(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-03-20 10:59

Jiuzhaigou, an idyllic valley surrounded by majestic snow-capped peaks.

If the gods have a holiday house on earth, they would have digs in the beautiful mountain valleys of Jiuzhaigou, in Sichuan province. This watery wonderland, teeming with lakes, waterfalls, ponds, streams, springs, rivers and rapids, has become one of China's must-see destinations.

The mesmerizing colors of Jiuzhaigou's blue-green waterways are the reason why there are more than 20,000 hotel beds in this small mountain town in northern Sichuan province of Southwest China.

Rising up to 4,000 m above sea level, between the Sichuan Basin and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, this place gives John Denver's Rocky Mountain High a new dimension.

According to Chinese legend, two gods Dage and Semo were the first to live in the once barren and waterless valley. They fell in love, and Dage gave his sweetheart a beautiful mirror. But a jealous demon caused Semo to smash it into 114 pieces, which fell down the mountain to form the crystal-clear lakes. As light reflected off the fragments, more streams and waterfalls magically appeared.

The light in Jiuzhaigou definitely has an X factor about it, lifting the spirits of a new visitor. Travel writers say the waterways of Venice in Italy have this X factor, as does Sydney Harbor in Australia. It's a feeling, not just an observation. But there is also a scientific explanation for Jiuzhaigou's eye-catching waters, which can flicker dark blue one second and turquoise the next.

The intense colors are caused by the high concentration of calcium carbonate crystals, which cover lakebeds and embankments. The water is so clear that the lake bottom, sometimes 30 m deep, is visible. The sun's rays dance with these crystals and paint an amazing palate.

Waterfalls are the show ponies of the scenery and flow down between lakes, which lie on different levels. Twisted trees grow on these rock platforms adding to the unique Chinese picture.

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