Travel - China

Jiuzhaigou - This place will blow you away, Magical, Mystical, Amazing!!!!!

Known as the "Fairyland on Earth", Jiuzhaigou is situated in the mountains and border regions of Nanping, Songpan and Pingwu counties in northwestern Sichuan.

Jiuzhaigou, also called "Yangtong" in ancient times, currently has other names like "Heyao Jiuzhai", and the "Jade Sea". Jiuzhaigou, literally the Nine Village Valley, is known for the nine Tibetan villages within its boundaries, Panxin, Rize, Yacuo, Panya, Zechawa, Heijiao, Shuzheng, Heye and Zharu.

This "Fairyland on Earth" is a fine example of the primitive, natural beauty of China. Its lakes, waterfalls, beaches, snow caps mountains, virgin forests, as well as the fascinating local Tibetan customs and villages, all add to the fairy land feel of the place.

Jiuzhaigou - General Information

Jiuzhaigou valley's landscape is made up of high-altitude karsts shaped by glacial, hydrological and tectonic activity. It lies on major fault lines on the diverging belt between the Qinghai-Tibet Plate and the Yangtze Plate, earthquakes have shaped the landscape over many centuries.

The Jiuzhaigou area includes the catchment area of three gullies or valleys, and is one of the sources of the Jialing River, part of the Yangtze River system.

The Jiuzhaigou area covers the Shuzheng Valley, Rize Valley and Zechawa Valley that make up the famous "Y" shape that this area is known for.

Here is a Jiuzhaigou map of the 3 valleys and the main Lakes and Waterfalls.

The Zechawa Valley is known for the Chang (Long) Lake, and the Rize Valley for its beautiful virgin forests. From South to North, both valleys meet at the junction point of Nuorilang, bringing you to the Shuzheng Valley. The drop between the two valleys, reaching the Shuzheng Valley is over 1,000 meters.

Jiuzhaigou's best-known feature is its dozens of very clear blue, green and turquoise colored lakes. These glacial lakes, over the years, were dammed by rock falls and other natural phenomena, and then solidified by processes of carbonate deposition. Some lakes have a high concentration of calcium carbonate, which makes the water very clear so that the bottom is often visible even at high depths. The lakes vary in color and aspect according to their depths, residues, and surroundings.

In 1992, UNESCO entered Jiuzhaigou onto the world natural heritage list.

Best time to visit Jiuzhaigou
Jiuzhaigou sees many sunny days, cool summers and less wind in winter, than most places with this region.
The place is beautiful all year round, just plan for the weather changes of this high altitude. The busiest time is autumn and the most beautiful.

Autumn is the most magnificent season of all in the Valley. The breeze is wonderfully fresh, the leaves are all beautiful colour. The colorful autumn leaves and woods are reflected in the incredibly clear lakes. The sky is clear and bright, this fairyland is alive with colour.

Jiuzhaigou in winter is particularly peaceful, and poetic, the mountains and trees are wrapped in white, waterfalls and lake surfaces are smooth and glittering, ice covers the lakes and hangs from the waterfalls: Winter Wonderland.
If you go in the winter, just prepare well for the chilly cold conditions.

Tour Service Centre

At the main gate and entrance to the Jiuzhaigou area is a "Tour Service Center", this is at the start of the Shuzheng Valley and is the only entry point for tourists. It is designed to tell you all about this wonderful area as well as the do's and don'ts of being within the valleys.

The Jiuzhaigou valley area administration also have their offices at the main entrance. Here everyone pays the entrance fees; these fees seem to change all the time.
You then transfer the special sightseeing vehicles to enter the valleys.
The other main Tourist information centre is within the valleys itself, at the "Y" section, where all 3 valleys meet. This is called the Nuorilang Tour Service Centre. Here you can get a comprehensive variety of services, all of which are necessary to manage a large park like this one.

Food and drinks are under strict control of the Jiuzhaigou Joint Business Company. All food brought into this protected zone need to reach the "zero-discharge" and "zero-pollution" standard stipulated by the state. The food is reasonably priced. Nuorilang Tour Service Center is also one of the main dispatching areas for the green eco-sightseeing vehicles.

Transport within the Valleys

Special eco-friendly buses travel the valleys and are the only means of transport. The bus is designed to be a nice smooth ride and gives easy access to the entire Jiuzhaigou valley. It is powered by natural gas.

Once you are inside, your ticket will get you on and off the bus at any time or place during your adventure within the valleys. Before you start your tour, it is best to know the time for the last scheduled bus, particularly in the low tour season (5pm). Bigger buses take tourists to major sites. If you prefer to get on midway somewhere, you can take a van. The drivers will not stop for you to get on board at a bend or on the downward slope. Some carriages may not stop for you at all, these maybe for special tour groups, or the bus may just be full. Don't worry another will be along in a minute.

Special wooden walkways / trails are throughout the Jiuzhaigou valley; this is to protect the area. A creative use of stone steps, slab paths and wood bridges, offer interest changes along the way.

You can reach Jiuzhaigou by air, a 45 minutes flight from Chengdu. The airport is located at Chuanzhusi Township, 83km and 52km respectively from the Jiuzhaigou entrance and Huanglong. You can also reach the valley by a 12 hour bus ride from Chengdu.

This place is really worth a visit if you have time, though a little out of the way and off the better used tourist track, yet still well worth all the effort!