Muerzhai Gully

Muerzhai Gully

Muerzhai Gully is located within the Mount Jiajin National Forest Park in Xiaojin County and Baoxing County. The gully is flanked by extremely high mountains with elevations above 5,000 meters and high mountains ranging from 3,500 to 5,000 meters. Its geographical landscape elements include snow-capped mountains, forests, meadows, alpine lakes, and streams. The bottom of Muerzhai Gully is narrow, with steep cliffs on both sides and the canyon deeply incised. Being there gives one a strong sense of nature’s extraordinary craftsmanship and majestic beauty.

Muerzhai Gully is the area within the entire Mount Jiajin range where vegetation is best preserved, and it consists entirely of untouched primeval forests. From ground-hugging plants and shrubs to tall trees, from deciduous to evergreen, from broadleaf to coniferous, the entire ecosystem is complex and intact. In the gully, there are large trees that require two or three people to encircle, and ancient trees can be found every three to five meters. Both rhododendrons and sea buckthorn here have undergone biological mutations—"shrub arborization." The largest sea buckthorn tree is said to be several thousand years old, requiring four people to encircle it, and is revered by locals as the "Tree King." This speaks volumes about the health of its ecosystem.

Muerzhai Gully is located in Dawei Township, Xiaojin County, adjacent to the renowned Siguniangshan Scenic Area’s Shuangqiao Gully, and faces Mount Jiajin—the first snow mountain crossed during the Long March of the Red Army—from afar. It is part of the Mount Jiajin National Forest Park. High-altitude meadows, deep mountain canyons, primeval forests, snow-capped mountains, glaciers, alpine lakes, forest streams, deadwood, as well as hidden pastures among the woods, and flocks of sheep and yaks wandering the mountains, all form breathtakingly beautiful landscapes that are both desirable and memorable. The gully is flanked by extremely high mountains with elevations above 5,000 meters and high mountains ranging from 3,500 to 5,000 meters. Its geographical landscape elements include snow-capped mountains, forests, meadows, alpine lakes, and streams. The bottom of Muerzhai Gully is narrow, with steep cliffs on both sides and the canyon deeply incised. Being there gives one a strong sense of nature’s extraordinary craftsmanship and majestic beauty.

Muerzhai Gully is the area within the entire Mount Jiajin range where vegetation is best preserved, and it consists entirely of untouched primeval forests. From ground-hugging plants and shrubs to tall trees, from deciduous to evergreen, from broadleaf to coniferous, the entire ecosystem is complex and intact. In the gully, there are large trees that require two or three people to encircle, and ancient trees can be found every three to five meters. Both rhododendrons and sea buckthorn here have undergone biological mutations—"shrub arborization." The largest sea buckthorn tree is said to be several thousand years old, requiring four people to encircle it, and is revered by locals as the "Tree King." This speaks volumes about the health of its ecosystem.

Muerzhai Gully is approximately 28 kilometers long. Standing at the bottom of the valley and looking up, you’ll see towering cliffs. The lowest elevation at the valley entrance in Guangjinba is 2,780 meters, while the highest point, Jianzishan in Daogou, reaches 5,472 meters, with a relative elevation difference of 2,692 meters, making it a typical high-mountain canyon landform. It is said that in autumn, the golden and translucent larches, the fiery red leaves covering the mountains, and the richly layered "four seasons in one mountain" create scenery that rivals the autumn views of Miyaluo in northern Sichuan, known for its fall foliage. Duoji Pengcuo, former photographer of the Chinese Mountaineering Team, described Muerzhai Gully as having “the most colorful and enchanting autumn scenery he has ever seen in the entire Tibetan region,” adding that it also “possesses the majestic grandeur of the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon.”

Jianzishan is the main peak of Muerzhai Gully in Mount Jiajin. On the eastern ridge of Muerzhai Gully lies a peak called Baojing Mountain. Jiujia Hai, with an elevation of about 4,930 meters, lies quietly between Jianzishan (north) and Baojing Mountain (south). Legend has it that this was the fairy bathing pool of the Fourth Sister. Standing to its northeast is the Siguniang Mountain, which is just a straight-line distance of 10 kilometers from the fairy bathing pool.

Starting from the valley entrance and traveling along the gully through Dahuodi, Hongshiyan, Ba’erpeng, Shuicaoping, Lanmugan, Xiaoniuchang, Pugeyan, Bangziqiao, and Daniuchang for about 20 kilometers, you then ascend steeply to Xiongdongzi and Jiujia Hai. The approach to Jiujia Hai involves a section of steep, near-vertical climbing that requires considerable physical strength and skill. Jiujia Hai is a cluster of alpine lakes. According to local villagers, there are 13 lakes in total, including 4 seasonal ones and 9 perennial ones (though only 3 were found). Hence the name Jiujia Hai, meaning “Nine Lakes.” The nine lakes are distributed along the mountain ridge, arranged in sequence and stretching approximately 4 kilometers. Standing at Jiujia Hai and looking around, the otherworldly and magnificent scenery is bound to stir the imagination.

The glaciers in Muerzhai Gully are at an altitude of around 4,000 meters, making them among the most approachable glaciers. People can walk directly on them, especially in summer when the ice and snow are melting. The chilly air hitting your face makes it an excellent summer retreat.

The First Wonder of Muerzhai Gully: The abundance of sea buckthorn trees, their great age, and unique shapes. There is a scenic spot in the gully called “Dead Trees in Competition,” which bears a striking resemblance to the Dead Tree Beach in Changping Gully of the Siguniangshan Scenic Area. However, Muerzhai Gully’s “Dead Tree Beach” has even more dead trees in a variety of forms. Visiting this place at dusk may evoke a sense of nostalgia and the passage of time.

The Second Wonder of Muerzhai Gully: The magical spectacle of caves. On a mountainside within Muerzhai Gully, there is a mysterious cave with great development potential, locally known as the “- Cave.” According to an elderly person who entered the cave in the 1950s, the “- Cave” extends over 10 kilometers, is more than 10 meters wide, and about 5 meters high. Inside, there are numerous stalactites in a myriad of shapes—some delicate and small, like spring bamboo shoots breaking through the soil; some exquisite and elegant, resembling lotus buds about to bloom; some majestic and simple, much like the pillars of ancient palace halls; and some grand and powerful, like cascading waterfalls. Being inside feels like stepping into a “utopia.”

The Third Wonder of Muerzhai Gully: The Divine Horse Neighing. Among the mountains on the eastern side of Daogou, there are two similarly elevated peaks standing opposite each other. From a distance, they resemble an exceptionally strong and proud “divine horse” galloping eastward. Legend says it was the steed of the Fourth Sister, left to graze here but, enchanted by the lush grass, refused to leave. Trapped by a sudden snow blockade, it eventually froze into the shape of this mountain. Its form and spirit are incredibly lifelike, leaving visitors in awe—it is truly a marvel of Muerzhai Gully.