Heaven on Earth?

Juizhaigou
Originally uploaded by mattm3a

Of all the places we visited in China, Jiu Zhai Gou has to be my favorite. It also ranks amongst the most beautiful places I've ever visited. The lakes are rich hues of blue and green that I've never thought possible in nature. When one is able to get away from the hordes of people, it is wonderfully tranquil and the hikes were lovely. Unfortunately, all the lakes are big tourist destinations, so you have to fight for a good photo spot or to even get a good view of the water. However, looking back upon the trip, it's the scenery that I recall, not the crowds. At one of the lakes, we were told that it was a set for the movie "Hero". (If anyone recalls the scene where Jet Li's character fights Tony Leung's character on a lake, that was filmed in JZG as well as some other scenes, possibly.) Anyway, the scenery is truly sublime.

JZG is also home to nine Tibetan tribes, though if I recall correctly, only three tribes currently reside there now. In the center of the park, there is a Tibetan village which is set up to attract tourists to spend their money. There, we ventured into what we thought was a restaurant but discovered that it was the living room of our hostess. We were treated to a traditional Tibetan tea that isn't like any tea I've ever had. It consisted of some sort of power and yak fat mixed with hot water. Our hostess was a young girl (all the people in the JZG area had very clear complexions with ruddy cheeks and looked very young) who spoke Mandarin fluently (apparently learned from watching TV) and had a cheerful disposition. She even welcomed us to stay with her family (JZG visitors are generally not supposed to stay in the reserve), unfortunately our luggage was left at the hotel so we couldn't accept her offer. But when we came on the second day, we returned to visit her and the sample some of the traditional Tibetan snacks like yak and lamb and a type of flat bread (all very delicious).

Visitors have the option of purchasing a one- or two-day pass to Jiu Zhai Gou. We purchased to two-day pass and it was definitely the right decision to make because it would be impossible to see all the spots and do some hiking in one day. For anyone who plans to visit, definitely get the two-day pass. It's more expensive, but so worth the money.

Unfortunately, I am not able to upload my pics so I've stolen the one you see from my fellow travelmate. (Matt, if you want me to take it down, just say the word.)