Jiuzhaigou

More photos on Jiuzhaigou

2006-11-26T17:22:00.000+08:00

More photos on Jiuzhaigou can be viewed at my website at this URL.

Flowers in Jiuzhaigou

2006-01-02T17:02:00.000+08:00

Look not at just the beautiful scenary but also give some of your attention to the smaller creations of nature that are just as lovely. Along the pathways of Jiuzhaigou Valley I found these unassuming beauties.

Sparkling water and a careless act

2005-11-26T16:02:00.000+08:00

Every time I think of Jiuzhaigou I inevitably recall how beautiful the waters were - sparkling, crystal clear and almost transparent. Nothing I have seen in all my life can compare to the pristine state of the water especially in the 5-colour pond where these photographs were taken.

Because I have seen with my own eyes how remarkable the state of water from natural sources can be, I am saddened by the news about the contamination of the river Songhua in Harbin, China because of a careless industrial accident. Newspaper reports described how a factory explosion had spilled benzene into the river causing massive pollution and resulting in Harbin shutting down its water supplies for fear of harming the population.

According to the same report, 70% of China's rivers are polluted by untreated sewage and industrial waste and close to 14% of the population or 180 million people do not have safe drinking water. What a contrast it is to what I had seen in my 8-day trip to Jiuzhaigou when all I saw were the extreme purity and abundance of water. This report on the contamination of the Songhua river has put my impression of China's water resources into a more realistic perspective. For a while I had imagined how lucky China was to possess this wealth of natural water and thought that people had no worries about drinking water. I am further depressed by how economic progress has resulted in a total disregard for what nature has bestowed on this vast country in the interest of creating material wealth. One day, we will lose this earth to the greed of humankind and die in the hands of those who build factories and industrial plants with no thought for the conservation and preservation of the earth.

Admirers of Nature

2005-11-19T11:22:00.000+08:00

Jiuzhaigou has been well known for its scenic beauty and the lure of it's fairyland appeal has drawn many tourists from Singapore. Years ago when the only way to reach Jiuzhaigou from Chengdu was by coach, there were stories of journeys fraught with dangers of landslides and accidents because of the poor road conditions. But now, you can take a domestic flight which although does not lessen the risk factor, does reduce time and fatigue in having to bear with a 10 hour journey by coach. In addition to the enthusiastic visitors from Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand were also busloads of Chinese from other parts of China.

Taking a photo with the backgound of your choice is a game of speed - get ready to move into the choice spot as soon as someone has had his or her picture taken. Adopt the right posture and a show of intention by waving your camera in their line of sight. Always works!

The tour buses are not allowed into the park and their numbers are the best indication of how massive the human traffic is inside the park.

The building on the right is the place where everyone had lunch and where there were stalls selling souvenirs. The best buy here are the scarves, shawls and stone and semi-precious stone bracelets and necklaces. Like bazaars everywhere, you should survey a few stalls before buying and always bargain and check your purchases for flaws before paying. People in the park are generally well-behaved and stick to the designated paths and walkways. I am also pleased to note that despite thousands of visitors a day, there is no littering.

The ever present river

2005-11-13T16:25:00.000+08:00

After our stay at the Jiuzhaigou Valley, we travelled in our medium-sized bus across numerous mountains to make a 10-hour journey back to Chengdu. Compared to the short domestic flight from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou, this journey would have been very tiring had we decided not to break the journey the way we did - twice, once in Maoxian and another time ind Miya Luo which is famous for the colourful maple trees covering the mountains. Throughout the journey the river was always in sight. I do not know its name but I guess it must be one of the 4 tributeries of the Yangtze River.

The river at eye level: Fertile banks support lush vegetable plots.

The road winding up the mountain like a ribbon thrown from heaven and the river appeared more subdued from that height.

Near Chengdu, a dam generating hydro-electric power and a road that flies between mountains and when completed will short-circuit the journey between Jiuzhaigou and Chengdu by an hour.

Colourful embroidery

2005-11-12T14:30:00.000+08:00

Like pretty flowers bringing joy to the beholder, these intricate needlepoint displays have the ability to light up a moment of our lives when our eyes rest upon them. I was taught embroidery when I was in primary school and was reasonably good at this craft. This skill is not taught nowadays in school and no cool teenager will want to be caught sewing or wearing these beautiful works of patience and creativity. Sad that these humble works of art will soon exist only as curiosities in museums as we make progress in technology by leaps and bounds and our standards of living shift to a domain where machines take over what we have no time for.

Tibetan businesswomen

2005-11-12T14:17:00.000+08:00

These women had so many pretty jewellery made from semi-precious stones that I very much regretted not wanting to buy from them for fear of not being able to get a good price because of my lack of bargaining skills. Actually, later experiences led me to conclude that these are simple folks just making a living like you and me and the value of what you have purchased is what has made you happy at the point of buying. Even if you see a similar item later at a cheaper price, you should just remember that you got to enjoy it earlier and that someone has been helped by you to make an honest living, unless of course you paid 10 times the price for the item. In that case, you have been fleeced but do not let that spoil your day. It is just part and parcel of lifelong learning.

The Businessmen

2005-11-12T14:00:00.000+08:00

At one of our stops along the journey from Jiuzhaigou to Chengdu, we came upon this family that ran a small business selling souveniors, herbs and roasted chestnuts. It was a welcome break for weary travellers. The toilet was best left undescribed but I thought the grandfather who was in charge of collecting fees for its use was really serious about his responsibility and stole a long shot with my 10x zoom lens.

Efficient worker

2005-11-12T13:50:00.000+08:00

Our bus getting a wash after collecting dust and dirt midway in our journey from Jiuzhaigou to Chendu.

Mountains

2005-11-10T23:49:00.000+08:00

From the air, nearing the Jiuzhaigou airport, the landscape is sharp and angular. This is high altitude country but somewhere below the clouds, is paradise. At about 3000 meters above sea level mountains and valleys are more inviting than intimidating.From the inside of the coach, one can only admire and take in the awesome scenery. You have no idea about the thinness of the air till you start to experience headaches, giddiness and suffer from breathlessness. When city folks ascend high mountains, the advice is to go really slow. Walk slowly, talk slowly so that you can slowly acclimatise. I did slow down my normal way of living but it was not good enough and I now know what it means to suffer from a lack of oxygen.

Two-in-one-weather

2005-11-09T00:03:00.000+08:00

It is Autumn in Jiuzhaigou, the best time of the year to visit. We were not disappointed because we got to see the changing of colours in the early stages and a bonus we enjoyed was the snow covered stretch of the road between Jiuzhaigou Valley and somewhere near Huang Long mountain. It was a winter wonderland, scenery right out of Christmas cards that we never imagined we would actually be a part of. It was indeed a pleasant surprise and more than made up for our not making it to Huang Long mountain because of the snow.

The Autumn leaves

around blue waters The waterfalls

gave way to snow.

Bearing with the cold to see another face of nature.

Waterfalls

2005-11-06T22:00:00.000+08:00

I've never seen so much outpouring of water on the earth's surface in cascades, falls and rivers gushing downstream all within a day. The Jiuzhaigou valley contains so much flowing water that it is hard to imagine where all that water comes from.

Pearl Shoal Waterfall

This is the profile of the Pearl Shoal Waterfall. There is a lot of walking to be done if you really want to enjoy the beauty of Jiuzhaigou in the splendour of the waterfalls and the calmness of the turquoise coloured lakes and ponds.

This is the largest waterfall in Jiuzhaigou but I prefer the Pearl Shoal waterfall because it is more picturesque and has a more feminine appeal.

Blue as I've never seen before

2005-11-03T11:32:00.000+08:00

Jiuzhaigou is famous for these multi-hue blue lakes. This particular one is called the 5-colour lake and it was like staring into a gigantic blue topaz that changes hues as the light changes and as you walk past it. Mesmerizing!

This blue is for real. Just gazing into the crystal clear water is enough to calm any turbulent soul. Unfortunately, this is a tourist place and folks like us managed to experience a few seconds of well being and had to move on with the hordes of visitors.

It is notable that despite the crowds, the park has remained very clean and free from litter. It is good that people who came valued this national treasure and made efforts not to pollute this beautiful natural environment.

Blue with tinges of Autumn in background. A sight that I do not think I would ever set eyes on again. It was my destiny to make this trip to see this place and if there is a paradise, then this is indeed the place.

More photos to come >>>>> waterfalls, plants, people, plants...