Heritage: Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong
Sprinkled with an incredible palette of natural colors, Sichuan’s UNESCO listed nature reserves are home to rare animals and plants as well as the Baima Tibetan minority.
Jiuzhaigou’s patchwork of shimmering lakes was discovered when scientists trailing some pandas, observing their habitat and migratory patterns, followed the pandas into this scenic wonderland. Scientists believe the lakes were formed because of the calcium carbonate in the flowing water when the earth was between ice ages. When the global climate warmed up, the calcium carbonate became active and attached itself to obstacles in the water, forming the milky white, lunar shapes in Jiuzhaigou’s lake water. The scenery in the area leaves most breathless as the sheer beauty of the lakes and the vibrancy of the colors defy explanation.
Cut into the mountains in the shape of a “Y,” three valleys, Shuzheng, Rize and Zechawa, extend over 50km into three main zones. Pathways and roads have been laid in the valley areas and buses ferry tourists from one section of park to another. The average height of the hills overlooking the valley is around 1,800m, but the elevations here are gentle, making for easy strolls as well as strenuous, longer hikes. Nearest to the park’s entrance lies the Shuzheng Lakes. Of the 114 lakes in Jiuzhaigou, only Shuzheng, Rize Valley, Zechawa and Zharu Valley are open to tourism. Shuzheng is the largest of the lake areas, so if time is limited, this is where you should spend your time.
Legend says that the lake water is colored by the make-up of fairy maidens. The amazing hues of the lakes vary from blue and green to light brown, dark gray and light purple. According to science, the dazzling colors are due from the aquatic plants in the lakes, the different temperatures of the water and how it refracts light and the amount of calcium carbonate in the water. Whatever the reason, there’s no doubting that the gods and nature have been exceptionally kind to Jiuzhaigou.
Jiuzhaigou is indeed all about color. Set in the Aba Autonomous Region (ābà zàngzú qiāngzú zìzhìzhōu 阿坝藏族羌族自治州), it may be more effort than most of Sichuan’s other sights – but understatement is impossible when it comes to natural scenery. Listed by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage, there is an airport in nearby Songpan, cutting to less than an hour the 450km from the provincial capital of Chengdu. Rapidly rising tour numbers at the site may be expected to rise much faster with the direct air connection but Jiuzhaigou is large enough to allow for introspective hikes off the paths more beaten by tour groups.
The name Jiuzhaigou comes from the nine Tibetan villages scattered throughout the valley. The Baima tribe of Tibetans live here – farmers and hunters, they grow corn on terraced mountainsides and farm Bison. The Baima are distinct from other Tibetans in that they have their own script for their language. They have their own religious writings too and worship mountain gods as opposed to being part of broader spectrum of Tibetan Buddhism.
RAMBLING THE SHUZHENG LAKESIDE PATHS
It’s impossible to pick a favorite among the many lakes considering the natural beauty of Jiuzhaigou. Shuzheng, the largest and most accessible of the three lake-specked valleys is an ideal place to begin your exploration. Spread out over hundreds of acres, the main attractions in Shuzheng Valley are the Shuzheng (shùzhèng qúnhǎi 树正群海) and Nuorilang Lakes (nuòrìlǎng qúnhǎi 诺日朗群海), Dragon Lake (wòlóng hǎ 卧龙海) and Spark Lake (huǒhuā hǎi 火花海). The first two are stepped lakes, dropping in stages over mountain ledges with crystal clear water cascading from one tier to the next. Water music rarely sounded as sweet.
The milky yellow dyke at the centre of shuzheng lakes is clearly visible through the clear water, looking like a dragon crouching below the lake. Shuzheng Waterfall meanwhile bangs and crashes its way down the hillside before plummeting into the lake.
All around, forests of many colors are reflected in the water. Many endangered animals such as the giant panda live in those woodlands, out of the reach of all but the most energetic tourists. Tastefully created wooden paths cut through the lower slopes of the valley and comfortable pavilions offer a respite to weary legs. On less crowded days they’re also perfect picnic points.
Calcium carbonate coatings on dead trees on the bed of the lake resemble abstract art creations in their twisted, yellow shapes. Add to the color mix, the turquoise, saffron and crimson colors of vegetation in the lake and the tree leaves reflected in the lake and you’ve got an image more colorful and pretty than a George Seurat painting. We spotted several sketch pads, mostly on the knees of foreign visitors but there’s plenty of justification for taking an easel and box of paints up here.
Worthy of at least a photo are the small pockets of wildflowers, mostly rhododendrons, which cluster in Jiuzhaigou’s forest lands. There’s also an abundance of wild fruit: apples, haw, apricots, strawberries and exotic-looking berries. The plentiful bamboo shoots feed a precious resident, the panda. Walking through the lower forest areas jealousy is a reasonable reaction to the idyll enjoyed by the panda and his hundreds of neighbors who live on protected ground here.
Leaving the lakes we followed the trails leading to the Shuzheng stockade or village, home to a settlement of Baima. The paths were lined with prayer flags of variously colored cloth with Buddhist religious scripture printed on them. At the end of a day’s walking, a bowl of noodles and several cups of Tibetan buttered tea, made with yak milk, will give you a shot of energy, enough to view the setting sun as the day draws to a close.
HUANGLONG
Twinned with Yellowstone National Park in the USA and praised for its colorful limestone ponds, Huanglong, which means Yellow Dragon Mountain, lies in the south part of Min Shan in Songpan County. Situated in the northwest of Sichuan Province and 128km south of Jiuzhaigou, the Huanglong Valley is edged by snow-capped peaks and glaciers. An incredible bio-diversity of flora and fauna thrives here alongside spectacular limestone formations, waterfalls and hot springs. The area also has a population of endangered animals, including the giant panda and the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey.
Making it onto the UNESCO World Heritage Site listings in 1992, Huanglong is sectored into two gorges, Huanglong (huánglóng 黄龙) and Muni (mùní 牟尼). The Huanglong part of the park is watered by tributaries of the Fujiang River, which run down Snow Mountain Ridge, feeding hundreds of small lakes and ponds. The rocks on the valley’s sides have been twisted into weird shapes by snow and rain but so too the rocks lying beneath the clear lake water. Most visitors first concentrate on the Huanglong section of the park. Dotted with ponds and patterned like a dragon, Huanglong Valley cuts its way through Min Shan.
More than half of the Huanglong zone is forested, with mountain pines mixing with broadleaf trees, flowers, shrubbery and meadow grasslands. Sitting atop the parkland, Snow Mountain Peak (xuě bǎodǐng雪宝鼎) is permanently snow-covered and looks a daunting climb. Equally daunting are the spectacular cliffs overhanging the Fujiang River’s drive through the Danyun Gorge (dānyún xiá 丹云峡). Algae and growth in the little lakes below turn the water a rainbow of colors: orange, yellow, green and blue. Other karst features include long limestone shoals, fan-shaped slopes of limestone deposited and covered by a thin layer of flowing water.
The Muni Gully (mùní gōu 牟尼沟) subdivision consists of two parallel small gullies, Zhaga (zhāgǎ 扎嘎) and Erdaohai (èrdàohǎi二道海). The hot springs in Pearl Boiling Lake (zhǔzhū hú 煮珠湖) simmers at 21°C in what amounts to a massively sized swimming pool. The waters of both springs have high mineral contents and are said to have important medicinal properties. Muni Gully also contains a number of very attractive lakes and the Zhaga Waterfall (zhāgǎ pùbù 扎嘎瀑布).
Because of its relatively pristine state, the forests at Huanglong are home to hundreds of bird species. On a walk into the higher reaches of the hills, away from the hordes of tourists below, one hears a cacophony of different birdcalls. Pandas meanwhile are found at four to five specific locations within the site, though visitors should tread carefully and slowly if they’re hoping to catch a glimpse. Much harder to spot is Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey, an endangered species that hides out in Huanglong’s more undisturbed woodlands.
As in Jiuzhaigou, but perhaps a more low-key presence, there are also plenty of indicators of Tibetan religion, culture and folklore in Huanglong. A pair of small stone pagodas stands near the entrance to the park that date from the Ming dynasty. Nearby the Huanglong Temple (huánglóng sì黄龙寺) and the ruins of a much older temple still draw plenty of worshippers. Also in the vicinity, Body Washing Waterfall (xǐshēn pùbù洗身瀑布) is said to have healing properties for those who bathe in its waters.
Huanglong Town is a medium sized Tibetan village close to the center of the main Huanglong subdivision. Local Tibetan herdsmen grazing their livestock and cultivating the land nearby make for great subjects if you’re slinging a camera. The larger town of Songpan (sōngpān松潘) cuts Huanglong off from the Muni gully subdivision and is worth exploring in its own right if only for its stout town walls, Tibetan architecture and colorful vitality. It’s also a good spot for souvenir hunting.