Jiuzhaigou National Park

Is there a fairyland on earth? Yes, and it’s the Jiuzhaigou National Park in the southwest part of China. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a top destination to enjoy water views worldwide, the Jiuzhaigou National Park boasts more than 100 alpine lakes in fantastic turquoise. Some of them are crystal clear, and you can see the swimming fish and submerged tree trunks in them; and some of them show a wider variety of colors beyond aquamarine and aqua green. Here, you’ll find varied beauty of lakes in the valley. The blue lake water well complements the pink peach blossoms in spring and the red foliage in autumn, and in winter, the lake water freezes into unique blue ice and surrounding peaks are snow-capped, turning Jiuzhaigou into a Magic World of Ice and Snow.

The charm of Jiuzhaigou is also hidden within its name. Actually, Jiuzhaigou means “Nine Villages Valley”, which comes from nine local Tibetan villages. Among them, the Shuzheng Valley is the largest and most prosperous one, and you can see a line of nine magnificent white stupas here. Beside the stupas, colorful prayer flags and prayer wheels compose a long corridor, and so many tourists come here to pray for peace and happiness.

Crystal-clear Lake in Jiuzhaigou National Park

Actors Performing in Tibetan Costume

The convenient facilities and efficient services in the Jiuzhaigou National Park allow tourists to smoothly admire water scenery and experience the Chinese Tibetan culture. Within 15 minutes after the park opens, all the tourists waiting in the queues can take the shuttle buses and begin their sightseeing. The park is equipped with many clean public restrooms, and even though the park is located in the cool high-altitude area, you can wash your hands with warm water.
 Tibetan legend has it that long ago, the God and Goddess of Mountains fell in love with each other and decided to live in the picturesque Jiuzhaigou Valley. The God of Mountain gathered wind and rain to make a sacred mirror for the Goddess of Mountains as a token of affection. Unexpectedly, one day a ferocious demon that lusted after the Goddess intruded into the valley and caused chaos. Amid the intense fight, the Goddess accidentally dropped the sacred mirror, and the mirror broke into 114 pieces. Amazingly, these shards turned into 114 lakes in the valley.

To help the God of Mountains guard the valley, the Ancestor of Mountains moved out massive mountains to block the escape way of the demon, and suppressed it with a streak of lightning. Hence, the Jiuzhaigou Valley returned to a peaceful place again, with alpine lakes displaying unique charm.
 All the alpine lakes in Jiuzhaigou are affectionately called “Haizi”, which means “the Children of the Sea” and shows local people’s passion for the sea. Among 114 Haizi lakes, the Long Lake has the largest area and the highest altitude. Standing on the viewing platform, you’ll definitely be amazed by this breathtaking turquoise lake from an ultra-wide-angle view. Admiring the Long Lake that reflects the endless sky and mountains is like watching a nature-themed IMAX movie.

Moreover, according to legend, the Long Lake is the place where the God of Mountains draws water for the Goddess of Mountain to freshen up and it will never dry up.

Picturesque Long Lake in Jiuzhaigou National Park

 The Five-color Pond near the Long Lake is probably the most eye-catching sight throughout the park. From its center to the periphery, the lake surface displays a various spectrum of colors of sapphire, turquoise, emerald green, and olive green. Through the clear pond water, you can see calcareous deposits at the bottom and aquatic plants around, and no wonder the pond is called “the Eye of Jiuzhaigou”.

Gorgeous and Popular Five-color Pond

Pearl Shoal with Splashed Water Droplets

 Unlike most tranquil alpine lakes in the Jiuzhaigou National Park, the Pearl Shoal is way more dynamic and features the melodious sound of the flowing water. As you stand by the shoal, numerous splashing water droplets will show you why the shoal gets it name of “Pearl”.
 With a width of about 320 m (1,050 ft), the Nuorilang Waterfall is the widest one all over China. To appreciate it, you can either stand by it in a close distance and listen to the soothing sound of water cascading down, or admire it on the viewing platform and get a full view of it and the lakes behind. When winter comes, the waterfall freezes into blue ice, presenting you with one of the most iconic and unmissable views in the Jiuzhaigou National Park.

Impressive Nuorilang Waterfall in Jiuzhaigou

 Composed of 19 alpine lakes, the Shuzheng Lakes is undoubtedly a must-see in the park. When you stand on the viewing platform, the entire view in front of your sight is like the jewelry box of the Goddess of Mountains, and each lake is like a priceless gem in nature. In autumn, the tranquil blue lake surfaces complement well with the blazing foliage, and you shouldn’t miss such a fabulous view.
 

Tourist Map of Jiuzhaigou National Park

The Jiuzhaigou National Park is approximately in the shape of the letter Y, with the left slash of the Zechawa Valley, the right slash of Rize Valley, and the stem of Shuzheng Valley. The intersection of them is the crucial Nuorilang Central Station of shuttle buses in the park. Since the Jiuzhaigou National Park covers a large area, a pure hiking tour here is impractical. The only way to visit the park is to take shuttle bus to travel between different highlights, and take a hiking tour on some trails.

People usually spend a full day traveling in the park, but even so, it’s impossible to visit all the sub-attractions within. What’s more, in addition to the shuttle bus journeys, tourists need to hike 20,000 - 30,000 steps during the full day tour. So, it’s essential to select your spots of interest to make efficient use of time and save strength.
 1. Right Route: Nuorilang Central Station ↔ Primeval Forest
 Highlights: Arrow Bamboo Lake, Five-flower Lake, Pearl Shoal

Along the right route, the 3-km-long (2 mi) hiking trail from the Primeval Forest to the Swan Lake is the most strenuous, but meanwhile, it boasts thick forests, alpine meadows, serene lakes, and gurgling streams, so it’s specially recommended to hiking enthusiasts. For those who prefer distinctive water scenery, it’s better to cancel this segment and get off the shuttle bus at the Arrow Bamboo Lake Station, the stop before the Primeval Forest, and start your sightseeing here.

A popular way to travel this route is to hike from Arrow Bamboo Lake to Panda Lake, take a shuttle bus to Five-flower Lake, hike to Pearl Shoal Waterfall and Mirror Lake, and take a shuttle bus to Nuorilang Central Station.

Tourists Hiking along the Right Route in Jiuzhaigou

2. Left Route: Nuorilang Central Station ↔ Long Lake
 Highlights: Long Lake, Five-color Pond
 

Iconic Cypress Tree along Left Route

The left route features two attractive spots: the Long Lake at its end and the Five-color Pond about 1 km (0.6 mi) away. It’s notable that after visiting Long Lake, one has to hike for about half an hour to Five-color Pond. After the sightseeing here, one can walk to the north for about 10 minutes to take the shuttle bus back to Nuorilang Central Station.

3. Central Route: Park Entrance ↔ Nuorilang Central Station
 Highlights: Nuorilang Waterfall, Rhinoceros Lake, Shuzheng Lakes

People generally first visit the left and right routes in the morning, and then start sightseeing on the central route after lunch. Coincidentally, sunny afternoon is indeed the best time to visit the central route, when the turquoise lake surface glistens in the brilliant sunshine. In comparison with the left and right routes, the central route features a larger viewing space, and is thus less crowded. Moreover, it includes two panoramic viewing platforms respectively at the Nuorilang Waterfall and the Shuzheng Lakes, providing excellent viewing angles.

Along this route, the 2-km-long (1.2 mi) segment from the Rhinoceros Lake to the Sparkling Lake is quite suitable for a hiking tour, since the water scenery here varies, and it’s relatively flat and you basically won’t feel too tired walking along it.

Tibetan Village on the Central Route of Jiuzhaigou

Tiger Lake along Central Route

 The shuttle bus journey starts at the park entrance, and takes tourists to the Long Lake of Left Route / the Primeval Forest of Right Route. On the return journey, the shuttle bus drives from the Five-color Pond of Left Route / the Primeval Forest of Right Route to the park exit, which is next to the entrance. The shuttle bus journey links all the remarkable sights in the park, and whichever direction the shuttle bus goes, it will definitely stop at the Nuorilang Central Station for a while.

Shuttle Bus in Jiuzhaigou National Park

Tourists Riding Shuttle Bus in Jiuzhaigou

 Good to Know:
1. Tourists visiting the Jiuzhaigou National Park have to buy shuttle bus tickets, and there’s no limit on the number of rides.
2. The single journey along each route takes 20 to 30 minutes, and to ensure a comfortable experience, it’s not suggested to take a fully occupied bus. Plus, it generally takes you no more than 5 minutes to wait for a new bus to arrive during off-peak hours, and no more than 15 minutes during peak hours.
3. Whether the shuttle bus you take at the park entrance goes to the Left Route or the Right Route is random. If you want to visit the Right Route but take a shuttle bus to the Left Route, don’t worry and just get off at the Nuorilang Central Station and transfer to the shuttle bus to the Right Route, and vice versa.
4. Some shuttle busses at the entrance terminate at the Shuzheng Village on the Central Route, with signs at the front windshields. If the village is not your first stop, don’t take this kind of shuttle bus. You can further confirm the destination with the driver.

 Another Option: Jiuzhaigou VIP Chartered Bus
In addition to the regular shuttle buses, the Jiuzhaigou National Park offers VIP chartered bus service, making tourists travel here more comfortably. The journey covers main sights in the park, and is suitable for people in a family travel with luggage. To take a VIP chartered bus, one needs to pay CNY 210 to upgrade the shuttle bus service to the VIP service.

The advantages of VIP charter buses are: tourists take the same bus throughout the entire journey, with no need to wait for the bus or hike for a long distance; the luggage is kept on the bus all the way, so that tourists can travel light; and tourists enjoy a guided tour that does not follow a usual itinerary and go to the Central Route first, so that their sightseeing can be less crowded. While the drawback is that you can hardly have a deep exploration due to short time reserved for each sight and you just follow the guide to tour with a fixed itinerary.
 

Fantastic Summer Scenery of Jiuzhaigou

Unique Blue Ice of Jiuzhaigou

1. Full-day Exploration
 Option 1: Entrance → Nuorilang Central Station → Right Route → Nuorilang Central Station → Left Route → Nuorilang Central Station → Central Route→Exit
 Option 2: Entrance → Nuorilang Central Station → Left Station → Nuorilang Central Station → Right Route → Nuorilang Central Station → Central Route → Exit

2. Half-day Tour Featuring Right Route
 Given that the right route features more diverse water views, it’s suggested to mainly visit this route if you only have half a day for Jiuzhaigou National Park.
 Entrance → Nuorilang Central Station → Right Route → Nuorilang Central Station → Highlights along Central Route (or cancel this part depending on the situation) → Exit

3. Crowd-free Sightseeing
 Entrance → Shuzheng → Shuzheng Lakes, Tiger Lake, and Rhinoceros Lake → Nuorilang Central Station → Right / Left Route → Nuorilang Central Station → Exit
 1. The best time to visit Jiuzhaigou National Park is from October 8 to mid-November, the colorful foliage season of Jiuzhaigou. During this period, the scenery is in its prime all year round.
2. It’s better to book the hotel close to the park entrance, or the traffic congestion may slow down your pace of arriving at the park.
3. Please dress in layers to cope with the large temperature difference between day and night here, and bring an all-weather umbrella to block strong UV rays and sudden rain.
4. People generally don’t get altitude sickness in the most areas of Jiuzhaigou, but by the Long Lake at an altitude of about 3,100 m (10,200 ft), some people may experience mild discomfort. In this case, it’s suggested to slow the sightseeing pace and inhale oxygen.
5. After visiting the Right and Left Routes, you can have lunch at Nuorilang Central Station which offers diverse dining options.
6. Many traditional Tibetan festivals fall in March and April. After you visit the Jiuzhaigou National Park, you can go to surrounding villages and immerse yourself in the festival atmosphere.
 

	April 1 - November 15	November 16 - March 31
Opening Hours	07:30 - 18:00. The last admission is at 14:00.	08:30 - 17:00. The last admission is at 14:00.
Ticket	CNY 190	CNY 80
Shuttle Bus Fee	CNY 90	CNY 80

 Notes: 
1. The Jiuzhaigou National Park is quite popular, so booking your ticket early is necessary. The tickets will go on sale at 0:00 the fourteenth day in advance.
2. The park offers free admission to people between 60 and 65 during non-holiday periods, children under 6 or no taller than 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in), and people over 65.
3. Teenagers between 7 and 14 can enter the park half-price, and so do people between 60 and 65 during Chinese public holidays.
 Jiuzhaigou National Park Ticket Booking
 

Traffic Map from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou

For a convenient and smooth tour, people usually choose to go to the Jiuzhaigou National Park from Chengdu. Firstly, you can take a high-speed train from Chengdu East Railway Station / Shuangliu Airport Railway Station to Jiuzhai Huanglong Railway Station / Songpan Railway Station. This journey takes 1.5 to 3 hours and costs CNY 130 to 150.

After getting out from the station, you can take a direct tourist bus ride to the park, which lasts 2 to 2.5 hours and costs CNY 51 / 56. Plus, people in a small group can choose to take a taxi / chartered vehicle from the station to the park.

Read more:
 Best Way to Travel between Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou
 How to Travel between Xi’an and Jiuzhaigou
 15 Most Beautiful Places in China