Sichuan, China - Jiuzhaigou Valley - Five-Flower Lake Nuorilang Waterfal Shuzheng Pearl Shoal Panda
Jiuzhaigou Valley
Geographic Location
Jiuzhaigou Valley is located at the foot of Mt. Gonggang of the MinShan Mountains in Jiuzhaigou County of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province.
Status and Reputation
On October 14, 1992, it was inscribed on the List of World Natural Heritage by UNESCO.
On October 29, 1997, it was admitted into the World Biosphere Reserves by the United Nations.
On May 8, 2007, it was rated as the State 5A-Level Scenic Area by China National Tourism Administration.
Scenic Features
Jiuzhaigou Valley always delights tourists from home and abroad with its emerald lakes, layered waterfalls, colorful forests, snow-clad peaks and Tibetan customs. Its charm lies in the primitive, natural and idyllic beauty of its landscapes. As a tourist resort, it boasts 108 lakes, 47 springs, 17 splashing waterfalls, 11 turbulent streams, 5 shoals and 9 Tibetan villages.
The Nuorilang Waterfal
The Nuorilang Waterfall has a drop in height of 30 meters and is over 270 meters wide. As a symbol of Jiuzhaigou, it is one of China’s largest calcium falls. The waterfall is famed for its breadth and magnificence for which it gets its name in the Tibetan language.
The Five-Flower Lake
The Five-Flower Lake, which is 2,472 meters above sea level and only 5 meters deep, is the pride of Jiuzhaigou. Owning to the varying depths of the water and tufa sediments on the bottom, as well as the diversity of algae and bryophyte in the lake, waters assume a variety of colors, such as light yellow, emerald, deep and dark blue. Reflected in the sunlight, the bright colors look like the beautiful shades of the peacock’s fine feathers.
The Shuzheng Lakes
The scenic spot of the Shuzheng Lakes is at the entrance to the magnificent Jiuzhaigou, leading into the rest of the gullies. The attraction here lies in the beauty of lakes. The clear water, in shades of bright blue, varies in color with water-depth, the weather and hues of mountains.
The Pearl Shoal
The Pearl Shoal, at an elevation of 2,433 meters above sea level, is a huge fan-like calcium beach. Scattered around are a great variety of biological calcium species of different sizes due to the unique karst topography. A clear stream runs down a slope and spreads over the shoal, splashing water beads about, like millions of silver pearls bouncing in the sun shine.
The Reed Lake
The Reed Lake at an elevation of 2,140 meters above sea level is actually a semi-marsh lake, where reeds abound and birds flock. A clear brook zigzags its way through the marsh. When the reeds come into bloom, the jade-green meandering brook presents a striking contrast to the yellow spread of reeds.
The Spark Lake
When the morning mist has dispersed and the sun has risen, the crystal droplets of water in the lake look like sparks flashing, twinkling and dancing on the lake surface.
The Panda Lake and the Arrow Bamboo Lake
The road near the Five-Flower Lake winds its way up the steep mountain. You follow it until you come to a turn, and two lakes, the Panda Lake and the Arrow Bamboo Lake, come into view. Both lakes are so immense that their waters seem to join in the sky on the horizon. The names of lakes suggest that pandas will come here to drink the water in the lake and eat the arrow bamboos on the shore.
The Long Lake
At the end of Zezhawa Gully is the long lake, which is the broadest, deepest and highest lake in Jiuzhaigou. At an elevation of 3,000 meters above sea level, the Long Lake is 7.5 kilometers long and 103 meters deep at its deepest point.