Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan: An Earthly Paradise, the Ultimate Waterscape
In southwestern China lies a place hidden away, known as a ‘fairyland on earth’—Jiuzhaigou. Located over 400 kilometers from Chengdu, it is a major tributary valley at the source of the Baishui River, in the upper reaches of the Jialing River, part of the Yangtze River system. When you stand before the crystal-clear blue and green lakes nestled among snow-capped mountains and forests, you will realize how pale words are in the face of such beauty.
1. Origin of the Name
Jiuzhaigou gets its name from the nine Tibetan villages located within the valley. The Tibetan villagers in these settlements have lived here since the Tang Dynasty (7th–9th centuries), allowing visitors to experience authentic Tibetan life and culture while enjoying the area’s breathtaking natural scenery. At some moment, you may find yourself wishing to stay here for a long time.
2. Nature’s Masterpiece: A Y-Shaped Waterscape Gallery
The landscapes of Jiuzhaigou are arranged in a Y-shaped pattern, consisting of the main Shuzheng Valley and two tributary valleys, Rize Valley and Zechawa Valley, with a total length of 50 kilometers. Here are 114 lakes of various sizes, 17 groups of waterfalls, 11 stretches of rapids, and 5 travertine cascades. These water bodies, each with its unique form, are interconnected and, together with snow-capped peaks and forests, create a naturally perfect fairy-tale world.
3. Six Must-Visit Attractions
Five-Flower Lake — The Soul of Jiuzhaigou
Five-Flower Lake is Jiuzhaigou’s most famous attraction. The lake displays a variety of colors due to travertine deposits on the lakebed, vibrant algae, and the differing distribution of submerged plants, creating distinct color patches within a single body of water. The differently colored travertine, aquatic plants, and submerged logs on the lakebed, combined with the blue sky, white clouds, and the surrounding vibrant vegetation, transform Five-Flower Lake into an extraordinarily dazzling world. Locals affectionately call Five-Flower Lake ‘the soul of Jiuzhaigou.’
Five-Color Pond — The Eye of Jiuzhaigou
Although the Five-Color Pond is the smallest and most delicate of all Jiuzhaigou’s lakes, its colors are the most vivid, rivaling those of Five-Flower Lake. The Five-Color Pond is exceptionally clear, revealing the stone patterns on the lakebed. Due to the varying colors of the sediments and the different hues of the surrounding vegetation, the originally deep-blue water transforms into a kaleidoscope of colors. For this reason, the Five-Color Pond is called ‘the Eye of Jiuzhaigou.
Long Lake — The Largest Lake in Jiuzhaigou
Long Lake is the highest in elevation, the deepest, and the largest in both area and volume among Jiuzhaigou’s lakes, fed by melting snow from the surrounding mountains. The mountains beside Long Lake are snow-capped year-round, surrounded by lush forests. From a distance, the blue sky and peaks unfold before your eyes, making it one of Long Lake’s most spectacular sights. In the depths of winter, Long Lake’s ice layer can reach up to 60 centimeters, making it an ideal spot for ice activities.
Nuorilang Waterfall — China’s Widest Travertine Waterfall
Nuorilang Waterfall sits at an elevation of 2,343 meters, standing 24.5 meters high and 320 meters wide, making it the widest travertine waterfall discovered in China to date. In summer, when the water volume is abundant, the flow cascades over the edge from the trees atop the waterfall like a falling silver river, with tremendous force and a roar that echoes through the valley. In the depths of winter, the waterfall transforms into a massive icy curtain, with countless icicles hanging from the cliffs, creating a rare crystalline ice world. In 2005, Nuorilang Waterfall was selected by China National Geographic magazine as one of China’s six most beautiful waterfalls.
Pearl Shoal Waterfall — Jiuzhaigou’s Most Impressive Waterfall
Pearl Shoal Waterfall sits at an elevation of 2,433 meters, with a uniform height of 21 meters and a width of 270 meters. The water surging from Pearl Shoal cascades over the edge of the cliff, forming a wide, crescent-shaped waterfall. As the waterfall plunges into the valley, it thunders with a deafening roar, creating a wildly splashing rapid. This rapid is the most beautiful in color, the fastest in flow, and the loudest in sound among all the rapids in Jiuzhaigou.
Shuzheng Lakes — Emeralds Nestled in a Secluded Valley
Shuzheng Lakes consist of 19 interconnected lakes, nestled in the deep mountains like a string of emeralds. Here, forests, lakes, and small waterfalls intertwine, creating a unique landscape where ‘trees grow in the water, water flows through the forest, and people wander within the painting.’
4. Jiuzhaigou: A Wonderland in Every Season
Jiuzhaigou’s beauty changes with the seasons.
- Spring: As the ice and snow melt and peach blossoms bloom, the crowds are few, making it the best time to visit off-peak.
- Summer: The season when the lakes are at their bluest and clearest, the waterfalls at their fullest, and the forests at their greenest. With an average temperature of around 20°C, it is a natural summer retreat.
- Autumn: Jiuzhaigou’s most spectacular season, when the mountains and valleys are blanketed with colorful forests, displaying a magnificent tapestry of yellow, orange, red, and green. Forests and lakes intertwine, as beautiful as a painting. If you could only choose one season to visit Jiuzhaigou, it would definitely be autumn!
- Winter: Featuring the unique ‘blue ice’ scenery, with frozen waterfalls, snow-capped peaks, and frost-covered trees together, offering a different experience of Jiuzhaigou.
5. Guarding Paradise
On August 8, 2017, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Jiuzhaigou, causing severe damage to parts of the area. The scenic site was subsequently closed for seven months and did not begin to reopen gradually until March 2018. After four years of scientific restoration—primarily through natural recovery—Jiuzhaigou fully reopened to the public on September 28, 2021. Today, the scenic area operates under visitor limits, receiving only 17,000 visitors per day (compared with a pre-earthquake peak of 40,000), ensuring that this earthly paradise is no longer subjected to excessive pressure.
The beauty of Jiuzhaigou cannot be fully captured in photographs. When you sit before Five-Flower Lake, quietly watching the colorful forest reflected in its emerald waters, you’ll understand: the beauty of nature will always surpass your imagination.
Related Reading
