Feeling crystal clear

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.

In 1992, UNESCO registered this scenic area onto the world natural heritage list and many Chinese regard it as the nation's premier national park.

Compared to other Chinese tourist hubs, with north-south, east-west grid patterns the township's layout is unusual. The town is basically a 10-km strip of road sparsely lined with hotels, restaurants and shops. During peak season, in the spring and summer months, the place is humming with more than 30,000 people. During winter, between November and early March, it's a ghost town.

I visited during Spring Festival, hoping to find a quiet China hideaway, far from the maddening crowd of Beijing. I found it in Jiuzhaigou. My huge hotel, which had about 300 rooms, had only a dozen guests. The hotel staff, and most local tourist industry people, such as taxi drivers, restaurant operators and shopkeepers, could not speak English, making it a challenge for native English speakers. But don't let that stop you.

This place is all about the park and getting to this 70-hectare paradise from your hotel is an easy 10-minute taxi ride. The overwhelming serenity of its natural beauty makes up for any shortcomings. I spent hours walking through the park alone in splendid isolation. My vivid photographs took themselves.

A visitor stays in one of the dozens of hotels scattered along the main road, and room rates vary from 200 yuan ($28) a night to more than 2,000 a night at the Sheraton. But except for sleeping, why stay indoors, when the great outdoors is shining with such natural beauty?

It costs 220 yuan ($31) for a day ticket into the park, plus 90 yuan ($13) for a bus pass. You need a bus pass because the 50-km-long valley is impossible to cover by foot. A fleet of gas-powered minibuses circle every 10 minutes, and visitors can alight at dozens of stops. Walkways are built across the park, allowing visitors to be one with everything.

The bus tour guides are dressed in Tibetan costume, but my guides couldn't speak English. Chinese tourists helped me translate.

"Why is this lake called Rhino Lake?" I asked. "I never knew there were rhinos in China."

"Legend says an old Tibetan lama rode into Jiuzhaigou on a rhino looking for a cure to his fatal illness," said the guide. "After drinking the waters he was cured and did not ever want to leave. Instead, he rode his rhino into the lake, where he rested in peace."

Jiuzhaigou - which means Nine-Village Valley - is the home of nine Tibetan villages inside the park, and locals play an active part in the park's management. The Qiang people also live in the area and they believe everything under the sun has a soul.

At Shangzhai village, multi-colored Longda banners rustled in the wind. Tibetan prayer wheels were set up near the white pagoda. I spun them, but later found out I spun them the wrong way, clockwise. I don't think Buddha would have minded. It's the thought that counts.

About 5 pm local girls invite visitors to take part in folk dancing (guozhuang). I arrived at noon and the village was empty except for an old man who was shoveling away the recent snow. He looked up from his shovel and smiled then pointed down to the river, to the beautiful waters.

On the banks of the river was a small shack, which acted as a prayer center. Running water powered a large prayer wheel, spinning anti-clockwise.

I sat there peacefully, listening to the trickling stream and watching the light blue colors dance on the water's surface. I scooped a handful of water and quenched my thirst. The water was so pure. For the next hour I did nothing, thought of nothing and a deep peace came over me. A bright ray of sunlight shone down, once again changing the colors of the water to an even brighter blue.

My prayers for a perfect Spring Festival holiday were answered.

(China Daily 03/20/2008 page20)