Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area



Jiuzhaigou, lied on the edge of the diverging belt between the Qinghai-Tibet Plate and the Yangtze Plate and
Situated in the depths of the mountains in the border area of Nanping, Songpan and Pingwu in Aba Tibetan
and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of northwestern Sichuan, is a fairyland where is the home of nine Tibetan
villages. Stretching over 600 sq km in the northern part of Sichuan Province, the jagged peaks around
Jiuzhaigou Valley reach heights of more than 4,800 m. The main valley is 50 km long, and is where
Shuzheng, Qunhai, Rize, and Zechawa valleys come together.

Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area is an unusual ecosystem, with narrow conic karst landforms, renowned for its rolling
mountains, dense forests, colorful lakes, precipitous waterfalls, and a wide variety of birds and animals.
More than half of the scenic area is covered in virgin forests, with bamboos, flowers, and is home to such rare animals as giant pandas, golden
monkeys and white-lipped deer.

Waterfalls and streams link 108 lakes of various sizes, many of which are classic ribbon lakes at the base of glacially formed valleys. Also of note
are a number of large and spectacular waterfalls, including Xionguashai (Panda Lake) Fall which drops 78m in three steps, and the Zhengzhutan
(Pearl Shoal) Fall, which drops 28m in a broad curtain of water, 310m wide. At the end of the Zechawa Valley is Changhai (Long Lake), discovered
in the 1970s. It is the largest lake in Jiuzhaigou. With an elevation of 3,000 m, the Changhai area is covered in snow all year round. It is especially
pleasant to boat on the lake in summer. In spring, the lake mirrors the flowers on the snow-capped mountains. In autumn, it mirrors the red and
gold maple leaves. In winter, it is covered with ice.

The numerous lakes in Jiuzhaigou Valley have evoked religious feelings in the local residents and given rise
to many enchanting folktales. According to legend, the goddess Wonosmo dropped a mystical mirror, a gift
of love from the god Dag here, and the broken pieces became the 108 lakes. The colorful lakes in Zechawa
Valley are said to be the Jasper Lakes of the Queen Mother of the West. According to a local saying, the lake
water was colored by the cosmetics of fairy maidens, although it is more likely something to do with the
aquatic plants in the lakes. One of these lakes, Wolonghai or Dragon Lake, has a calcareous dyke running
through it clearly visible below the water surface, which, in local folklore, has been compared to a dragon
lying on the bottom. These stories are a further attraction to tourists and have received some scientific
interest.