only later on that I learned that the park was a hotspot destination for domestic tourists, especially on national holidays, hence the massive crowd.

For more information on entrance fee, you can visit this website

I also noticed that visitors could explore the park in a mini-van for an extra charge of money. I did not think the mini-van was necessary because the park management provided free buses for tourists in the entire park. I think that was a brilliant idea.

Public sanitary facilities
There were plenty of (biodegradable) toilets in the park. Very few were attended by cleaning staffs. While tap water was available, hand soap or toilet paper were not always provided. In spite of some shortages, the toilets were quite acceptable.

What’s so special about Jiuzhaigou?
The waterfalls and lakes, of course! They were fascinating. I have to admit that I fell in love with the lakes. The colour captured my attention. Natural mineral layers and sediments on the bottom of the lakes created the blue or turquoise shades of the water.

Long Lake. The crystal clear water itself comes from the rain but mostly from glaciers in the area. One of the biggest glacier depositories is the Long Lake.

Peacock Lake. The water was so clear that you could see fallen trees criss-crossing the bottom of the lakes.

Jiuzhaigou Primaval Forest. The view was breathtaking. The layers of trees, fresh air, cool mist of the forest, great mountains with the blue sky as background…created a whole package that was just the total opposite of the industrial image of China.

Nuorilang Waterfall. From many sources that I had read prior to visiting the park, it seemed like Nuorilang waterfall is the main eye-catcher at the park. However, I was not amazed when I stood in front of it. It was of course beautiful and majestic. I found the shallow water was more impressive. How it smoothly flowed through every harsh stone cracks was very pleasing to my eyes.

Okay, I will not talk too long. Let the pictures speak…

Pearl Shoal Waterfall

Bonsai Shoal, near the entrance. Mostly ignored by visitors.

Rhinoceros Lake

Arrow Bamboo Lake

Panda Lake

Five Flowers Lake.

I hope to return to this place in the future. I heard that the best time to visit the park is in fall. This is because the green tree leaves which turn into warm amber colors are reflected on the water surface creating a dream-like view.

All pictures are mine.