JiuZhaiGou

Jiuzhaigou is located on the border of SiChuan and Tibet. The three valleys were originally populated by nine Tibetan tribes, therefore the name Nine Tribe Valley.
It is probably one of the most beautiful and non-polluted places in China nowadays. In contrast to Chengdu which was permanently shrouded by a thick layer of smog, it is a paradise of blue sky, white clouds and snow-capped mountains. One can indeed breathe here, that is, if one can deal with the high altitude. The airport is located on a plateau that is about 3000 meter high, which is close to 10,000 feet above sea level.
Coming to JiuZhai, water is what one should see. The three valleys between the snow-capped mountains stretch out as a Y. Water flow through the valleys, forming strings of lakes, pools, streams and waterfalls. Depending on the geography, the lakes took different shapes and forms. And further depending on the depth, the types of microbes growing in them, the lakes display a wide range of colors, from the most dramatic emerald, to a kind of turquoise that is beyond words. The water seems to take on personality. In some lakes, it is completely motionless and free of wrinkles. In others, it is brooding and moody, getting ready to flow down a cliff to form a waterfall. And the water also plays with the land and the plants. Many fallen tress in the water become “Water coral”, a fossil like corpse of the high calcium content in the water. For two days, we hiked along the valleys for a total distance of about 15 miles so that we got close and intimate with the scenery, while most tourists prefer riding the bus and get off at the scenic point. Perhaps the images will be more effective in showing the beauty of the place.