Source: CCTV.com

08-02-2006 16:38

There are places you don’t believe really exist until you see it for yourself. Jiuzhaigou, or the nine village valley is one of them. All of my friends used words such as splendid and amazing, and I guess I will be using the same words. This episode of Travelogue we will take new heights to the Four sister’s mountain and Jiuzhaigou, the nine village valley.

People say Jiuzhaigou is both heaven and hell. It’s hell for painters and paradise for photographers, because the challenge to represent the vivid colors of the water here defies the human hand.

Here, some two thousand meters above sea level, the nature has worked its magic over an eternity. Glaciers and movements in the Earth’s crust have folded and shaped the landscape since the distant past so that today we have a spectacular array of shoals, waterfalls and stepped lakes.

The place presents stunning natural beauty all year round and, no matter which season you choose to visit, the view will never let you down.

In Jiuzhaigou or the Nine Village Valley, there are actually nine Tibetan villages scattered throughout the reserve. The people have lived among the high mountains and beautiful lakes for generations and have been able to hold on to many of their traditional ways of life.

Jiuzhaigou valley sits in the Minshan mountain range in the northwestern part of Sichuan province and is no longer a remote destination. It now has a small airport linking it with major regional cities such as Chongqing and Chengdu.

Ever since it’s been brought to the attention of the outside world, Jiuzhaigou has been a popular location for film directors trying to conjure up their vision of a dream world. Chinese director Zhang Yimou is just one who came here to shoot a key scene in his blockbuster “Hero”. This is called Bamboo Lake. The still water reflects the undulating mountains and the blue sky. Its perfection is just what Yimou needed for the unreality of his fight scene.

But the place’s beauty is no illusion and you can easily explore it for yourself.

The valley is covered by walkways. So keep yourself to the sixty kilometers long walkways and you won’t get lost.

The part of Jiuzhaigou open to tourists sprawls over some sixty square kilometers. Water gushes over much of it, coming down from the snow-capped mountains surrounding the valley and carrying all kinds of minerals. This is called a “pearl shoal”. Snowmelt gurgles through bushes inured to the chill of the water and submerged limestone formations project folds and notches that stir up countless shiny pearl-like bubbles.

Just a little downstream and the subtlety of the pearl shoal is dwarfed by Jiuzhaigou’s main attraction, the largest waterfall in the reserve.

this is the hallmark of Jiuzhaigou. It’s called Nuorilang falls. In Tibetan language, Nuorilang refers to a handsome, cool guy. And let’s check him out.

Around this point, the water falls 25 meters to form a curtain that stretches on and on for hundreds of meters along the cliff. The roar and the force of the water are fantastic. They throw up mist and spray as well as the occasional rainbow. The water is impregnated with lime and that’s what makes this one of the biggest calcareous waterfalls in the country. And the scene lives up to its comparison to an attractive man. It’s a strong contrast to the many peaceful, feminine lakes in the area.

The variety of colour in Jiuzhaigou is really beyond words. Many of the lakes having clear blue, turquoise or green waters, while in autumn the leaves put on a display of rich yellows and reds. The water is coloured by the two hundred or so kinds of algae populating the lakes’ depths. They grow along the carbonated formations at the bottom of the lakes, creating beautiful, imaginative designs. The water descends from the mountaintops and so is very cold. As a result, it is said only one kind of fish can survive - a special kind of carp that does not have any scales. Only nature could put on such an original show.

Jiuzhaigou literally means the Nine Village Valley. The name refers to the area’s nine Tibetan villages. The people living here are descendents of military personnel stationed in the region by the ancient Tibetan Tubo dynasty. Today, despite the growing number of tourists, they still maintain their own customs and ways of life. The Heye village sits high on the mountain and all the houses are built in the traditional way from wood, stone, and earth.

Interview: Liu Li, Jiuzhaigou tour guide

How was the wall built?

The houses around here were built like this: first they built a stone base for the structure to make sure it had a solid base. The walls were made by pouring a muddy mixture into a wood form. After the mixture was pounded firm, more was poured into the form to create another layer. That’s how the wall was built.

Liu Li took us to visit a Tibetan woman by the name of Sijia. Sijia owns a small business, selling souvenirs to the tourists. She made us Tibetan Yak butter tea in her lavishly decorated sitting room. The golds and reds of Sijia’s home give an impression of regal grandeur and the warmth is a sharp contrast to the cool, blue and green world outside.

You are supposed to drinking the tea sitting. It’s both sweet and bitter.

Yak butter tea is essential to the Tibetans. Living high on the mountains, they drink it every day to combat the low temperatures.

It’s supposed to keeps me warm the whole day.

You have a beautiful home. Are there any stories behind the decorations?

Behind me are the eight auspicious objects of the Tibetans. Eight designs. These are the Four Guardian Kings. They are guardians of homes. Each (Tibetan) home has these decorations.

This is a holy shrine. We usually keep it closed. It’s only open when the lama comes to perform ceremonies. We don’t open it on regular days. We worship the Buddha statue inside.

This is my Jingtang.

We light the yak butter lamps every day but we don’t always recite the sutra. We can’t afford to invite the lama to our home all the time. It’s very expensive.

When do you invite the lama over?

Say, on “good dates”

When are the “good dates”?

Well, we don’t know either - that’s the call of the lamas.

When the lama does come to perform a ceremony, more than a hundred yak butter lamps will light up the house.

What are these?

These are what the monasteries give us in return for our donations.

That’s a lot

It’s not so much. Some families donate even more.

A couple days ago we invited the lamas over for the sutra reading ceremonies. After that we needed to display these. These are belts for women and the Tibetan knife, that belongs to the head of the house, my husband.

Not every Tibetan will show you their Jingtang at home. Tibetan people are a highly religious people. Religion is part of their everyday life and all aspects of their existence revolve around their relationship with their gods. It’s not hard to see why spirituality is so important when you think about the pristine nature of the surrounding environment.

About two-thirds of the Jiuzhaigou park is covered by virgin forest. Hundreds of birds and animals live here, including the endangered Giant Panda and golden snub-nosed monkey. Walking on the leaf-covered ground is like treading on a soft, soundless carpet. Many of the countless numbers of seed plants here have ornamental or medical uses and many, too, are on the endangered list. If you love hiking, this is the place to work out. Jiuzhaigou has a monsoon climate and the average temperature in summer is 17 degrees Celsius. It is pleasantly cool in summer and devoid of bitterly cold winds in winter.

The big question, why the lake this colour? Is it because of the water? No, it’s crystal clear. It’s a trick of the light. I wonder if I can try this. 。。。//The water is icy cold anyway.

Obviously you are not supposed to go down to the water’s edge. As tempting as it may be, you’re not allowed to wash your hands in the pools and lakes. There is an on-the-spot fifty yuan fine if you do.

The Long Lake is the largest lake in Jiuzhaigou. People used to be able to take a motorboat out on to the lake but that has since been banned to keep the water free of pollution. The lake is five thousand meters long, one thousand meters wide and forty meters deep. And it still has an untamed look that has inspired legends of monsters in the deep.

The Tibetan people believe the color white has sanctity and that’s why you see white pagodas at the entrances of villages and monasteries throughout the area. The largest monastery in Jiuzhaigou is the Zhairu Monastery. It was first built in the 13th century and is dedicated to the Benbo religion. The Benbo belief system is quite different from Tibetan Buddhism.

What does Zharu mean?

In Tibetan, it means the holy place where people come to pray for peace and happiness.

What do you worship here?

The founder of Benbo sect. Benbo is an ancient belief that originated on the Tibetan Plateau. It’s very old.

How old is it?

The founder of Benbo lived 14000 years ago.

Tibetan Buddhists turn their prayer wheels in a clockwise direction but Benbo believers do exactly the opposite. They turn their wheels anti-clockwise. It’s important not to get it wrong.

The Zharu monastery is the leading monastery in the region and each year it holds three big ceremonies - two in winter and one in summer. These times are also like community events.

The Benbo belief is a kind of fetishism. They worship all kinds of gods that they believe reside in the wind, rain, mountains, wood, rivers, all the natural elements. That’s why in Jiuzhaigou legend, each mountain has its own diety with a particular name and personality, just like Greek mythology.

Tips:

It’s important to respect local customs and beliefs. Even though, Jiuzhaigou has welcomed countless visitors and the Tibetans are very familiar with the wider world, it’s still a virtue to show that you understand and respect their ways of life.

There are several food options at Jiuzhaigou. You can have lunch in the park’s cafeteria or bring your own for a picnic in the wild.

In total, there 114 lakes in Jiuzhaigou, and the smallest one is called the Five-Coloured Pond. Like the rest of Jiuzhaigou, it’s so pure and ethereal that it stirs a sense of wonder. I have honestly never seen anything like this. There’s a feeling that nature can really cleanse the soul and give you peace of mind.

The Chinese say the wise love the water and the merciful love the mountains. We leave the wisdom of Jiuzhaigou behind and go in search of the merciful at the Four Sisters mountain, along the road between Jiuzhaigou and Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province.

Like many great mountains, the Four Sisters are steeped in legend. Word has it that a long time ago an evil mountain god called Moerdola often inflict harm on the local people. One brave old man by the name of Abalong fought Moerdola but died in the process. Abalong’s four beautiful daughters sought revenge and peace for the community but they too died fighting the evil god. Nevertheless, they were transformed into four peaks protecting the region against floods.

Mist and fog shroud the mountains year long, creating the illusion of an enchanted landscape. It’s part of what draws climbers to this corner of the world. The highest peak belongs to the youngest daughter and is 6,250 meters above sea level. It’s also one of the ten mountains in China open to foreign climbers. The region is called the fauna and flora gene bank of Southwest China and there’s little wonder why when you consider that the mountain straddles four different climatic zones.

You can visit the Four Sisters by taking the expressway back to Chengdu. The site is only 230 kilometers from the Sichuan capital.

If you are not interested in mountain-climbing, the best time to visit the Four Sisters is October when you are guaranteed to see the true face of the four brave beauties.

I spent the night in the Four sisters hotel. It’s a two star hotel and has a very special guardian. A vulture. He was brought over here as a baby and when he grew up, he kept coming back, taking the hotel as his home. But he’s developed a special habit, attacking the strangers, that means the guests, here. So better behave around here.

The Four Sister’s Mountain area is a fully developed tourist zone and there is a range of hotels in the town center. A local tour guide can take you above the clouds by arranging a horse ride over the mountains and into the valleys. You’re free to hike, pitching a tent or go rafting but the one thing you really need to worry about here is the weather.

The weather change here within minutes. Its one minute sunshine and the next you will come across rains. better bring both your umbrella and suntan lotion.

These fluffy things only live in a very clean environment. They are like a barometer to test the cleanness of the environment. You know what the local people use it for, sponges to clean their dishes.

You could find all kinds of wild life, 88 species are under national protection.

It’s three thousand meters above sea level and the breath is catching up. But there are people not easily deterred.

Are you going to spend the night here?

Yes

That’s cool. Don’t you have altitude sickness?

No. It’s okay if you are used to it.

How far do you plan to climb tomorrow?

To 5000 meters above sea level. It’s not a big deal around here.

There are more than 50 peaks that is 5000 meters above sea level. And these people will take one tomorrow.

The two experienced climbers say it’s quite safe to camp here on the mountain. But remember, temperatures can drop to freezing at night and there are wild animals in the area. You can rent all the equipment from the tourist center in town or bring your own gear. Special mountain guides are also available. /me riding the horse/ Apart from climbing the mountain, you can also try rafting, hiking or horse riding. The place is ideal for adventurers. The horses are pretty tame under the rein of the locals, but not so friendly in the hands of the less experienced. That was a small lesson the Four Sisters gave me to remember her with.

Traveling is not always about walking in a beautiful park. It also involves risks some times. For good or bad, it’s your own experience and you’ve got to try it yourself. So stop watching Tv or reading the magazine at home. Hit the road now. I will see you around.

 

Editor:Chen