Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area

The Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area is situated in the Minshan Mountains, 400 kilometers from downtown Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Jiuzhaigou is famous for its rolling mountains, dense forests, colorful lakes, steep waterfalls, and wide variety of birds and animals.

The Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area covers an area of 600 square kilometers. The name “Jiuzhaigou” means the Ravine of Nine Villages, and the area was so named because there were nine Tibetan villages there. More than half of the scenic area is covered by virgin forests with bamboo, flowers, and such animals as giant pandas, golden monkeys, and white-lipped deer. The main valley is 50 kilometers long and consists of Shuzheng Qunhai, Rize, and Zechawa valleys coming together in the shape of a Y. Waterfalls and streams link 108 lakes of varied sizes.

Jiuzhaigou, with its many lakes, is enchanting. According to legend, the goddess Wonosmo dropped a mystical mirror, a gift of love from the god Dag, and the broken pieces became the 108 lakes.

 According to science, the lakes were formed because of the calcium carbonate in the flowing water when the earth was in the cold, interglacial stage and the little ice age. The calcium carbonate could not coagulate but flowed with the water. More than 12,000 years ago, the global climate became warmer, and the calcium carbonate became active and attached itself to obstacles in the water. As time passed, the attached matter became thicker, forming the milky white banks of barrier lakes.

According to legend, the colorful lakes in Zechawa Valley are the Jasper Lakes of the Queen Mother of the West. Some of them are blue and green, others are brown, dark gray, and purple. According to a local saying, the lake water is colored by the cosmetics of fairy maidens, but people today say it has something to do with the aquatic plants in the lakes.