Muonigou Valley
cctv.com 11-24-2003 16:51
About two hours' drive from the Yellow Dragon is Muonigou Valley. This is where the crowds thin out to almost nothing and you enter a land that looks a lot like a prehistoric wilderness. It's a place of thunderous waterfalls and small miracles.
You can hear the roar of the water long before you see it. This is Zhaga waterfall, the biggest of its kind in China. Again, calcium carbonate is shaping the landscape.
The Zhaga falls are 93 meters high and, in summer time, two to five cubic meters of water tumble over the edge each second. Zhaga means white in the local Tibetan language. This is a travertine waterfall, meaning that behind the rushing water is a crust of limestone, gradually growing calcium particle by calcium particle. Get up close and you will be drenched by the spray. The water is chilly and the breeze stirred by the downward force is both sweet and refreshing.
The small pools and lakes hidden in the forests of Mounigou are no less impressive than the Zhaga falls but much more quiet. Each has its own elegance and poetic name.
This one is called the White Flower lake because the water's surface is covered by quietly blossoming nameless flowers. This one is called the Emerald Lake for obvious reasons. Many of the names of the lakes contain the word for mirror. Perfectly still pools reflect the quiet environment around. It's really a very secluded world and a place for meditation and reflection. The peacefulness and beauty of the green and blue have a soothing effect. All you could hear is the chirping of the birds and the gurgling of the water. And there's a very good chance that you will have it to yourself.
One of the lakes is called Erdaohai and it is sacred to the local Tibetans. Each year around spring they come here to worship the lake. The Tibetans must have their own reasons, why they choose this one in particular. All of the pools are very beautiful.
The hot springs of Zhuzhuhai, or the boiling pearl lake is the only place where you can see traces of a human presence. A hot bath here, with its alpine view is a nice reward after a day walking in the forest.
The water here smells of bad eggs. The water is not as hot as you would imagine, it's only 20 degree Celsius. It's supposed to cure all kinds of diseases, but for me, it's enough to stretch my tired legs.
Editor:Han Ling Source:CCTV.com
