Juizhaigo - Far and Further into Tibet and China!

Juizhaigo, a place that caught my attention within no time though I never managed to remember the name, until today! Today, the day I landed in Juizhaigo, valley of nine fortified Tibetan villages with a nature reserve located in the north of Sichuan province close to Tibet, China. Jiuzhaigo Valley (UNESCO World Heritage Site) is part of the Min Mountains on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and is known for its many multi-level waterfalls, colorful lakes (will definitely see all the peacock colors), green valleys and snow-capped peaks. It’s that part of China where one spends the same time and effort as it takes to travel another continent but also the ones who do, gets rewarded with an experience that I would call unreal.

Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport is built on a high mountain (3448 m), landing on which is as thrilling as it could get. Flying just few feet high on a bed of snowcapped mountains is breathtaking.  The airport is around two hours away from the national park. As I mentioned it’s not easy to reach but that works for a traveler as the true experience is in the journey and not the destination. Jiuzhai Valley National Park is best known for its fabled blue and green lakes (over 100), spectacular waterfalls, narrow conic karst land forms and its unique wildlife. It is home to nine Tibetan villages, over 220 bird species as well as a number of endangered plant and animal species, including the giant panda, Sichuan golden monkey, the Sichuan takin and numerous orchids and rhododendrons. After exploring the parks for two full days, trekking the right slope of this “Y” shaped national park is much recommended. There are lots of people at any point in time, its china but you will find your peaceful spot.

So here I am in the month of June, still cold with light staying till 8 pm, multiple valleys tucked within each other, Tibetan style houses, Sichuan food, and rich culture for as far as I could see. The area feels just like a small hill side sleepy town apart from two cultural centers (with one performance daily on the evolving culture and quite big to my surprise) and a bar street that gets quite buzzing in the evenings. People are so beautiful and happy. Prayers are written on small flags and tied across a string so they could fly through the wind to GOD. And guess it works as they literally live in heaven. We stayed in Meido guesthouse that could only be reached via a small trek but it was exactly what we were looking for. Beautiful views, room and hosts. Douche, our host is turning on the gallery lamps and lighting the wood as I write this. Communication has always been a huge challenge in China but after travelling and getting lost multiple times, I have learnt to trust others as much as to trust my own instincts and enjoy the journey as much as the destination. And if I don’t reach the destination I thought I will, I enjoy wherever I reach. What amazes me is that you can still have your share of chats and laughs with the people around. I learnt some new board and card games over a beer. You need nothing else but to live this moment. A moment of truth, a moment of peace and a moment of life.