#HowToTrip Travelogue Competition# Walking in Paradise – Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong

Jiuzhaigou earned its name due to the presence of nine Tibetan villages (also referred to as He Yao Jiuzhai), located in the central-southern part of Jiuzhaigou County in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China. It is part of a tributary of the Yangtze River, specifically the Jialing River and Bai Shui River. The area takes its name from nine Tibetan villages, including He Ye, Shu Zheng, and Zharwa. The touring region ranges in elevation from 2,000 to 3,100 meters above sea level, offering a pleasant climate with no harsh winter winds, cool summers, and beautiful scenery all year round, making it one of the best tourist environments in the world.

      D2, Jiuzhaigou (Primitive Forest, Grass Sea, Swan Lake; Arrow Bamboo Lake, Panda Lake; Long Lake, Five Flower Lake; Nuorilang Waterfall)

      [Travel Tips: ①The main scenic area of Jiuzhaigou spans over 10 kilometers and covers an area of more than 60,000 hectares. It mainly consists of three valleys arranged in a “Y” shape within the Min Mountains: Rize Valley, Zechawa Valley, and Shuzheng Valley. The key attractions of Jiuzhaigou are distributed among these three valleys, with Nuorilang Center serving as their intersection. All scenic spots within Jiuzhaigou are accessible via sightseeing buses (note that bus stops are divided into boarding and alighting points, so check carefully before boarding; the ticket hall has a guide map—remember to grab one when you buy your ticket); ②After breakfast, go to the visitor center to purchase tickets. The entrance fee to the scenic area is 220 RMB, and the sightseeing bus within the area is 90 RMB, totaling 310 RMB, which is mandatory. The sightseeing bus is the only means of transport for exploring the scenic area; ③Staff at the visitor center ticket office may say “lunch in the scenic area must be reserved in advance (60 RMB per person) and is only available at the Nuorilang Visitor Center—otherwise, there’s no food,” but this is not true; ④Take the scenic shuttle bus uphill via Nuorilang directly to the highest point in Rize Valley, the Primitive Forest, and walk back downhill to visit the Primitive Forest, Grass Sea, and Swan Lake in sequence; ⑤After visiting Swan Lake, take the sightseeing bus further downhill to Arrow Bamboo Lake and get off to explore Arrow Bamboo Lake and Panda Lake. Then, take the scenic bus back to Nuorilang. After a quick lunch, transfer to the sightseeing bus bound for Zechawa Valley, get off at the final stop, and explore Long Lake (it’s better to visit Long Lake in the afternoon due to the favorable lighting, which is also why visitors usually go to Zechawa Valley for Long Lake after seeing Panda Lake in Rize Valley); afterward, walk along the wooden path to view Five Flower Lake; ⑥From Five Flower Lake, take the bus back to Nuorilang, then transfer to the bus leaving Jiuzhaigou and get off at Nuorilang Waterfall for a visit, before taking the bus back to the scenic area entrance (the valley mouth) and returning to your hotel for a meal and rest.]