TR AVEL | F E AT U R E
JIU ZHAI GOU Treetops and Temples
By Sophie Steiner
T
he once-farmland-turned-nature reserve in northern Sichuan known as Jiuzhaigou was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992, recognized for its distinctly beautiful and equally diverse scenery. As a part of the Min Mountains, Jiuzhaigou Valley hugs the Tibetan Plateau, celebrated for its varied landscapes encompassing crystalline transparent pools in shades of blue, green and teal, multi-level waterfalls, undulating mountains and lush greenery. The park’s elevation spans 2,000 to 4,500 meters above sea level and is nearest to Chengdu, albeit 500 kilometers north of the City of Pandas. Due to the higher altitude, summer remains pleasantly mild, while winters are frigid yet equally spectacular with a dusting of pristine, powdery snow covering the barren trees. But the best time to visit is autumn when the bright oranges, reds and fiery yellows of the falling leaves form a contrasting backdrop to the cooler colored pools. In August 2017, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook the foundation of Jiuzhaigou county, with the Pearl Shoal, a popular waterfall site within the park, at its epicenter. The authorities closed the entire valley to tourism, only allowing limited access for more than three years during the rebuild and COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, in the spring of 2021, the park fully opened again to the general public – including foreign passport holders, making it the ideal time to experience this one-of-a-kind destination. 26 |AUGUST 2021 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM
