China Trip - Day 3 Jiuzhaigou Shuzheng Valley

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Jiuzhaigou Tourist Centre near the entrance to the national park.

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It is an extremely long queue to get to the entrance.

Inside the only mode of transportation are the eco-buses

which provide shuttle services along a fixed route. 

Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic & Historic Interest Area is also known as Jiuzhaigou National Park or Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve. The 3 main valleys most visited by tourists are Rice Valley (日则沟 - Rìzé Gōu), Zechawa Valley (则查洼沟 - Zécháwā Gōu) and Shuzheng Valley (树正沟, Shùzhèng Gōu) situated along 3 main gullies that form a "Y" shape.

There is another valley, Zaru Valley (扎如沟, Zārú Gōu) situated southeast of Shuzheng gully which is less frequened by ordinary tourists. The places of attraction here are the Zharu Buddhist monastery and the Red, Black, and Daling lakes. Zharu Valley is visited by a controled number of eco-tourists who wish to go on hiking and camping trips accompanied by the park's qualified guides. Zaru Valley has 40% of China's total plant species.

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The Rize and Zechawa gullies flow from the south and meet at the intersection where they form the Shuzheng Valley. Jiuzhaigou is named after nine Tibetan villages that once populated the area. To keep the park in pristine condition, most of the inhabitants had been moved out of the park. What remains now are only about 1,000 people from 112 families.

The first place we visited was Shuzheng Village aka Shuzhengzhai, a Tibetan stockaded village located just opposite the Shuzheng Lakes. Visitors can shop for souvenirs, handicraft, food and beverage items here.

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In front of the village there are some dagobas (stupas) with prayer wheels and prayer flags inscribed with religious texts, incantations and images. Standing here and looking down, you can also get to enjoy a scenic panorama view of Shuzheng Lakes.

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For more pictures and to read more about Shuzheng Village, please visit blog post at My Nice Garden post "Summer in Juizhaigou, China - Shuzheng Village: A Tibetan Stockaded Village" link here.

“Chengdu Jiuzhaigou Huanglong 9D 7N - Day 3 Jiuzhaigou Shuzheng Valley”, a copyrighted post, was written for Klang, Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com on 16th September 2013.

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Shuzheng Valley is probably the most photographed site in Jiuzhagou nature park.

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Wooden boardwalks and pavilions allow visitors to can get very close to Mother Nature and hear, feel and enjoy the splendid scenes before their eyes.

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Shuzheng Tibetan Water Mill

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Shuzheng Waterfall is is the first waterfall you will will see in Jiuzhaigou nature park. It is 62 meters wide and 15 meters tall. It is the smallest of the 4 main waterfalls of Jiuzhaigou. There are about 19 lakes of different sizes and shapes at different levels.

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Shuzheng Waterfalls

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Tiger Lake is located at 2,298m above sea level and spans a length of about 300m. The lake is peaceful and tranquil. There are 3 stories as to how it got its name:

1. The burst of water falling on nearby Shuzheng Waterfalls is likened to the roar of a tiger
2. In late autumn, the reflections of the forest on the lake resembles the dappled fur coat of a crouching tiger.
4. Mountain tigers are fond of this lake and used to come to the lake for a drink of water.

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Nuorilang Waterfalls

This waterfall is 32 meters wide and 25 meters high. It is the widest waterfall in Jiuzhaigou.

"Nuorilang" is a Tibetan word meaning 'grand and magnificent', which aptly describes this breathtakingly beautiful waterfall.

The best time to view this waterfall is in the early morning when the sun's rays form beautiful rainbows in the sky. Towards the south of Nuorilang Waterfall, the valley splits into two i.e. the Zechawa Valley and Rize Valley.