Jiuzhaigou Valley – Image Credit: gzlu (Flickr)
China, being a huge country with over a billion in population boasts a vast array of beautiful historical, religious and architectural wonders. There’s the Great Wall which can amazingly be seen from the moon, the Summer Palace in Beijing and the Classical Gardens of Suzhou to name only a few.
If you truly want to see and experience the pristine and well preserved wonders of nature in China, you should definitely consider exploring the Jiuzhaigou World Heritage Site.
The Jiuzhaigou valley is actually a nature reserve located in the southwestern region of China called Sichuan. Because the locals and the government have done a great job of safe guarding this region from modernization and aimed to maintain its innate splendor, UNESCO has named this as a World Heritage site in the early 1990s.
Jiuzhaigou Natural Reserve Sightseeing
There are so many things which you can see inside the Juizhaigou Natural Reserve. There’s the Five Color Pond (Wucai Chi), the Nuorilang Waterfall, the Panda Lake (Xiongmao Hai), and a bevy of other clear rivers, falls and lakes which are surrounded by untouched hills and mountains.
It is well known that many people go exploring the Jiuzhaigou World Heritage Site because of the startling azure of the water forms. Scientists say that the water is high in Calcium Carbonate (Travertine) which contributes to the amazing shade of blue. But because of the changing seasons, its color also changes accordingly throughout the year.
Climate in the Sichuan Region
It can get pretty cold during the winter season in China. Temperatures drop to its lowest at 2 degrees Celsius in January. If you are not a winter person, it would be best that you visit the place during the summer months – June, July and August. In addition, there would be more colors to see during the summer time than just the blue and white of winter days (though that is pretty wonderful for some people as well).
The favorite time for visiting the area, according to local and international tourists is autumn. You will see the vibrant reds, yellows and oranges reflected in the clear blue water, making the whole scenery an amazing palette of striking hues.
Annual Number of Tourists
Due to the accolades bestowed upon it and the sheer picturesque beauty of the Jiuzhaigou valley, an average of 7,000 people visit the place every single day. This number totals nearly three million people annually. There is a limit to the people visiting the area (12,000 a day) but it is pretty challenging for the park officials to see to this at all times.
Flights to Sichuan’s Jiuzhaigou Valley
As mentioned earlier, China is a huge place with a large population so you would think reasonable transportation would not be a problem. Surprisingly, there are very few direct international flights from other countries to Jiuzhaigou or Chengdu. You will need to fly to Beijing first then take another plane to those cities in Sichuan. Air China, South China Airways and Sichuan Airlines are some of the airlines offering their services to tourists in the area.
Helping Protect What You See
Therefore, it is imperative to take the same precautions that the locals have if you are thinking of exploring the Jiuzhaigou World Heritage Site. Simple things like throwing your trash in the right receptacle can really help maintain this beautiful place for years, hopefully even centuries to come.
This guest post was written by Nicholas Martin who has happily traveled through Asia extensively. He writes for Passport Visa Travelers Guide where you can access guides on obtaining a visa to China and making sure your expired passport is renewed on time before traveling to Jiuzhaigou.
