Photo Sunday – Jiuzhaigou River Valley and Park

photo credit: Augapfel

In the northern Sichuan, close to the border of Northwest China’s Gansu Province, Jiuzhaigou is a breathtaking alpine valley discovered by lumberjacks in the 1970s.

photo credit: Augapfel

Jiuzhaigou, which means “Valley of Nine Villages”, is regarded as one of the most beautiful place in China. It was also called “Yangtong” in ancient times, and currently has other names like “Heyao Jiuzhai”, and the “Jade Sea.”

photo credit: Augapfel

Although Tibetans and Qiang people have inhabited Jiuzhaigou for centuries, the scenic valley was only “accidentally discovered” in 1972 when a Chinese lumberman stumbled upon it. Logging continued to take place in Jiuzhaigou until 1979, when the Chinese government banned it. In 1982, Jiuzhaigou was made a national park. An Administration Bureau was established and the site was officially opened to tourism in 1984. From then on, tourism in Jiuzhaigou took flight, and Jiuzhaigou quickly became China’s number one landscape destination. Its status was further propelled forward when UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 1992 and a World Biosphere Reserve in 1997.

photo credit: Augapfel

Why do so many people come to Jiuzhaigou, and what makes it so unique? Most visitors would agree that a major draw is the beautiful colour of the lakes and streams. This is caused by the high concentration of travertine, or calcium carbonate in the water. As Jiuzhaigou consists of temperate broad-leaf forest and woodlands, the trees take on a multi-colour hue of yellow, orange and red during autum, making it the prime travel period. In addition to the maple trees that provide a riot of autumn colours, Jiuzhaigou is also home to several varieties of rhododendron and bamboo endemic to the area. The wildlife includes the endangered giant panda and the golden snub-nosed monkey, both of which facing increasing pressure brought on by tourism. Approximately 140 species of birds are also found in Jiuzhaigou.

photo credit: Augapfel

photo credit: owltoucan

photo credit: Augapfel

photo credit: Augapfel

Never having been there myself, I got the above information from Asia Explorers.

Join us next week for Washington DC Cherry Blossom photo’s. I’ll be taking these photo’s myself and am hoping we have some nice, sunny weather in DC this week. But until then, please come back for Environmental News, Discussion and Advocacy.

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