With 3 months from September to December in Hong Kong at my disposal this year, I planned 4 long-distance trips and many more short trips to China. The first long-distance trip was to Jiuzhaigou 4 days after I arrived in Hong Kong at the beginning of September! The 8-day tour with Wing On Travel was not just a treat by my sister, but she had been there before and only undertook the trip to accompany me, bless her! The trip also took us to Chengdu and Leshan. 

We travelled by high speed train from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou. The distance of 420km disappeared in just under 2 hours. Excitement mounted as we arrived at Huanglong Jiuzhai Station under a bright blue sky

Inter Continental Jiuzhaigou Paradise Hotel 

This is the largest hotel in the Jiuzhaigou area with over 1000 bedrooms and 6 restaurants! Built in the mountain with a steel arch and a fully transparent glass structure, it occupies a mammoth area of ​​150,000 square metres! 

I particularly loved the atmospheric Tibetan Restaurant where there were vibrant songs and dances around the fire. 

Jiuzhaigou – the main event!

Jiuzhaigou (Nine Village Valley) is where Nature’s palette comes to life in its crystal-clear, mineral-rich water of deep blue,  turquoise and emerald lakes and some spectacular waterfalls. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, a World Biosphere Reserve in 1997. It’s situated in Sichuan Province over 3000 metres above sea level and home to nine traditional Tibetan villages.

The Jiuzhaigou National Park is about 30 minutes’ drive from the hotel. The site is so huge that we were grateful to have a local guide! Despite the thong of people around, it was like walking through a live painting. To describe the dreamscape would require the skill of a wordsmith of which I lack, so I just let the photos speak for itself. 

Five-Flower Lake (五花海)

This lake is known for its striking colours and submerged ancient tree trunks

Pearl Shoal Falls (珍珠瀑布) – a series of tiered cascades over travertine

Rhinoceros Lake

Rhinoceros Lake is the second-largest lake in the Jiuzhaigou area. It’s named after a Tibetan legend about a monk who was gravely ill, while riding a rhinoceros to the lake. He was healed upon drinking water from the lake.

Tiger Lake

Tiger Lake is so called because the thunderous roar of the nearby waterfall sounds like a tiger

Shuzheng Village 树正寨

This is one of Tibetan villages in Jiuzhaigou. A stroll around this charming village was a welcome midday break as images of the lakes and waterfalls were in danger of merging into one!

Mirror Lake

Mirror Lake is so called because in the right condition its water surface is incredibly calm, smooth, and clear, like a mirror, perfectly reflecting the surrounding blue sky, white clouds and dense forests

Long Lake

Long Lake is the largest, deepest, and highest lake in Jiuzhaigou and regarded as the most picturesque 

Five-Colour Pond

According to the official description, Five-Colour Pond is known as “the eye of Jiuzhaigou” – Jiuzhaigou’s smallest and most colourful lake

Sparkling Lake

Shuanglonghai (Double- Dragon)Waterfall 雙龍海瀑布

Shuanglonghai Waterfall was formed after

Shuanglonghai Waterfall was formed after the earth earthquake on 8 August 2017 that caused a lot of damages to Jiuzhaigou. While people like my sister, who had been there before, lamented that the area was not as pretty as before, I was more than happy with Nature’s healing effects on the landscape

Huanglong Scenic & Historic Interest Area

The fine weather of Jiuzhaigou gave way to drizzles when we visited Huanglong Scenic & Historic Interest Area the following day. It’s 2-hours’ drive from the hotel followed by another 45 minutes’ drive along a tortuous road up to the cable car terminal. By the time we got off the cable car at the top, we were about 4,000 metre above sea level! And there’re more steps to negotiate in fine drizzles! All the efforts that we made was to see the Five-colour Pool.

The Five-colour Pool at Huanglong Scenic Area is colourful and unique.

After an exhausting five-and-half-hour round trip and climbing all the steps I was not sure that it was worth it. However, on reflection I was glad I didn’t opt out of it. It would have been a pity to go all that way and not see it!

Although I misplaced the fridge magnet of Jiuzhaigou, I have my own mementos of the experience!