Jiuzhaigou

Tucked into a remote corner of northern Sichuan nearly 600 kilometers north of Chengdu, Jiuzhaigou is widely acclaimed as one of the most beautiful places in China and the world. The nature preserve is home to countless rivers, streams and lakes and sees hundreds of thousands of visitors every year that come to marvel at the water.

For centuries populated by Tibetans, Jiuzhaigou is a temperate valley covering . Some of the main attractions of the area include the different colors of water, ranging from crystal clear to deep blue. Waterfalls and beautiful streams add to the natural beauty that Jiuzhaigou is world-famous for.

The area is also home to a few rare animal species, including pandas. Their numbers are increasingly small and it’s very rare for visitors to see one. The valley is still the site of several Tibetan villages and the residents put on shows for visitors every night. Jiuzhaigou has some of the best scenery in world; anyone passing through Sichuan should make the trip to go see it.

The park’s elevation at the highest point is 4700 meters, but site-seeing areas range between 2000 and 3000 meteres.


History

Jiuzhaigou was inhabited by nine Tibetan villages for centuries but only came to the government’s attention in the early 1970s. Logging was outlawed in the area in 1979 and it was declared a national park in 1982.

Since then Jiuzhaigou has seen more and more visitors. Improved transportation conditions, including an airport, make it much more accessible than when the park first opened to tourists.



Who should go: Nature lovers of all sorts should not miss the opportunity to see Jiuzhaigou. Photographers will also want to take advantage of the pristine nature beauty in the park.


When to go: The fall is considered the best time of year to see Jiuzhaogou since the temperate forest leaves turn red and gold. The park can be incredibly packed during this time of year and sunscreen should be applied. The park is fairly high in the mountains and temperatures in the winter regularly drop below freezing, but the park is more or less empty during this time of year.


Price: It takes about two days to fully see the park and a ticket for both days costs 220 RMB (this drops to 80 RMB during the winter). Inside the park there is a small tour bus that takes visitors to each of the sites; a ticket costs 90 RMB. It’s also possible to walk.

A wide range of accommodations exist just outside the park entrance. In winter few visitors come to the park and hotels are desperate for customers. If you bargain you can get some amazing prices on rooms.


Opening hours: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM (April 1st – November 15th)
            8:00 AM – 6:00 PM (November 16th – March 31st)


How to get there: From Sichuan’s provincial capital Chengdu you can take a bus directly to the town outside of Jiuzhaigou. Buses leave throughout the day from Chadianzi (chadianzi chezhan, 茶店子汽车站) and Xinanmen (xinanmen chezhan, 新南门汽车站) bus stations for about 150 RMB. The ride through the curved mountain roads can take as long as 10 hours but the scenery along the way is worth it.

It’s also possible to take a flight from the Chengdu airport to Jiuzhaigou. The ticket price is steep at over 1000 RMB.