Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan Province is one of the natural wonders of China with its lakes, waterfalls, ponds, streams, springs, rivers and rapids combining to create a watery dreamland.

As a Shanghainese who has made lots of visits during holidays to the Chinese classical gardens in nearby cities like Suzhou and Hangzhou, I finally made up my mind to venture somewhere different, to a place distinct from the hustle and bustle of the metropolitan life.

Fortunately, the vast motherland has many, many locations where one can view the beauty of Nature. And so, at the end of June, there I was in Sichuan Province in Southwest China.

Sichuan has always taken pride in its reputation of a land of abundance and has a whole host of natural wonders completely different from Shanghai. The journey seemed to enhance my expectations from the very beginning.

Following a quick look around Chengdu, the provincial capital, I couldn't wait to make a bee-line for my long-desired dreamland destination - Jiuzhaigou, also known as the Valley of Nine Villages.

But first there was a real test of my endurance and patience - a nine-hour bus ride from Chengdu.

Apparently, viewing the spectacular scenery was doomed to be hard-earned.

The narrow and rugged mountain paths have endowed Sichuan with poetic lines from ancient times.

That's because traveling around the province is harder than scaling the sky.

No wonder it is said that Sichuan driving license holders are famous for their motoring skills, especially for getting around precipitous paths on mountainsides on rainy nights which happen a lot.

I felt much at ease on a bus with a driver who boasted nearly 30 years driving experience in such circumstances.

Still, the long odyssey before I reached Jiuzhaigou proved to be to my benefit because it made my first sight of the valley absolutely worthwhile.

Jiuzhaigou is about 430 kilometers from Chengdu and lies within the boundary of Jiuzhuigou County of the Aba Autonomous Prefecture.

Tibetan and Qiang ethnic minority groups constitute the majority of the population. There are nine Tibetan villages scattered throughout the valley, hence its name, although in fact we could only gain access to three of them.

What makes Jiuzhaigou special are its water - rivers, lakes, springs, streams, ponds, waterfalls and rapids. As the popular saying goes: "You won't enjoy seeing any other mountain once you've seen Yellow Mountain and neither will you favor any other waterscape when you're back from Jiuzhaigou."

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