World Natural Heritage: Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area (4)

The prelude of the Jiuzhaigou Valley landscapes, which is a 7,000-meter-long route from its mouth to the Heyeba, shows verdant trees, lively brooks, clumped reeds, joyful birds and fragrant flowers.

The first movement of the Jiuzhaigou Valley landscapes is in the wide area from Heyeba to the Shuzheng Scenic Spot. The Wolong Lake, colorful Bonsai Beach, miracle Sleeping Dragon Lake, as well as 19 Shuzheng Lakes and the Shuzheng waterfall group are surrounded by trees, and the ancient water mills and Shuzheng streams are embellished with wooden bridges. All of these plus the Shuzheng Waterfall that is 25 meters high and 82 meters wide are presented in front of tourists, making them wonder at the miracle natural scenery.

Walking up from the Shuzheng Scenic Spot, tourists will see the clear and wide Xiniu Lake, giving people a feeling of beauty and tranquility. Walking along Xiniu Lake, the wide Nuorilang Waterfall, which looks like a white curtain hanging in the green woods, is the most wonderful part of the landscapes. The scenic spots above the Nuorilang Scenic Area have their own characteristics and are the climax of the Jiuzhaigou Valley landscapes. The area has main lakes including the Long Lake, Mirror Lake, Five Flower Lake, Five Color Lake, Panda Lake, Swan Lake and Grass Lake, three large waterfalls, wide travertine streams and dense natural forests. The Long Lake is 3,060 meters above sea level, with an area of 1.5 square kilometers. It is surrounded by mountains, snowy peaks and dense forests, and provides spectacular scenery. The water in the Mirror Lake is as peaceful as a mirror, with blue skies and snowy mountains from afar and trees nearby reflecting in the lake water, it is a fantastic scenery. The water in the Five Flower Lake is most beautiful, and looks like a colorful kaleidoscope. The Five Color Lake has green water, like a magnificent gem embedded in the dark green forest. Set against the cliffs and forests, the water, brooks and flowers of the Swan Lake and Grass Lake are natural and quiet, and makes people feel like they are in a "fairyland."

The 320-meter-wide Nuorilang Waterfall is the widest waterfall in China and it is located in the middle of the Jiuzhaigou Valley and is its symbol. The Pearl Shoal Waterfall that is 310 meters wide and 28 meters high is connected with Pearl Beach, which is crescent-shaped. The wide waterfall looks like a huge circular screen and is magnificent. The Panda Waterfall that is 78 meters high and 50 meters wide is the waterfall with highest drop in Jiuzhaigou Valley. It will freeze in the winter and the dazzling ice world is indeed a splendid sight. The swift current of the giant Pearl Beach stirs up numerous spoondrifts, like countless rolling pearls in the sunlight. A feeling of mystery will spontaneously arise when people enter the Long Lake area and the natural forests of the Rizegou Gully amid the towering trees and moss. All these scenic spots are the most prominent in Jiuzhaigou Valley, each giving people a strong sense of beauty and exciting them. The scenic spots of the Jiuzhaigou Valley are in the upward order, and there is a harmonious and natural transition between scenic spots that adds synthetic beauty. It is rare to have so many beautiful scenic spots in the Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area which is dozens of square kilometers.

Beauty of color is the soul

The colors in the Jiuzhaigou Valley are beautiful because they are colorful, unique, and constantly change. Lakes in Jiuzhaigou are generally next to the forests. As the water quality is clear and crystal, daylight, clouds, peaks and colorful forests are reflected in the lake and the mirror images are very clear. The inverted reflections in the water melt with the water in lake making the lake more beautiful. The colors of the lakes will change into various colors such as dark green, dark blue and turquoise blue as the season and weather changes. It is very unique that one lake can have so many colors such as sapphire blue, jade-green, orange and light red because of the travertine deposition and various algae with beautiful colors, as well as the differences in the distribution of submerged plants under Wuhua Lake. These things all make the lake look like an elegant baldric with many precious stones embedded in it. In autumn, the colorful forests on the banks of lakes will be reflected in the water and the inverted reflections will mix with the colors under the lake to form a colorful world. The plentiful colors are beyond the imagination of the artists. In the evening, the fiery red sunset will be reflected into the lakes, making the lake look like extremely brilliant flames with colorful waves.

The forests will show magnificent colors as the seasons change. At the beginning of spring, cuckoos of various colors such as red, yellow, purple and white will appear in the forests. Peach trees and pear trees will burst into flowers mixed with the vivid green of new leaves. As a result, the entire forest will be filled with colorful flowers. It is a sea of green in the summer. Various kinds of greens such as fresh-green, jade-green and dark-green show their thriving vitality. In late autumn, the deep orange of the Cotinus coggygria, the linden yellow leaves, the crimson maple leaves, and the dark red berries will be interspersed among the forests and the entire forest will look like a huge painting with great originality. The lakes will become bluer against the backdrop of the warm colors and the blue sky, white clouds, snow peaks, colorful forest reflecting in the lakes will show a waterscape with strange shapes and colors. At the beginning of winter, Jiuzhaigou will be covered with white snow and crystal white glacier falls and ice mantles. The forests will look like flawless white jades. Jiuzhaigou will appear white and elegant and seemingly dressed in silver and white clothing, and will look like a bright sapphire in a white porcelain dish.