Jiuzhaigou
Jiuzhaigou is a nature reserve and a national park in China. It is an endearing UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the star attractions in China.
Located in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, Jiuzhaigou Valley is a famous tourist attraction in China. This valley is part of the Min Mountains on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Spectacular waterfalls, ethereal lakes, and snow-capped peaks transform Jiuzhaigou into a veritable fairyland that seems to have sprung out straight from the pages of fairy tale. Let us take a peep into this fairyland and be swept away by its hypnotic beauty.
Clear Lakes
This place is embellished with pristine lakes with water crystal clear and silvery. Some alpine lakes in here, such as Changhai Lake and Panda Lake, are so clear that the bottom of the lake bed is can be clearly seen through the water.The verdant water plants in the lake sway with the waves as if they are serenading the waters. Branches of old trees which have sunk in the lake seem to be covered with a green carpet of moss. . Colourful fishes swim in the pristine waters of the lake, presenting a beautiful spectacle. The reflection of the blue sky, white and fluffy clouds, swaying trees, and mountain peaks create a virtual painting on the canvas of the lake which is exquisite to behold.
Colorful Ponds
The water in here is not only crystal clear and clean, but also assumes myriad colours. The water in Five Color Pond and Five Flower Lake is a kaleidoscope of colours, turquoise, jade green, flaming red, light yellow, pink and pale orange paint a riot of colours in the water. The water also transforms into different colours with the changing seasons and time. You may be presented with different hues of the water at different times on the same day.
Spectacular Waterfalls
The water metamorphoses into spectacular form in the shape of waterfalls. The Nuorilang and Pearl waterfalls are a case in point here. The thunderous sound of the waters of the Nuirilang waterfall can be heard even before you set eyes on it. When you finally reach the waterfalls, you will be greeted with a splash of water with drops, the size of soybeans. The spectacle that greets you is awe inspiring. The waterfall seems to hang like a majestic white curtain. Pearl Waterfall is another spectacular waterfalls in here. The sound of the cascading waters touches the soul with its majestic roar.-stirring. The water cascades onto the rocks, turning into a billion pearls that scurry down the ravines.
Jiuzhaigou Water in Different Seasons
Water transforms into different forms according to the seasons You are sure to have an experience of a lifetime when you tour Jiuzhaigou, an enchanting place.
Abundant Water of Jiuzhaigou in Summer
Summer over here is the season when rains descend on the earth. The water is abundant and results in a spectacular waterfall. The alpine lakes are also full to the brim with water and their beauty transcends the very realms of imagination as they reflect the lush green beauty of this place. The summer heat is also kept at bay by the wonder of water cascading down slopes and flowing placidly in the lakes.
Frozen Water in Winter
Come winter, some of the lakes and waterfalls freeze in this place, and the water crystallizes into natural ice sculptures that hang intriguingly on the cliffs in myriad shapes. Thin currents flow into creeks with a mellifluous sound. The ice on the blue lakes presents a changing mosaic that resembles a network of veins as the temperature varies from sunrise to sunset. This place seems transformed into a fairyland of snow and crystals.
Melted Water in Spring
In spring, this splendid place starts to come to life. The ice melts, the water rises and the plants grow. But the frozen lake does not melt completely. There is still thin ice on the surface of the lake and the lake is translucent. The flowing water under the ice is faintly visible. In the warm sunshine, the colorful lake reflects dazzling and beautiful light.
Get to Jiuzhaigou Valley from Chengdu
Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province, is usually the gateway to Jiuzhaigou. You can either get to this place from Chengdu by flight or by bus. And after the Chengdu-Lanzhou High-speed railway is built in 2019, tourists can also take a high-speed train from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou. Also, as the hometown of the Giant Pandas, Chengdu is the best place to enjoy a Panda tour during which you can closely see the lovely creatures and even do a panda volunteer job in the panda base.
Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou by Flight
The most convenient way to get to Jiuzhaigou from Chengdu is by flight. There are about two to three direct flights between Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou every day. It only takes about 50 minutes from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport to Jiuzhaigou Huanglong Airport. And the Jiuzhaigou Huanglong Airport is just about 87 km away from Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area and 55 kilometers from Huanglong National Park. You can easily get to those attractions by local taxi or shuttle bus from the airport.
Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou by Road
Most tourists choose to travel to Jiuzhaigou from Chengdu by road as it is a cheaper option. The distance between Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou is about 430 kilometers. It takes 6-7 hours to get to this place by car. Generally, a 4-day Jiuzhaigou tour from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou by bus/car is recommended for tourists who are visiting the place for the first time.
On the first day, you depart from Chengdu and arrive at Jiuzhaigou in the afternoon. You can enjoy a full day trip in Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area on the second day. The third day is for you to explore the nearby Huanglong National Park. It is suggested to stay overnight at Chuanzhusi Town, so that you can easily catch a bus back to Chengdu or get to Jiuzhaigou Huanglong Airport without traffic jams on the fourth day.
The wonderland called Jiuzhaigou with its incredible natural beauty is sure to bewitch you with its surreal beauty and draw you to its bosom again and again.
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Wow this is absolutely gorgeous! I have been to China before and saw many amazing places, but this looks stunning. Would have to go back to China 🙂
Your photos are so lovely. I feel like I’m actually there! Jiuzhaigou seems so gorgeous. Traveling to Asia is HIGH on my bucket list (I’m actually in the process of planing a trip to Tokyo in 2018!).
That park is absolutely GORGEOUS!!! I loved looking at all your pictures. I would love to go there someday.
Your photos are breathtaking! The views are amazing and that Panda is so cute. I would love to visit China and take the Panda tour.
Wow what an absolutely stunning location, those photos are just breathtaking, I would love to visit and see it for myself!
OMG such fabulous pics. Looks straight out of a dream. Love the water! <3 I d love to take the Panda tour. Absolutely on my list.
Look at the blue of the water! So pretty. I honestly had no idea China was so gorgeous. And those Pandas. So adorable!
I can’t begin to know how to pronounce that name but who cares when your there and seeing all the beautiful water. Panda bears are always a fun thing to see. I will just have to enjoy your photos since I won’t be going there anytime soon.
I have never heard of this place but now I know it needs to get into my travel list! What a gorgeous places to visit there. I would love to hike all around there.
Wow, this nationalpark seems to be such an amazing place. Thx for that interesting article. And i really love your pictures 🙂
Wow these clear lakes are amazin, you’d think it is actually canadian lakes! I am so surprised this is in China! Incredible share – totally noting Jiushaigou down
Oh my god, how beautiful is this!!! All the more reason for me to go to China! I have been dying to go. I just talked to my friend about this, really hoping to go next year and travel in China for about two months at least. I don’t even think 2 months would be enough! Considering that I’d like to explore everywhere, not just the city.
Jeeeeez these pictures are simply stunning. Jiuzhaigou looks a bit like plitvice in Croatia doesn’t it? These pics are awesome – which camera did you use?
I know we are not supposed to say amazing photos but really these are incredible. I just read another blog post as well on how to get there by bus or air and now it is definitely on my bucket list. Not to mention who could resist volunteering with Pandas I mean really!!!
The water is crystal clear! What a stunning place to visit. We are hoping to get our dream trip to Asia reach fulfillment this year! If it does, I will make sure we get to include Jiuzhaigou in our itinerary.
Wow. just wow. I have been to Chengdu and seen the Panada, but didn’t know about Jiuzhaigou. Your photos are spectacular especially the water in Five Color Pond and Five Flower Lake. While winter is stunning, I would love to visit in the summer. (I am not a big fan of cold weather.)
I’m in love with water so of course I had to love this article 🙂 I didn’t know Jiuzhaigou before so thank you fro writing about it! Also love you photos, my God they are awesome
After seeing the photos and reading about Jiuzhaigou..I have only one word to say i.e WooooooooW!!!! I have never heard of Jiuzhaigou earlier but such a crystal clear water and such a beautiful nature.. Its amazing
A Fairyland indeed! Your photos are incredible. I would love to visit Chengdu. Thx for sharing.
Just gorgeous!! Thanks for putting this spot on my radar- I’m not too familiar with the geography of China, but this looks like something I would definitely include on my itinerary when I finally do visit China.
Wow, this area is gorgeous – it looks even more spectacular during fall season. I would love to visit, which airport do you typically fly into the region?
I haven’t heard of this place but it looks absolutely stunning and surely one of the jewels in the crown for tourists to China.
Omg, I’m lost for words, those pictures! just wow! I’m headed to china in April and this is definitely on my list now, thanks for sharing, excited level just hit the roof!
Those are some beautiful photos. They make me feel like I’m there as well. Great post.
This place looks really gorgeous. I have not heard of it before, but it looks so great that I would love to visit it someday.
A panda volunteer job!? That sounds fun! The colors in your pictures are amazing…looks like a gorgeous place.
Wow some nice picture about the beautiful Juzhaigou in China. Thanks for the post and I would love to see it myself one day! But I hope it wouldn’t be too crowded since I heard it could be quite busy during the peak season @ knycx.journeying
This looks a stunning destination, some great pictures, especially the panda. Only 50 mins from an airport too.
Fantastic photos and experience – such a stunning place in the world – I think that people really underestimate the natural wonders China has to offer. Small world, I wrote about traveling from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou earlier this week too 🙂
Oh my word! I didn’t realise there was so much natural beauty in China. And I’d love to see a panda – they’re one of my favourite animals!
You are not kidding, wow! How have I never heard of this national park? It is absolutely divine. I cannot wait to get there some day!
These scenes are absolutely spectacular. I would never have associated such a national park with China. One always thinks of other more commonly known places like Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors while imagining China. This post was certainly an eye-opener for me.
I have never been to China. It seems like a fascinating country. Chengdu is on top of my destinations. I am a wildlife enthusiast and can spend hours watching them. This blog also gave me some more ideas of places to include when I ever travel to China.
Jiuzhaigou seems straight out of the fairytale with such colors and hues. The blog post aptly captures the essence of the world heritage site in the most subtle form.
This is really awesome, you photos are so amazing that I imagined myself there 🙂 Great job!
Love these waterfalls! I haven’t visited China yet, but can see I must put it on my bucket list.
wow I really loved reading this post and looking at your fabulous photos.
This place looks amazing! You photos are great. I would love to visit this park.
Your photos are amazing. The colors of the various lakes and waterfalls are so vibrant.
I have been lived in China for over 20 years and I have yet to visit Jiuzhaigou. It is such a heavenly-made place with all the colorful waters and the waterfalls, and the change of colors at the different time and the different seasons. I also love the picture you captured at some colorful ponds; it looks so surreal under the moonshine.
Wow! A fairytale is right. I cannot get over the beautiful views here. I have such a thing for waterfalls. My husband and I are planning to visit a few destinations in Asia next year – China being one of them. Jiuzhaigou would be the most beautiful stopover during our trip.
You are so right. Jiuzhaigou is a fairyland. We wanted to jump into your gorgeous photos. And that Panda Tour sounds like an amazing experience. Another informative AND inspiring post, well done.
What a stunning landscape. The waterfalls is remarkable. That is a nice guide for the place.
Wow the photos are absolutely stunning! It is the lakes that are my favourite, thank you for sharing!
Wow! What an incredible place, the pictures are just stunning. Never knew China has such amazing landscapes. Adding it to my bucket list!
China has never really been on my list but this makes for a totally different perspective on what I thought China was/is. Loved the photos and you’ve given me something to think about.
Wow–I would have never guessed this was in China from the photos! Jiuzhaigou looks like such a gorgeous area. I love the lakes, waterfalls and mountains and hope to visit someday!
Wow you’ve got some beautiful photos! I always think of China being so built up and industrial I forget that it must have beautiful spaces like this. Would love to visit someday, we’d never even heard of it before reading your post. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve just been exploring northwest Florida and all of their beautiful crystal clear springs. When I first started reading your post I thought, wow, pretty much like the places I just returned from. THEN it got real and I saw the waterfalls and panda. Definitely not in my country. Holy goodness those pictures are remarkable. What fantastic water falls!
How did you discover this gem of a place. It is indeed a fairyland. Look at that lake. We can see through the water…so crystal clear. And the landscaping around, as if someone has minutely manicured it!!
Jiuzhaigou does look like a fairyland! The clear lakes and colorful ponds are mesmerizing! Would love to visit in the summer to see the waterfalls.
You aren’t kidding about this being a fairy tale land. It’s GORGEOUS! That landscape is one of the most incredible things I’ve seen.
It’s such a beautiful place! I lived in China for 1.5 years and haven’t made it there unfortunately! China is so huge and there’s just soooo much to see and do! I hope to visit there soon, though!
The place is absolutely worth the visit! It is beautiful and colorful, plus the water is so clear. Love it!
The place just looks surreal. Each and every picture looks like a Paradise on Earth! I’d love to visit the place myself! The fact that its a UNESCO site, its icing on the cake!
Jiuzhaigou looks stunning! You fairytale reference is an apt description! There seems to be so much to see and experience in China. A lifetime to explore is not enough.
Fantastic! How touristy has it become? Hopefully it still hasn’t been overrun by tourists like many Asian tourist attractions…
Holy Earth! This place looks so majestic! I totally want to go see now!
Oh my God! Look at those pictures, are they for real? They look so beautiful and love the clear lakes. I am visiting China (hopefully) this October and would love to visit this place for sure. Its so amazing and I cant stop looking at your pictures. They are spectacular.
All of those places should have “colorful” in the name. Gorgeous and definitely worth a break away. If the beautiful waters weren’t enough though, those Giant Pandas would be amazing to see in person.
Some of the bluest water I’ve ever seen! I can see why it’s called the Fairyland of water. Would love to see a place like this in the winter. Something about the snow over the mountains and the freezing of the lakes are very enticing.
Wow…. just wow!! The only place in China that I have really been wanting to see is The Zhangjiajie National Forest Park – but I think Jiuzhaigou has been added to that list! Absolutely stunning photos – love the slow shutter speed on the waterfall in particular. Thanks so much for showing me a place I haven’t seen before and giving me another place to add to my future China itinerary! Kudos!
Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Where has this place been all my life? I have a lot of places in China I want to see but Jiuzhaigou now tops my list – it’s positively breathtaking! A fairlyland of water indeed!
Oh my gosh, I’ve never even heard of this place, but am now dying to go. What’s the best way to get there (coming internationally)? I am absolutely in love with the blues of the lakes–it’s so photogenic there!!!
I must say that this is like a paradise on earth. The water is very calm and clean. I wonder how it feels like to take a dip in the water. I like how you have captured all your photos as it rhyme to your words. Everything about this park is just so beautiful. I will surely pen this on my bucket list.
Jiuzhaigou looks amazing! I would love to see those colorful pools up close for myself. And the waterfalls are indeed stunning. But most of all, I want to get close to the Giant Pandas and take a panda tour!
Ok your photos are absolutely insane! I want to go here so badly! But is it hard to get to and get around if I don’t speak Chinese? I did read which flight to take from Chengdu, but do you fly to Chegdu from Shanghai or Beijing if coming internationally? I also really want to go to that panda park!
Your pictures are so beautiful and this place looks heavenly. I am already in love with this place, especially that five color lake. Interesting is that you will see different colors at the the different time of the day. I am surely adding this to my bucket list and will love to see it in real.
Like you say this is straight out of the fairy tales. I am sure if you wait long enough in the night, you will see the fairies. I have never been to China, yet I could have never imagined such a place there. Just shows how little we know of this world. Kudos to you guys for going to Jiuzhaigou.
Guys, I always love your site. Specially the presentation of content, photography & information related to traveling is nice. Thanks & please keep publishing nice travel blogs. Thanks a ton.
I visited Chengdu a few years ago and if I had known about Jiuzhaigou I would have definitely gone. How long is the bus ride out there? Your photos are wonderful, Jiuzhaigou seems like a dream for photographers
Wow! The color of that water! It’s so turquoise. It reminds me of Plitvice lakes in Croatia. I want to go.
I am dreaming of volunteering at a panda base one day. And the Jiuzhaigou national park is just breathtaking! I had no knowledge of this place before, but now I desperately want to go there. The pictures are wonderful and I love that the ponds have so many different colors. I’m so amazed how many incredible places there are in the world 🙂
This place definitely throws in a lot of colors. That color changing lake is something else altogether. What an amazing place. And I so want to see a Panda….I think this is a place I need to research more on. Beautiful indeed!
Oh My!!
There are so many tourist destinations that always get the most amount of publicity. I wonder how I never noticed this destination before. Also, what brilliant display of colors from mother nature. China was never one of top destinations that I would have put in my bucket list of places to travel. But this place have changed my opinion
Holy is that water gorgeous! I love the mix of all the blues. I definitely need to Jiuzhaigou National Park to my bucket list for when we explore China. I especially love the waterfalls. Such a lovely national park.
I love how you call Jiuzhaigou, a fairyland of water. Everything looks so beautiful and surreal, it’s easy to imagine that they are somewhat enchanted. I honestly haven’t seen this side of China as most posts that I see are limited to the temples and shrines and of course the famous Great Wall of China. It’s amazing to know that it still has so much more to offer.
What a beautiful place, almost like out of the pages of fairy tales. Honestly, if I had seen just the pics, I’d have been sure they are photoshopped, but in a post, one can believe that they are for real. Dunno if I will be ever trvelling to China, but if I do, definitely adding Jiuzhaigou.
We don’t get to read much about China though China has some of the great attractions. Jiuzhaigou with those fantastic hues and azure waters looks like a wonderland. If we had to visit we would definitely go for the road trip to Jiuzhaigou from Chengdu sounds like one fab trips. Thanks for these detailed information.
What a mindblowing trek. I have always had a desire to explore the interiors of China, they must be hiding so many gems. The sheer colour of the water here is mindblowing!!
Indeed a WOW place! I am dreaming to visit the place.
China is blessed with so many natural wonders.
Now I understand why it is a fairyland!!! It is surreal!!! I’d love to get lost in this place! The waterfalls, waters, the panda, even the trees surrounding the scenic spots are all wonderful and enchanting!!! Definitely a must visit place!!!
I would really love to visit this place one day. The scenic views must have been amazing. I like spending time in nature surrounded by hills and lakes. 🙂
What an unbelievably beautiful place. I can’t get over how crystal clear and clean the water is, being surrounded by such stunning nature. What a lovely place to visit. As a keen hiker who loves spending time in the great outdoors, this is a place I would absolute love to experience.
This absolutely does look like a fairyland! I’ve never even heard of Jiuzhaigou, but I desperately want to go now. I love waterfalls and turquoise pools and I would love to get to take a panda tour. That sounds so special and so unique!
Incredible pictures. I would like to go to China just to see the Pandas. So cute. Thanks for sharing.