China Trip - Day 3 Jiuzhaigou Zechawa Valley

1.

This is Long Lake (长海, Cháng Hǎi) at elevation 3,150 metres. It is located at the highest point of Zechawa Valley (则查洼沟, Zécháwā Gōu). It is the highest, largest (about 7.5 km long) and deepest lake (103m) in Jiuzhaigou nature reserve.

Zechawa gully which spans 18 km in length is the south eastern branch of Jiuzhaigou.

Visitors will usually take the bus from the park entrance or Nourilang Visitor Centre in Shuzheng Valley and go all the way up to Long Lake where they can get down and take a walk to other areas of attraction such as Colour Pond, Upper Season Lake and Lower Season Lake.

2.

Long Lake is formed from melted snow from nearby mountains. In summer, the peaks are still covered with snow. The lake is frozen in winter and it becomes an ideal skating ground. There is a grand old tree at the side of the lake which is said to the the guardian of the lake.

 “Chengdu Jiuzhaigou Huanglong 9D7N - Day 3 Jiuzhaigou Zechawa Valley”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Malaysia Daily Photo blog by Autumn Belle @ http://mymalaysiadailyphoto.blogspot.com on 21 Sep 2013.

3. 

Long Lake is the perfect place to take a photo for remembrance. I think this is the most scenic spot point of Jiuzhaigou nature reserve. There is a large viewing platform build at about 100m above the lake and there is also a walking trail beside the lake.

The picture above shows a group of tourist clad in traditional Tibetan attire having their photos taken by photographers who charge a fee for the service. There are quite a number of vendors there, so you need to bargain for the best price.

4.

Colourful Pond, also known as Five Colour Pool (五彩池, Wǔcǎi Chí)

This lake which is located at 2,995 metres above sea level is about 6.6 metres deep and spread over an area of 5,645 square metres. 

5.

The water is so clear you can even see every detail of the bottom of the lake.

Legend says that this is the pond where Goddess Semo washed her hair and God Dage came daily to bring her water. (Source: Wikipedia)

6.

On bright, sunny days, the lake presents a wonderful play of colours from green to aquamarine, cyan, turquoise, blue and purple with a tinge of red, orange and yellow.

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Further down the gully are the Seasonal Lakes (季节海, Jìjié Hǎi) which is a series of 3 lakes (Lower, Middle and Upper) that change from empty to full according to the seasons of the year.

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China Trip - Day 3 Jiuzhaigou Shuzheng Valley

1

Jiuzhaigou Tourist Centre near the entrance to the national park.

2

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.

3

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.

6.

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.

8.

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

11.

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.