The Valley of Nine Tibetan Villages

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Hello, hello from the most beautiful place on earth! Two days at the Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve, and I don't want to leave. I had never imagined a place so amazing its untrue... travellers raved about it, but I had to see it to believe it.

I headed up to Northern Sichuan from Chengdu on a 10 hour bus ride, and the journey was worth it. Saw the worst toilets EVER, (You just squat in a shared cubical gutter thing, so you see everything flowing past!!).... BUT also saw some a m a z i n g views-- ice mountain peaks, alphine valleys and tibetan villages along the way.

Jiu Zhai Gou is located in the North of Schiuan province, which was once part of Tibet. It was my first glimpse into Tibetan culture, food and its people.

I met my first Tibetan in the Nature Reserve when I stupidly decided to go waaaay off the tourist trail and walk to the sights as opposed to taking the bus with the rest of the million tourists. Well...that was a really bad idea. The park is HUGE. A Tibetan man was driving by, saw me and yelled out to me in Chinese which I prayed meant, "Hey Stupid, Do you want a Ride???"

So began my first conversation with a Tibetan in broken english and sign language about life in Jui Zhai Gou, the take over of Tibet, yak meat dumplings and the FIFA World Cup. My new friend was called "Kansa" and his name means "new world" or "new life". He asked me what my name meant, and I was embarrased to say I dont think it means anything, and if it did I didn't know! He was most disappointed! Kansa was on his way home to his village and dropped me off at Mirror Lake where I began a walk through the national park for 6 hours.

Well words really won't do justice in describing this place, so the pictures will do the talking.

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Photos

Paradise
at 1800m above sea level

It's Blue
because the lakes have a high concentration of calcium carbonate and minerals.

Tibetans call this lake
the "Blue Diamond"

Panda Lake
because pandas dwell in this area

Heaven
Mirror Lake reflections

Colour
above tibetan doors

Comments

[charles lee]

great pictures!!

[Peter Sullivan]

I like the Yak
That Yak looks awesome

[Jenn Boomer]

Amazing
Ida I had no idea how beautiful China could be. My perception is of these busy bustling cities with millions of busy people. Not so when you venture a little further than that!!!