Jiuzhaigou national park
(Jiuzhaigou Valley), China
World heritage site
Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area
(Jiuzhaigou Landscape and Historical Landmark Zone)
There are miracles in the world! And one of them is the unreal beauty reserve Jiuzhaigou 九寨沟 Jiǔzhàigōu.
It is located in the southwest of China, among the most beautiful Minshan mountains, 330 km north of the city of Chengdu, Sichuan province. Translated as "Valley of Nine Villages". The territory of the Jiuzhaigou nature reserve occupies more than 600 square kilometers.
The park is named after nine Tibetan villages found in the valley.
The entire valley is filled with beautiful rivers, lakes, and is surrounded by snowy mountains.
The park is considered to be such an important natural wonder that it has been classified
as one of the representatives of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves..
The Jiuzhaigou Valley in China is rich in many beautiful colorful lakes. Locals call these lakes Haitsi, which means Son of the Sea. These lakes are also of glacial origin, the water here is very clear and visitors to the park can easily see the bottom of these lakes./
Lake of the Sleeping Dragon, Lake of Five Flowers, Grass Lake - just from the names fanned by oriental mystery and romance, the imagination begins to appear of extraordinary beauty fabulous plots. It is no coincidence that the Jiuzhaigou National Park fascinates every traveler who has come here at least once, and beckons to itself again and again. After all, everyone wants to return, even if not for long, to a fairy tale or a wonderful dream.
Due to its inaccessibility, tourism in this region began to develop relatively recently.
Translated from Chinese, Jiuzhaigou literally means "the valley of nine villages." This name, of course, is no coincidence, there are indeed nine villages in the valley, in which Tibetans and representatives of the Qiang people live. Today, seven of these villages are inhabited by people, and two villages are not inhabited. Agriculture and animal breeding are prohibited in the valley, so local residents live on government subsidies, and of course, on tourists coming to the valley. So here it will not be a problem to buy souvenirs, which are products of traditional crafts, or taste local regional cuisine.
Jiuzhaigou National Park consists of three valleys: Rijie, Zechawa and Shuzheng. In the valleys, there is a beautiful and varied nature, there are deciduous virgin forests inhabited by birds and animals, some of which (such as the panda and golden monkeys) are listed in the Red Book, fast mountain rivers and majestic waterfalls. But nevertheless, one of the main symbols and the main attraction of Jiuzhaigou National Park is its indescribable beauty of multi-colored lakes, of which there are more than a hundred.
Legend has it that the lakes are nothing more than a fragment of a mirror, which the god Dage gave to his beloved goddess Volo Symo. But, through negligence, the goddess dropped it, the mirror broke into many fragments, and now we have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful lakes. However, prosaic science explains the transparency of local lakes by the fact that the water contains a high percentage of calcium carbonate.
The largest lake of the reserve is called Changhai, and is located at an altitude of 3000 meters above sea level. Of course, you can endlessly list the beautiful local lakes, but it is better to come and see everything with your own eyes, namely: Grass Lake, Panda Lake, Sleeping Dragon Lake, Swan Lake or Long Lake (which is more than 2 kilometers long), Lake Five Flowers, in which according to legend, the gods wash their faces, and their "make-up" paints the lake in incredible beauty colors.
The beauty that awaits the wanderer who has steadfastly endured the hardships to the national park is difficult to convey in words or on film.
Another lake, Wuhuahai, which is shaped like a deer's foot, is also legendary. A long time ago in these mountains a certain spirit hunted for a deer, and at the moment when the spirit-hunter shot the beast, it turned into a lake.
Another symbol of Jiuzhaigou National Park is its pure, rushing waterfalls that fall down the slopes of the rocks and through the trees. It will be difficult for a tired traveler to resist the temptation to admire the falling streams of water, and forgetting about all worries, plunge into the world of nature, under the measured, mesmerizing sound of water.
Nuorilan Falls
Nuorilan Falls is the widest waterfall located in the valley called Jiuzhaigou. Its waters fall from a height of 20 m, so it is truly a sight to behold. The waterfall is one of the six outstanding waterfalls in China. And its name is translated from the Tibetan language as "great and magnificent."
There is a legend that once upon a time there was no waterfall on this place, but there was a terrace. And when the famous monk Jarmod returned from long journeys, he left on this terrace parts of the mechanism that are used for spinning. Roya's girl, who was not only beautiful but also very intelligent, immediately understood how to use these mechanisms and began teaching her sisters how to spin.
But the envious Luoja thought that Royi was doing something evil and destroyed the mechanism. But the stream of the spring smashed Luozhi against the rocks. And on this place a waterfall appeared. Nuorilan Falls is a truly magnificent sight, because it is located right between two gorges. And in the light of the sun, especially at sunrise, the waterfall plays with all the colors of the rainbow, which makes this place a truly magical place.. 
Pearl waterfall
Getting to Jiuzhaigou is not an easy task. Due to its remoteness and isolation, the park is difficult to access. A traveler intending to touch the local beauty will have to be patient - the journey by bus or car will take about 10 hours of driving along the mountain roads. But such, perhaps, not the simplest journey is worth it - the beauty that awaits the wanderer who has steadfastly endured the hardships of the journey is difficult to convey in words or film.
Jiuzhaigou National Park is hidden in the foothills of Tibet. Getting there from the eastern part of China is quite difficult. Not so long ago, the only way to get to the national park was a mountain road leading here from the city of Chengdu, famous for its nature reserve with pandas. This one-way trip took at least eight hours. Ten years ago, among the mountains at an altitude of about three and a half kilometers, a small airport was opened. Getting to the national park just got easier. Now you first need to fly about three hours from the local airlines. When mountains appear in the porthole window, the liner will begin to descend. Finally, after diving for another peak, the plane will unexpectedly flop onto a small plateau surrounded by snow-capped peaks. Having received your luggage, you need to find a minibus that will take you to the entrance to the national park in an hour and a half. Everything would be fine, but the last person who knows at least a word in any language other than Chinese will meet you when boarding a flight back in Shanghai. Further - only the kingdom of hieroglyphs and incomprehensible views ...
For an unknown reason, my flight was delayed for a couple of hours. All this time I had to be bored at the airport. For the next three hours, I enjoyed the incessant turbulence and turbulence emitted by my roommates. Finally, it began to darken, and somewhere below there were mountains.
We landed shortly. Knowing about the inevitable language barrier, I prepared in advance - I printed out a few basic phrases on sheets of paper, which I then showed to the local natives. In about ten minutes the contact was established and soon I was swaying rhythmically in the back seat of the bus to the beat of the mountain road running towards the sharp turns. An hour later I was completely seasick. After two I got to my hotel. It took another half an hour to explain with gestures that I had a room booked here.
All evening I was imbued with the modest charm of the Chinese province. The street food vendor tried hard to sell his daughter to me. The waitresses in the hotel restaurant, who for some reason decided to serve me four, did not stint at my request to bring rice to the ordered meat and brought a whole bucket of it, proudly placing it next to me ...
Despite its rather remote location from civilization, the Jiuzhaigou National Park is very popular with the Chinese. But Europeans are not frequent guests in this place: for the whole day I met only four guys from France, with whom I spent a good half of the day. There were incredibly many visitors that day - on peak days, up to 12 thousand people come to the park. Looking ahead, I will say that after returning home and starting to analyze the photographs, I, to put it mildly, went nuts - in some unknown way, all these crowds did not fall into the field of view of my lens, therefore, further in my photo report, "Jiuzhaigou" will look deserted and calm. Don't believe this feeling - it is deceiving.
The territory of the park consists of three mountain valleys, united into one big letter "Y". The entrance is at the bottom of this letter. Since the distances are enormous, a string of buses runs non-stop throughout the park, transporting visitors between its different parts. At the entrance, everyone is obliged to buy, in addition to an entrance ticket, a bus ticket, which allows them to travel around the park all day long. All the pleasure costs 310 yuan, which is about 1,650 rubles, which, you see, is a lot.
If you use buses, then one day to visit the park is more than enough. I spent exactly 8 hours on the territory and during this time I managed to see absolutely everything I wanted. I started my walk from the upper right point of the letter "Y", from where I walked to the junction of the valleys, then climbed to the upper left point, after which I walked a little in the area of the leg.
Jiuzhaigou Park is famous for its colorful lakes and numerous waterfalls. For its beauty, it was even included in.
Swan lake, or Swan lake. Height above sea level is 2900 meters. The average depth is 1.3 meters. Sometimes swans stop here during their flights.
I have not seen swans. Instead, fabulous gnarled tree branches were hidden under the water.
Near the lake, the trail dives into the forest. Everything is in order with the infrastructure in Chinese national parks - convenient paths have been made everywhere.
From time to time on the way there are small, but rather noisy waterfalls.
Arrow bamboo lake, or the lake of bamboo arrows.
Its depth is up to six meters.
From the trail winding along the coast, numerous bottom sediments are perfectly visible.
Such landscapes are one of the symbols of the national park. Having seen such photos on the Internet, I decided to get to these lakes, in spite of any difficulties.
The name of the park "Jiuzhaigou" is translated as "Valley of nine villages". Indeed, before the appearance of the national park, there were nine ancient Tibetan settlements here.
The highest point in the park is almost five kilometers above sea level. But most of the tourist routes are located at an altitude of two to three thousand meters.
The next stop is a beautiful waterfall near the lake. Unfortunately, I did not remember its name.
Depending on the season, the water level in the lakes changes. When there is no rain for a long time, some bodies of water dry up completely.
Panda lake, or Panda lake.
About twenty pandas live in its vicinity.
Five-colored lake is one of the symbols of the national park. Height is 2400 meters above sea level.
In different places of the lake, the color of the water takes on different shades.
At the bottom are the already familiar tree trunks and other gradually decaying flora.
And more beauty!
I decided to take a taxi back to the airport. I knew that there was an official tariff for the cost of the trip from the national park to the airport, but I started bargaining anyway. As a result, they managed to bring down almost a quarter of the official price. The taxi driver drove me to the airport in an hour and I, pleased with myself, flew to Xi'an.
China has always amazed and also continues to amaze: with technology and innovation, culture and traditions, nature and diverse colors. If in technology both neighbors and overseas partners can compete with China, then by nature it is difficult to find the same country that could combine so many amazing things on its territory. In this, perhaps, it is difficult to find his equal. And in order to further develop the theme of the uniqueness of the nature of the Celestial Empire, below will be an article about the next "pearl" of the nature of China, the Jiuzhaigou National Park.
Readers have already heard about the Sichuan province from articles about the academy and the reserve. As you might guess, Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve is also located in this central Chinese province. This national park has gained fame across the globe primarily for its amazing landscape, multi-level waterfalls and colorful lakes. And since 1992, Jiuzhaigou has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the category of "protected landscapes".
The reserve is located 330 kilometers from the city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, at the southern end of the Ming mountain range (Minshan). Jiuzhaigou occupies a rather large area of 720 square kilometers, which allows it to accommodate the Kingdom of Bahrain, or the Republic of Kiribati. This national park is alpine and it is located at an altitude ranging from 1998 to 4764 meters above sea level.
It is hard to believe that Jiuzhaigou was discovered not so long ago. The area has long been inhabited by Tibetans, but it was officially opened only in the early 1970s. For 7 years in the future reserve, intensive deforestation lasted, but soon the Chinese government banned this harmful to nature action and in 1982 the area was declared a national park. Two years later, it was opened to tourists, and in 1997 the park became a world biosphere reserve. Every year Jiuzhaigou began to receive more and more travelers and nature lovers. Since 2004, the number of guests per day has increased to an average of 7,000.
Translated from the local language, Jiuzhaigou means "Valley of Nine Villages." This is due to the nine Tibetan villages located along the valley, seven of which are still inhabited today and are mainly engaged in serving visitors to the park. Almost half of the territory of the reserve is occupied by virgin forests, due to which the influx of guests increases in autumn, when the trees acquire yellow, orange and red tones. In addition, many are eager to meet one of the symbols of China in the wild. Jiuzhaigou is home to the endangered species of giant pandas.
The landscape of the reserve was formed as a result of the work of glaciers, as well as hydrological and tectonic activity. For these reasons, the national park includes the famous dozens of lakes of blue, green and turquoise colors. The water in some lakes is so clear that the bottom can be seen even at great depths. The bodies of water in Jiuzhaigou vary in color, depth, and sediment. Some lakes have natural dams, and in order to avoid damage to nature, tourists are prohibited from touching the waters and other fragile landscape elements.
Jiuzhaigou includes three valleys forming a Y-shape. From the north, the Shuzheng gorge stretches to the south, where it diverges into the Zhize and Tsechava gorges. Each of the gorges is amazing and has many attractions. The most famous southwestern valley of Rhizie is 18 kilometers long. Most often it is visited first, since there are most of the attractions here. In this part of Jiuzhaigou, you can meet the famous colorful Five Flowers Lake, the bottom of which is covered with fallen tree trunks. You can also see the Primeval Forest, Mirror Lake, Bamboo Arrow Lake, Swan Lake, Grass Lake and Pearl Bank. Another unique reservoir is Lake Panda, blue and green, from which multi-level waterfalls flow into several streams.
The southeastern branch of Jiuzhaigou is the Zechawa Gorge, 18 kilometers long. The valley is known for the highest-lying reservoir of the reserve, the Long Lake, located at an altitude of 3150 meters above sea level. The northern part of the reserve is the Shuzheng Valley, 14.5 kilometers long. Famous local attractions: Nohilan Falls - the widest mountain waterfall in China with a width of 320 meters, Reed Lake and Sleeping Dragon Lake, at the bottom of which sediments in the form of a lying dragon are clearly visible.
Jiuzhaigou National Park is a unique natural park that is rightfully considered the pearl of China. It is famous for its crystal clear colorful lakes, virgin forests, waterfalls and mountainous landscapes.
Once upon a time, I saw on TV a program about the Jiuzhaigou Valley. It struck me so much, I could not even think that one day I would see such beauty with my own eyes. I first came to China 4 years ago and since then I have planned a trip to the park several times - it didn’t work. But finally, I managed to visit Jiuzhaigou! I will be happy to share my impressions.
Briefly about the park
The park is located away from the beaten tourist routes, in the north of Sichuan, in the Mingshan Mountains. The distance from the provincial capital of the city is about 400 km. Jiuzhaigou is not only the pride of China, but also the world heritage of UNESCO.
Translated from Chinese, the name of the park means "the valley of nine villages." Indeed, in ancient times there were 9 Tibetan settlements in the valley, 7 of which can be seen today.
Jiuzhaigou National Park is a separate world with unique flora and fauna. There are rare species of various plants, about 140 species of birds live and, according to the Chinese, the giant panda and golden snub-nosed monkey - rare and protected animals of China - live in the park in their natural environment. But you shouldn't hope to meet them. If they live here, they obviously choose places away from tourist trails and noisy Chinese tourists.
There are a total of 108 lakes of amazing beauty in the Jiuzhaigou Valley. According to legend, one young man brought a magic mirror as a gift to his beloved. When the mirror fell out of her hands, it shattered into 108 fragments, which became beautiful lakes. And the truth is, when you get into this park and see everything with your own eyes, it seems that it definitely could not have done without magic.
By the way, this region is interesting not only for nature lovers, but also for those who are interested in the culture of the Chinese peoples. Since the park is located on the territory of the Ngawa-Tibet-Qiang District, local residents here still live by the customs and traditions of their ancestors: they breed yaks, weave linen, make and sell handicrafts. Here you can see Tibetan and Qiang traditional architecture, taste local cuisine, buy items made of silver, wood and wool.
Despite the fabulous beauty and crazy popularity among Chinese tourists, this place is considered to be one of the most inaccessible attractions in China. Getting to the park is quite problematic, but still possible. Fortunately, every year there are more and more ways! And for real tourists who love adventure, this is not a problem at all.
How to get to the park
By plane
The closest airport to the park is Jiuzhaigou Huanglong Airport, which is 88 km from the national park and serves domestic flights from Beijing, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu and several other cities. The duration of a direct flight, for example, from Beijing and Guangzhou - 3 hours, Xi'an and only 1.5 hours. But as for me, pleasure is not cheap. A one-way flight from Beijing will cost about $ 300 per person, from Shanghai - $ 350, Xi'an - from $ 135, Chengdu - a little less than $ 100.
Of course, you need to look at specific dates, because sometimes there may be discounts on tickets. The Chinese site ctrip can be a very good helper in this matter. From my own experience, I can say that thanks to this site, sometimes it really turns out to buy a plane ticket at a very favorable price, cheaper than a train.
At the exit from the airport, you can take a taxi or buy a ticket for the bass shuttle, which will take you to your destination in 2 hours. A taxi from the airport will cost $ 30 one way. A bus ticket costs $ 7 one way and about $ 12 if you immediately take it there and back (approximate rate: $ 1 = 6.4 yuan).
In my opinion, the plane is one of the fastest and most convenient ways to get to the fleet, but not the most budgetary one. The map below shows the route from the airport to the park entrance.
By bus from Chengdu
For many tourists, the starting point of travel is the city of Chengdu - the capital of the province. You can get to it in any of the ways convenient for you: by bus, train, plane. And already from Chengdu by bus to go to Jiuzhaigou. The road to the national park goes along a mountain serpentine and takes from 6 to 10 hours. You can buy a ticket the day before the departure at the bus stations or ask the hotel or hostel where you are staying to book tickets for you. It is better to check the schedule in advance, but in general, all buses usually leave in the morning from Xinnanmen stations (新 南门) or from Chadianzi Bus Station (茶子) A one-way bus ticket will cost about $ 25.
How to get to Xinnanmen Station (新 南门)
Xinanmen Bus Station is located practically in the city center, not far from Sichuan University. Now I will tell you how to get to it from the main locations.
- There are buses 6, 28, 49, 55, 301 from the city center to Xinnanmen.
How to get to Chadianzi Bus Station
The fastest way to get to Chadianzi Bus Terminal is by taking the Metro. The desired station is on the second line, the stop is called Chadianzi Bus Terminal (茶家子 客运).
If the question of saving money is not worth it for you, then you can always take a taxi. But be prepared that they will not stand on ceremony with foreigners and will try to take as much money as possible. It is more correct to use a taxi with a taximeter, but you need to make sure that the driver turns it on. But even so, there are no guarantees: the driver can just drive you in circles. This has happened to me. If there is no taximeter, it is better to negotiate the price in advance and even write on a piece of paper so that later there will be no misunderstandings.
Back from Jiuzhaigou by bus, you can leave in the following directions: Chengdu, Songpan, Huanglong, Jiangyou, Mingyan, Lanzhou. Again, all buses leave only in the morning, since it is very dangerous to move in the mountains at night.
By train
It is not possible to get directly to Jiuzhagou by train, as there is no railway connection in this area. The nearest train stations are in Jiangyou, Guangyuan and Chengdu. Then you will need to look for either a bus or a taxi.
And if everything is clear with Chengdu (the method is described above), then it will be much more difficult to get from the other two towns. After all, these are quite small settlements, whose residents do not speak English and can hardly help. For those who do not speak Chinese, I do not recommend this option.
With excursion
Coming to the park as part of an organized excursion is one of the easiest ways. It is suitable for those who do not like to organize independent travel. You can buy a tour in almost any of the companies located in various cities of China. In order to save money, tourists prefer to independently get to the city of Chengdu, and only then, after walking for a couple of days and familiarizing themselves with its sights, order a tour from a local company. The price of a tour package usually includes moving along the route, hotel accommodation, meals and an entrance ticket to the park, and the price depends on the desired level of comfort.
The cheapest bus tour with a Chinese travel agency will cost you from $ 100. But without knowledge of Chinese it will be extremely difficult, plus such tours usually include mandatory shopping and activities for an additional fee of about $ 30-50. A trip with an English-speaking guide will cost from $ 500 per person + accommodation in a three-star hotel. You can separately look for tours from Russian-speaking companies or individuals, but the price there usually starts at $ 1,000 per person. Tours also often include visits to nearby attractions such as Huanglong Wildlife Sanctuary or Mouni Gorge.
I would not recommend renting a car, since the road is really quite stressful, and even the Chinese do not particularly like to follow the rules of the road.
In my opinion, for independent travelers, the best option is to fly to Chengdu, take a walk in the city, see nearby attractions, and then take a bus to the Jiuzhaigou Valley and Huanglong. You can fly back from Jiuzhaigou Airport. Or do the opposite, depending on ticket prices and personal preference.
When is the best time to visit the park
The best time to visit the park is, of course, during the high season, since in winter the weather here is not conducive to long walks. In winter, the mountains are so cold that lakes and waterfalls are covered with ice. Although the taste and color, as they say, there are no comrades. When visiting the park in the low season, there are some advantages: tickets are cheaper, there are fewer people, and how many people managed to see the frozen waterfall?
In the high season, many consider autumn to be the most wonderful time for contemplating the landscape, when the bright colors of autumn foliage are added to the incredible colors of the lakes. If you want to catch variegated foliage, it is better to come in late October or early November.
But you need to keep in mind that autumn is the most popular time to visit the park for Chinese tourists, so there will be not just a lot of people, but too many people.
My personal advice: avoid visiting the park on weekends and during any Chinese holidays, because the influx of tourists will be colossal. The fact that you have to literally reclaim a piece of land under your feet to take a photo or just enjoy nature can spoil the whole experience of visiting. When planning your trip, take the time to check the Chinese holiday calendar (for example) online. The Chinese celebrate most of the holidays according to the lunar calendar, so every year the weekend falls on a different day. Unfortunately, the park is never empty on ordinary days. Get ready to see not only virgin nature, but also crowds of noisy Chinese people.
To enjoy the beauty longer, it is better to come before the opening of the park. When calculating the time, do not forget that you will most likely still have to queue for tickets, so it is worth arriving early. During the high season, the park is open from 7.00 to 19.00, and in the low season - from 8.00 to 18.00.
Where to stay
The best place to stay is in the village of Zhangzha Zhen. It is located less than 5 km from the entrance to the park (in the morning you can take a taxi to the park for 5-10 yuan). It is also good to spend the night in the Phengfeng village at the entrance to the park or LongKang Community, but it will be a little more expensive there. There are many accommodation options: there are hostels where you can rent a bed, and hotels of various price categories, there are Chinese chain hotels and even Sheraton. I looked for accommodation on the spot and stayed in a small hotel with the locals in the village of Zhangzha Zhen, but without knowing the language it would be difficult to do this. Unfortunately, I didn't remember the name.
But based on my experience, I would still advise you to worry about accommodation in advance, if only because after a tiring journey you will want to relax as soon as possible, and not wander in search of a suitable hotel. But if suddenly you arrive without prior booking, you will not be left without accommodation either (except for the holidays, when everything can be sold out). There is more choice of hotels on site than on the websites, because not all local Tibetans cooperate with foreign booking sites. There is also a Chinese site Elong, but when booking there you need to be careful, in China, not every hotel has a permit to accommodate foreigners.
After my trip to Jiuzhaigou, I learned that the Holiday Inn chain has a hotel in the park (Holiday Inn Jiuzhai Jarpo), but I don't know how to get there. I think it's best to contact the hotel directly. It might be a good option to stay in the park for a couple of days, provided that you do not leave it.
And those who want to thoroughly join the Tibetan culture can stay with the local Tibetans. This so-called homestay is a really interesting experience. Rumor has it that you can stay with the Tibetans living inside the park, but illegally. There was no desire to check on myself, they would suddenly be caught, and I was still in China to live and live.
Where to eat
All establishments here are focused on the Chinese, and most likely you will not find European cuisine. But since you are in China, you need to become familiar with the local culture, including through acquaintance with the local cuisine. Choose crowded places, in China this is the main sign that this place is tasty, inexpensive and safe.
There may not be a menu in English, so you should be guided by pictures or smells from neighboring tables. Point your finger to what you like. And, if you do not eat spicy, do not forget to say the magic phrase "pu yao ladzy" (不要 辣子 - bu yao lazi), which means "not spicy", or literally "no pepper is needed."
Entrance fee
The cost of a ticket to the park depends on the season, there are two of them: high (from April 1 to November 15) and low (from November 16 to March 31). The difference in price is quite significant, in the high season you will have to pay $ 50 for the entrance, but in the low season the ticket will cost only $ 26. The ticket price includes moving around the park by bus. Park buses run very quickly and help to save time when moving between major attractions.
By the way, a huge minus of the park is that you cannot buy a pass for several days here, and you either have to be content with one day, or buy a new ticket for the full price.
On the official website of the park there is information that in the low season you can buy a ticket for two days, paying only $ 3, but such a ticket must be purchased on the day of the first visit, that is, immediately give $ 30. In this case, you will be photographed upon entering so that you can verify your identity the next day. Unfortunately, it was not possible to verify the veracity of this information on ourselves.
There is also a nice bonus for foreign students studying in China: upon presenting a valid student card, you can get a 50% discount, but whether the international student card is valid, I cannot say with certainty.
Preparing to go to the park
Since the area where Jiuzhaigou is located is mountainous, some people may experience some discomfort. If you are sensitive to pressure changes, then the appropriate medication should be taken. If you have any health problems at all, then have everything you need with you. However, it is better for healthy people to take a small first-aid kit with them, because in China (especially without knowing the language) it is very difficult to find the usual medicines.
The temperature here all year round is much lower than in other parts of the province, and sometimes it snows in May. So do not forget to bring warm clothes with you. But don’t worry if you haven’t taken care of this in advance - you can buy a lot right on the spot. Warm sports jackets and trousers, woolen ponchos, capes and hats are sold everywhere in the valley. It is better to buy clothes in the village, and not in the park itself. The goods are the same, but the price difference is very significant. Do not be afraid to bargain with the locals, otherwise you run the risk of overpaying great - they overstate the prices decently.
It is also better to prepare a raincoat in advance. The weather in Jiuzhaigou is quite unpredictable, it can change several times a day. When we were there, the rain suddenly started and ended several times. It does not hurt to take sunscreen: in the mountains it is easy to get burned if the sun is hot.
The food offered in the park is not very varied, but you can always find something to eat. And in order to save money and time, I would advise you to shop for little things even before entering the park: take water, cookies, fruits, chocolate bars with you in order to have a snack in some place with a beautiful view, and not at a stop in a crowd of tourists. In addition, the price of water and food in the park will be 2-3 times higher than outside.
You can take the park map for free when buying a ticket (and it is better to ask for a diagram in English, because in Chinese there are solid hieroglyphs :)), so you should not spend money on it separately.
Inside the park, all signs are duplicated in English, and everything is very clear. But for those who do not speak Chinese, I would still recommend having a Chinese translator on your phone, just in case.
Park map and what to look for
So, you put everything you need in your backpack, got to Jiuzhaigou and bought tickets ... Now forward, towards the incredible beauty!
The map below shows that the park is shaped like the letter Y and consists of three separate lowlands. These are the Rize Valley, Shuzheng Valley, and Zechawa Valley.
So where will you go first? Usually the Chinese recommend to get to one of the tails of the letter Y and go down from there. I completely agree with them!
There are two bus stops at the entrance to the park. From one bus, the bus takes tourists to the end point of the Zijie Valley (southwestern branch) - this is the Virgin Forest stop, on the other to the end point of the Jijie Valley (southeastern branch) - Long lake.
Do not be alarmed that the bus will take you up without stops. There it turns around, and on the way down you can get off wherever you want. Already from the bus window, nature amazes with its incredible beauty, I want to get out as soon as possible and walk, walk, walk!
Rize Valley (日 则 沟 - Rize Valley)
The largest number of attractions in the park are concentrated in the Rijie Valley and it is worth spending most of your time exploring them.
When I was in the park in May 2015, the bus drove to Bamboo Arrow Lake and stopped. The tourists were informed that the two upper lakes - Swan Lake and Grass Lake - were dry, and it would not be advisable to go up for the sake of the Primeval Forest alone. What actually happened there remains a mystery, maybe the lakes have really dried up, maybe some work is underway. Who knows, these Chinese ...
Primeval forest (原始森林 Virgin forest)
If suddenly you also fail to see the Primeval Forest, do not be discouraged! It's really just a forest. Yes, beautiful, yes, ancient. But that's all. For the Chinese, who grew up in cities and saw nothing but urbanism, he is really a curiosity, but we know that ...
Even if the attraction is open, I would not recommend spending a lot of time on it. After all, there are so many unusual things in the park that you cannot find in other parts of the world! And we can see the forest at home, right?
Swan lake (天鹅 海 Swan lake) and Grass lake (草海 Grass lake)
The next stop after the Primeval Forest is Swan Lake. This is a fairly large and beautiful reservoir surrounded by reed thickets. Swans and ducks love to fly here, which is why it got its name. From it you can walk to Travyanoye Lake. It gets its name from the large number of plants underwater.
An important point! You need to be careful at the stops, as not at every one you can enter and exit. The hieroglyph 上 (shang) means that there is a bus boarding, and 下 (xia) means disembarkation. Stops with two 上 / involve both pick-up and drop-off.
To get to these two lakes, you need to walk either from the Primeval Forest stop, or from the Bamboo Arrows Lake stop, since passengers are not disembarked near Swan Lake. At this stop you can only take the bus.
By the way, I want to warn you that the walking path from the Primeval Forest to Swan or Grass Lake can take a lot of time, more than an hour for sure.
Another option: you can climb up on your own two from the Bamboo Arrows Lake stop, so it will be a little shorter.
Walking in the park on foot is undoubtedly more enjoyable than taking the bus. The air here is surprisingly fresh, it smells of various herbs, the noise of flowing water and the singing of birds can be heard from everywhere. 
But I strongly advise you to check the map, see the distance between the lakes and use transport if necessary. Otherwise, later you may regret that you spent so much time and effort on the transition from place to place, although you could just sit by the water and enjoy the views.
箭竹海 Arrow Bamboo Lake and 箭竹 瀑布 Arrow Bamboo Waterfall
Bamboo Arrow Lake is famous primarily for the fact that the shots for the cult film "Hero" from the famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou were filmed here.
The lake turns into a small but pretty waterfall of the same name (Bamboo Arrows Falls), and then into Panda Lake. As you descend to the falls, the water flows directly under the wooden decks equipped for walking and is easy to touch with your hand! There are signs here that the fish cannot be fed. We saw the tablets, but there are no fish.
In the photo below, the Arrow Bamboo Waterfall.
The distance between Bamboo Arrow Lake and Panda Lake is short, so it's best to walk and enjoy the views. An important point: you need to walk not on the asphalt road where buses travel, but on wooden pedestrian decks (I wrote about them above). They are located on the opposite side and connect all the attractions of the park. If you follow the signs, it is almost impossible to get lost.
Panda Lake
The reservoir is interesting because the water in it is of different colors: blue and green. They go in a kind of spots and stripes. The Chinese associate this with their favorite panda bear, hence the name. It looks really very nice! Lake Panda also ends with a waterfall of the same name. In the photo there is a lake of Pandas.
Like many other lakes, photographers and locals are standing near Panda, they offer to take a photo in a national Tibetan costume for money. The Chinese really like this fun.
From Pandy Lake, the road leads to the Five Flower Lake, if you wish, you can either walk (the distance is short), or take the bus if you want to save time.
Five Flower Lake
Lake Five Flowers is considered one of the most beautiful in the reserve, so you should never miss it. It is shallow, with clear water. The multicolored bottom is formed by algae and bizarre patterns of fallen trees. This lake, by the way, is one of the symbols of the park.
The Chinese love to be photographed near the Five Flowers Lake for a wedding, and there are many ordinary tourists here. The main thing to remember is that the Chinese have a special mentality: they will line up, even if you can just take a couple of steps to the side and get exactly the same frame. Do not push with them, boldly move forward. Most likely, a crowd will immediately form behind you, because you found that wonderful view that they missed! :)
Also, be prepared for the fact that many Chinese people will want to be photographed with you. They don't see foreigners every day. What they then do with these photos is unknown, but the fact remains. And if you have blonde hair and skin, you will definitely become the object of everyone's attention! Here, for the sake of a photo, a queue may line up with you :).
At Lake Five Flowers, you will definitely want to stay longer. You can sit down and relax near it. You can land directly on the footpath, provided that you will not disturb anyone. Nobody scolded me for that.
Pearl Shoals (珍珠 滩 Pearl Shoals) and Pearl Waterfall (珍珠 瀑布 Pearl Waterfall)
The next important and obligatory item of the program is the Pearl Waterfall. The road to it goes through the so-called Pearl Bank. What it is like can be seen in the photo below.
The Chinese rarely stay in this place, although here you can also admire the surroundings, sitting comfortably on the wooden flooring. From here, even in summer, you can see the snow-capped peaks of the mountains, water flows under your feet. Below, a waterfall forms, the noise of which can be heard from afar.
The Pearl Waterfall is really impressive in its scale: its width is about 300 meters, and the water falls from a height of almost 30 meters.
Narrow steps lead down from the top of the falls, and with each step more breathtaking views are revealed.
Mirror Lake (镜 海 Mirror Lake)
After visiting the waterfall, it is worth getting to the last of the lakes in this valley. It is called Mirror for its amazing feature. In good weather, the water surface is absolutely motionless, and the mountains surrounding the lake are reflected in it as in a mirror. At such moments, the Chinese talk about a fish floating in the clouds and a bird flitting in the water. This means that the two worlds - the one under and above the water - merge into one.
Unfortunately, this is where the rain caught us. I never got a chance to see the mirror image. But the rain looks and feels especially here too!
At this beautiful place, the tour of the Zhijie Valley ends. Here you need to take a bus and get to the central point - the tourist center (Nuo Ri Lan). It is located at the intersection of three valleys. There you can stop for lunch, and then change to buses to the southeast branch - the Jiechawa Valley or buses to the exit from the park.
Zechawa Valley
In the Jiechawa Valley, there are only two bus stops and two worthy lakes, but what kind!
Long Lake (长 海 Long Lake)
The final stop of the route in this valley is at the Long Lake. This is the largest and deepest lake in the park! In some places, its depth reaches 100 meters, and its length is about 7 meters, moreover, of all the reservoirs of the park, this lake is at the highest height.
I want to say that in cloudy weather, the place looks quite ominous. This is probably why the locals composed a legend about the monster at the bottom of the lake. But in sunny weather, the water shimmers with bright colors, reflecting the wonderful mountain landscapes.
Five Color Lake
From the Long Lake, following the signs, you can go down to the Five-Color Lake. It is one of the smallest, but striking in its beauty no less than the others, and even more! Be sure to visit this place, try not to miss it. Due to special algae, the water turns into fancy colors from yellow to purple.
And it is here that most of the Chinese tourists are concentrated. Everyone huddles in a small area trying to take a photo, and starting from the steps on the way to the lake, where trees and people block the entire view.
Seasonal lakes
Also in the Jiechawa Valley are the so-called Seasonal Lakes. They are said to fill with water and dry up depending on the season. In theory, they should turn into lakes in the usual sense of the word in spring, when the snow melts from the mountains, but this has not happened for several years. They are located along the road along which the bus passes, but there is no stop there. They should be visible from the window.
Shuzheng Valley
From the point of intersection of three bus routes and to the exit from the park, the Shuzhen Valley, the central (northern) branch of the park, stretches.
Nozhilan Falls (诺 日 朗 瀑布 Nuo Ri Lan)
The highlight of the valley is the Nozhilan waterfall, the main symbol of the park. It is considered the widest waterfall in all of China. Its width is over 320 meters and its height is about 20 meters, and it really looks impressive. You can only grasp the full scale if you look at it from above. This can be done from the platform at the bus stop.
Below the main branch are Rhino Lake, Tiger Lake, Shuzhen Waterfall and Lakes, Sleeping Dragon Lake, Two Dragons Lake, Reed Lake and others.
These sights usually complete the tour of the park. If you have time, it's worth taking a walk here too.
Shuzheng Waterfall (树正 pShuzheng Waterfall)
This waterfall is not the most impressive in this park, but it is beautiful in its own way nonetheless. One of its indisputable advantages is the small number of tourists nearby. From the waterfall falls into Shuzhen Lake.
In general, the lower lakes are often left unattended due to lack of time, but in vain. The nature here is also beautiful, plus there are many times less tourists.
In addition to exploring the natural beauty, you can experience Tibetan culture, for example, by visiting the local Zharu monastery or visiting the villages located in the park along the main road. 、
But most likely one day will not be enough to explore all these places. Therefore, either clearly plan your time, or stay for another day, if, of course, finances allow.
Let's summarize
In general, after visiting the Jiuzhaigou Valley, only the most pleasant impressions remain, but still there are some disadvantages that I would like to say.
Pros:
- Fabulous natural landscapes, they take your breath away.
- Developed park infrastructure: everything is well thought out, convenient and understandable. The names of attractions and signs are duplicated in English, buses run fast, it is impossible to get lost, there are toilets and food tents at almost every stop.
- An opportunity to get acquainted with Tibetan culture.
Minuses:
- The inaccessibility of the park.
- Quite high entrance fees and lack of tickets for several days.
- Limited time to visit. It is simply physically impossible to see everything.
- A large number of Chinese tourists. Still, you want to enjoy such beauty in solitude.
What else is worth visiting nearby
If you have already got so far from "the usual China" and have enough time, I advise you to visit some other equally interesting places.
Huanglong Nature Reserve
Huanglong attracts tourists with its unique landscapes, here you can see travertine terraces filled with crystal clear water, waterfalls and a mountain 5588 m high.
The reserve is located 130 km from Jiuzhaigou and 40 km from Songpan. The entrance ticket costs $ 30 in high season, and $ 10 in low season, plus the funicular to the mountain is paid separately - $ 12 (this is only up, but you need to go down on foot). From Jiuzhaigou you can get by bus for $ 8, it will take about 3 hours in time, leaving at 7 and 7.30 am and only from May to October.
Songpan ancient city
The city was founded in the 7th century during the Tang Dynasty. On the streets you can meet local residents in national clothes, try various dishes in street restaurants (Muslim noodles, yak meat, as well as milk and yogurt from yak milk, and traditional Chinese cuisine), walk along the fortress wall that once surrounded the city, buy souvenirs and stay overnight.
From Jiuzhaigou, you can get there in just 2 hours by paying $ 6.
Money Valley
The largest waterfall in China, Zhaga, is located about 40 km from Songpan. Its height is 93 meters, width is 40 meters. On the territory of the same park there is a beautiful lake Erdaohai. In the photo below, the Zhaga waterfall.
You can get to the Mouni Valley either as part of an excursion or by taxi from the city of Songpan.
Chengdu city
The city and its surroundings deserve a separate visit. At the panda breeding and conservation center, you can get acquainted with one of the main symbols of China - the giant panda.
I would also advise, if possible, to visit the giant Buddha statue in Leshan and the sacred Buddhist mountain Emeishan.
Finally, I would like to say that for all nature lovers, the Sichuan province is a real treasure, where there is everything: lakes and waterfalls, mountains and caves, forests and meadows. The landscapes here are so unusual and mesmerizing, you want to come back, and more than once to see the local nature in all its delightful states. It's definitely worth going to such a distance!
Eastern Tibet. Lakes: Five flowers, Mirror, Pandas. Waterfalls: Pearl, Nozhilan. Pearl Bank.Jiuzhaigou National Park. Lake of Five Flowers. Mirror lake. Pearl Bank. Pearl waterfall. Nozhilan waterfall.
A
less than two months have passed and I am again ready to continue my photo story about the most wonderful, fantastic and fabulous place in China (and not only): the Valley of Nine Villages in the Chinese province of Sichuan. Today I will show what I saw in the second half of the first of 2 days.
Orientation for photo-timeline observers:
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Before I start, I want to show you a map of the park with Russian names and the route that will be "passed" in today's "half of the day". I will also add links to the same map with english and chinese names and one more illustrated map
1. Lake Pandas. Here I stopped in the previous "" - from here and continue. So far I've been lucky. Despite the fact that it was calm here only in the mornings and the sun was already high, the breeze that had already begun had subsided and the calmness was still taking place.
Additional pictures for photo # 1 - place the cursor over a small picture and it will be enlarged to its normal size, or click on the picture and it will open in a larger size in a new window ..
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Uncheck the "View in my style" checkbox in the upper right corner of the page to display the page in the style of my magazine and then everything will work. :) Oh yeah, one more point: your internet browser. On older versions, magnification will not work. Everything works great on: Chrome 47, Firefox 43, Maxthon 4.4, IE11 (there is no smooth zoom, when you hover the cursor, you can see the increased size immediately). Perhaps everything is OK in earlier versions. ;-)
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2. And I was seizing the moment. And he shot and shot .. Clouds were reflected in the water, and it played in various shades from dark blue to bright green. Lake Panda is known for its two-tone blue-green color scheme.
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3. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I can only say that the mountains, the sun and the air were favorable and at times the breeze died down. And then it was possible to photograph the lakes in full growth. But sometimes it worked well with a breeze ..
I would like to note the excellent landscaping of the Jiuzhaigou National Park. Among other things, the paths there are wonderful and believe it or not - these paths were visually perceived as something "finished" and did not mix in perception with virgin nature in all its beauty. And accordingly, something like that kept from crossing the "invisible line" and leaving the path. Perhaps here, too, have heard about the theory of broken windows, and therefore the park is maintained in an extremely flawless condition: cleanliness and order in the highest manifestation. And it works. After all, the main visitors to the park are Chinese and many of them can peel seeds on the floor in a bus, throw garbage anywhere, etc. etc. We saw - we know. But in the park they behaved "well". The Chinese were simply difficult to recognize - they seemed to be replaced. At first I thought there were surveillance cameras everywhere)) |
5. But why there was no water in this cascade of Panda Falls, I cannot understand. Indeed, in others there was more than enough water (I showed the two previous cascades at the end of the previous ""). Some kind of riddle .. Here take a look on this waterfall filmed at a different time.
6. I briskly descended the steps (the difference in elevation between neighboring lakes is 118 meters) and finally ended up near the most beautiful and at the same time mysterious lake of the Jiuzhaigou Valley - Lake Five Flowers. I got a lift again and the wind calmed down. The lake surface shook the imagination - you can't say otherwise. Low-hanging, shaggy tree branches add quite a lot to this species, don't they? Where the shadow of the branches falls on the reflection of the sky, the deep blue of the lake water becomes even thicker and even harder to take your eyes off .. Blue is your favorite color ..
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7. Each of the lakes of the Jiuzhaigou Valley is somehow different from all the others, but the Five Flowers Lake (五花海 translated from Chinese by Google as "five-color sea") still stands out among them.
8. What is the peculiarity of the Five Flowers Lake among the already beautiful mountain lakes with crystal clear water? Maybe a lot of trees that have fallen into the water and have created their own unique pattern against the background of a white bottom covered with a 5-meter thick layer of blue water? No, not only that ..
9. The lake seems to be divided into five irregular sections. And each of them has its own color - green, blue, orange, golden and even purple. It is hardly possible to see all the colors "from the ground" at once. That is why I have added "scaling" additions under this image: wonderful photographs taken from above by the AirPano team using drones. Take a good look at these pictures and you will see all five colors.
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10. Here is such an unusual lake. And it is unusual not only for its exceptional beauty, but also for all of the above. This is what a "twisted plot" is needed. It remains only to add the deposit of the largest diamonds at the bottom of this lake or chests with gold coins at worst. And then FSE !! Oil painting !! Complete kapets !! :-)
11. It is clear that the beauty and uniqueness of this lake attracts photographers in considerable numbers. And when there are a lot of photographers, then, according to the laws of statistics, sometimes you can see something like that. So I was lucky to see something unusual .. Just look at this photo unit!
12. Wooden flooring and observation decks made of wood fit quite organically.
13. And again, rides with dressing up - they are very popular with the Chinese. In a couple of minutes, after admiring the Chinese beauties in national costumes and photographing them, I went south - then very beautiful waterfalls were waiting for me.
14. The waters of Lake Five Flowers flow down the bed of the Pavlin River. The river is very short, but at the same time it is so beautiful and unusual that it was nevertheless given a name. Surprisingly beautiful waterfalls flow from it in turn. These waterfalls in China are said to be “The Pearl of the Shoal Falls”.
15. This is Pearl Bank. And again we have to state the fact that it is difficult to see this natural phenomenon in all its glory from the ground level. And again, wonderful pictures from the AirPano team come to the rescue. They are right below this picture - be sure to check them out.
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16. After walking along the wooden path over the Pearl Bank, I came to a long staircase set right next to the Pearl Falls (on the east side). It was incredible! A powerful stream of water noisily made its way down, and this unforgettable view opened up to my eyes! Blue sky, colors of autumn, pearl threads of a waterfall.
17. The width of the Pearl Falls is over 300 meters, and the height is 28 meters. Over the course of many millennia, a sandbank with crystals of lime tuff sticking out above the water has been deposited here. The water finds its way among thousands of "shark teeth" - many small, rapid jets are formed. The streams running along the shallows sparkle with splashes of water, like pearl strings, and then fall down in pearl streams.
18. The day drew to a close and I hurried south again. I still remember that the sight of the Pearl Falls, the proximity to such a beautiful and so powerful natural phenomenon simply stunned me. And very by the way that the next beautiful place that I saw was Mirror Lake. The seething emotions gradually subsided. It is a very calm place. It was quiet there, and by the end of the day there were much fewer visitors in the park. There was no wind and the Mirror Lake showed what justifies its name.
19. In a quiet backwater nearby, I took a good look at another local sign. And where else can you see such static natural elements, where grass, shrubs and two young trees grow on a tree that has fallen into the water a long time ago? This log is frozen, as if in weightlessness .. Without touching the bottom, at least in the frame. There, behind the scenes, something keeps him of course .. But this creation of nature is wonderful, whatever one may say)
21. The day was leaning towards evening. And as it happens in the mountains - the blue sky with white fluffy clouds has been replaced by dense gray clouds. In the meantime, I reached the Nozhilan waterfall. The Tibetan word "nozhilan" denotes a male spirit, it is also used in a derivative meaning tall and tall.
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22. In the center of the waterfall, there are many wooden decks for visitors, as well as an observation deck slightly raised above the ground, But this seemed to me not enough and the next day I still "got off the trail" and climbed a little higher. But more on that in the next issue ..
23. Minutes and hours ticked inexorably and the hour of closing the park was rapidly approaching. From the Nozhilan waterfall, I decided to run one more stop, and in fact it was possible to take a bus. After all, my appetite - I saw so much in just a day and everything was not enough for me. I didn't see anything special, only I took this picture, and even then with my phone. Apparently I was in a hurry already.
This is how this wonderful day ended in the Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve. But I had one more day left. On this day, I made more correct planning and set off early to the most beautiful lake. It was something unimaginable. More on this in the next issue. Stay tuned, my friends!
PS: in this photo report I used, in addition to my photos, 4 pictures taken by the AirPano team. The guys did a great job and made 19 wonderful air panoramas in the Jiuzhaigou nature reserve. Recommend .
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And all that remains for me and other users flickr this is to ask your viewers to make a one-off setting right in the slideshow displaying window. The word "Options" will appear in the upper right corner when you move the mouse. Click on this word. A menu like this will appear. You only need to uncheck the "Embiggen small things to fill screen" option once and the next time the web browser you use will remember your choice.
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