HSK Exam - Journey to a water wonderland

CITYLIFE / Travel






Journey to a water wonderland

By Han Jing (Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2007-07-16 10:35



Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan Province is one of the natural wonders of China
with its lakes, waterfalls, ponds, streams, springs, rivers and rapids
combining to create a watery dreamland.

As a Shanghainese who has made lots of visits during holidays to the
Chinese classical gardens in nearby cities like Suzhou and Hangzhou, I
finally made up my mind to venture somewhere different, to a place
distinct from the hustle and bustle of the metropolitan life.

Fortunately, the vast motherland has many, many locations where one can
view the beauty of Nature. And so, at the end of June, there I was in
Sichuan Province in Southwest China.

Sichuan has always taken pride in its reputation of a land of abundance
and has a whole host of natural wonders completely different from
Shanghai. The journey seemed to enhance my expectations from the very
beginning.

Following a quick look around Chengdu, the provincial capital, I couldn't
wait to make a bee-line for my long-desired dreamland destination -
Jiuzhaigou, also known as the Valley of Nine Villages.

But first there was a real test of my endurance and patience - a
nine-hour bus ride from Chengdu.

Apparently, viewing the spectacular scenery was doomed to be hard-earned.

The narrow and rugged mountain paths have endowed Sichuan with poetic
lines from ancient times.

That's because traveling around the province is harder than scaling the
sky.

No wonder it is said that Sichuan driving license holders are famous for
their motoring skills, especially for getting around precipitous paths on
mountainsides on rainy nights which happen a lot.

I felt much at ease on a bus with a driver who boasted nearly 30 years
driving experience in such circumstances.

Still, the long odyssey before I reached Jiuzhaigou proved to be to my
benefit because it made my first sight of the valley absolutely
worthwhile.

Jiuzhaigou is about 430 kilometers from Chengdu and lies within the
boundary of Jiuzhuigou County of the Aba Autonomous Prefecture.

Tibetan and Qiang ethnic minority groups constitute the majority of the
population. There are nine Tibetan villages scattered throughout the
valley, hence its name, although in fact we could only gain access to
three of them.

What makes Jiuzhaigou special are its water - rivers, lakes, springs,
streams, ponds, waterfalls and rapids. As the popular saying goes: "You
won't enjoy seeing any other mountain once you've seen Yellow Mountain
and neither will you favor any other waterscape when you're back from
Jiuzhaigou."


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