Jiuzhaigou Part 6: Chengdu/Summary

The final highlight of the Jiuzhaigou tour was of course the giant pandas. The Chengdu Panda Preserve has probably the largest numbers of panda, over 40. These panda are very active playing and eating.
Chengdu is a very nice city; it is a great place to relax for a few days. We also took the opportunity to see the traditional opera that highlighted the changing face show. This is amazing; a performer can change the face mask AND costume by a flash of a fan or a flag. Summary: I am so glad that Sam and I had the opportunity to visit Jiuzhaigou. There are so many scenic sites in the area: Huanglong, Jiuzhaigou, and Emei Shan. The trip was strenuous, mainly because of the bumpy ride and high altitude of Huanglong on the first day of our visit. However, we have no regrets. Jiuzhaigou was truly the trip of a live-time.

Jiuzhaigou Part 5: Emei Shan

Emei Shan (峨眉山) is one of the four sacred mountains of China. It has been designated a World Heritage Site because of its breathtaking scenery, misty mountain, and historical Buddhist sites. Emei consists of a chain of very high summits (3100 meters, 9300 feet).

How we got there:
From Chengdu, it was a 2-hours bus ride (nice highway) to the foot of the mountain. Emei is 9300 feet. To save on walking, we boarded the special mini-bus that took us part way (1.5 hours) up the mountain. We then hiked 40 minutes up to reach the cable car stop (at 7500 feet). The Swiss-style cable car ride took us up 15 Km to the summit – well, not quite. We still have to walk the remaining 20 minutes to reach the summit. The final hike had me huffing and puffing in the high altitude. Luckily, Sam bought me a bamboo walking stick that helped me challenged the summit.

One of Emei habitats are the monkeys. Their best talent is to snatch food from tourists. We were advised by our tour guide to conceal food in our backpacks.

What’s at the summit?
Emei is best known for the sea of clouds and the many temples. The most famous temple is Jinding (golden roof temple) at the summit. It was raining and foggy that day (Emei is foggy most days) for us to see anything or to take good pictures. Next to Jinding is a small little temple that is reported by Sam to be very spirited.

Jiuzhaigou Part 4: Jiuzhaigou

Jiuzhaigou is located in the Sichuan province of China, close to Tibet. The name Jiuzhai means "Valley of Nine Villages," derived from the 9 ancient Tibetan villages that still call the region home. The average height of the region is about 3,000 meters (9,000 feet) with the highest point of 4,700 meters (14,000 feet) above sea level. The water is so beautiful that there is a saying “After visiting Jiuzhai, you don’t want to see other water.”

The park is a World Heritage Site and is extremely well maintain; no gasoline-operated vehicles are allowed inside as well as a list of other restrictions in order to preserve the park. The water is pristine and has a high mineral content; therefore, fallen trees are calcified and are visible under water.

"Jiuzhaigou's best-known feature is its dozens of blue, green and turquoise-colored lakes. Originating in glacial activity, they were dammed by rockfalls and other natural phenomena, and then solidified by processes of carbonate deposition. Some lakes have a high concentration of calcium carbonate, and their water is very clear so that the bottom is often visible even at high depths. The lakes vary in color and aspect according to their depths, residues, and surroundings."
Jiuzhaigou is composed of three valleys (gou’s) arranged in a Y shape: Rize Valley 日则沟, Zechawa valley 则查洼沟, Shuzheng gou 树正沟. All scenic spots are exquisitely beautiful (picture 1). My personal favorites are Nuorilang Falls 诺日朗瀑布 (picture 2) and Five Flower Lake 五花海, a shallow multi-colored lake whose bottom is criss-crossed by ancient fallen tree trunks (picture 3).


How we got there? We flew from Hong Kong to Chengdu (2.5 hours), then flew to Jiuzhaigou (45 minutes). We were told by our tour guide that road travel is banned because of hazards resulting from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. After arrival at the park, we transferred to electric-operated mini-bus (the Chinese government banned gasoline-operated vehicles to preserve the park).

Lodging: We stayed overnight at the Sheraton which is conveniently located right at the edge of Jiuzhaigou.

Jiuzhaigou Part 3: Huanglong

Huanglong黃龍 (means yellow dragon) is a World Heritage Site located in the northern Sichuan Province that has

"outstanding travertine formations, 3300 cascading terraced pools, hot springs and waterfalls lying beneath the snow-capped Minshan mountain range which carry the easternmost Chinese glacier. Huanlong’s major scenery is concentrated in the 2.2 miles long Huanglong Valley that includes snow-clad peaks and the easternmost glaciers in China. Due to its layered calcium carbonated deposit patterns, the valley resembles a golden dragon winding its way through the virgin forest, stone mountains and glaciers. Along the valley are scattering numerous colorful ponds of different sizes and shapes, which are strewn with gold colored limestone deposit giving a shimmering golden hue to water, so in sunlight, a golden dragon seems to surge forth from the forest. Thus it was named Huanglong Valley (Yellow Dragon Valley)."



How we got there?
From the Jiuzhai airport, it was a 2-hours very bumpy drive up the Minshan Mountain just to get to the Huanglong scenic area. We then transferred to a mini-bus driven by the local Tibetans. Road construction everywhere made the ride hazardous. Because the altitude ranges 1700-5588 meters (5,100 - 16,764 ft) above sea level, many in our tour group experienced altitude problems, despite the fact we were all prepared with canned O2 sprays. At least one person was bus-sick.

The first scenic spot of Huanglong is Yingbin Pond (meaning welcoming quests pond.) Travelers then walk up to the other 6 scenic ponds. The best pond is of course all the way at the top called Shuanwan Pond. It was raining and I was not for the challenge so I stopped at the first pond at the bottom and waited while others in our group pursued the other ponds. The scenery was truly beautiful and I was glad we were able to visit Huanglong. Would I visit again? Probably not.

Jiuzhaigou Part 2: The Tour Package

Getting there is not easy. Most travelers first fly to Chengdu, then change plane to fly into Jiuzhai. Since the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, traveling is restricted by air into Jiuzhaigou’s Jiuhuang Airport a necessity. Because all travel is by air and the fact Jiuhuang Airport is built on top of a mountain, the trip was not cheap.

We evaluated several tour packages (most were operated from the West Coast area) and finally decided on joining a tour originating from Hong Kong - to help ensure a larger tour group. There is a host of travel agencies in Hong Kong; we chose China Travel Service (www.ctshk.com) 6-day tour of Jiuzhaigou that included HuangLong and Emei Mountain 九寨溝、黃龍、峨嵋山(金頂)、樂山、成都 CB 六天直航團(四程機) for HK$6899 (USD$887). The price included 4 flights (Hong Kong-Chengdu-Jiuzhaigou-Chengdu-Hong Kong), 5 night’s hotel, all meals, and attraction admissions.

Here’s the itinerary by day:
1. Travel: The flight from Hong Kong to Chengdu was about 2-1/2 hours, an evening flight that left Hong Kong at 7:30 PM. By the time we arrived and checked into the Tibetan Hotel, it was midnight.
2. Flight to Jiuzhaigou. We flew early the next day to Jiuzhaigou. It was a 45-minute flight but it was delayed. We arrived around 1 PM, had lunch, and boarded a bus for a 2-hour ride to Huanglong. After visiting Huanglong we lodged at the Sheraton Jiuzhai. In the evening, we attended a Tibetan folklore dance show at the Sheraton Hotel (CNY 150, about USD $22). We left at half show because the music was too loud and we did not quite enjoy the show.
3. Jiuzhaigou: Full day sight-seeing
4. Flight back to Chengdu; visited Lashan
5. Emeishan (Emei Mountain)
6. Chengdu Panda Reserve. The visit was great, we had not seen so many pandas in one place. It was great to see ‘active’ pandas; they were playing, eating bamboo, climbing trees, etc. In contrast, the two pandas at Ocean Park Hong Kong sleep much of the time. We took the 5:30 PM return flight to Hong Kong.

暢遊被列入世界自然文化遺產之一，有 “童話世界”的美譽 ～九寨溝風景
暢遊有 “人間瑤池”仙境之稱～黃龍風景區，飽覽令人迷醉的自然風光 暢遊被列入世界自然文化遺產及有中國佛教四大名山之一~峨眉山轉乘環保包車上峨眉山，繼後乘纜車前往海拔3077米高的金頂，感受「登臺輕世界，俯覽小山川」的境界 峨眉山金頂四面十方普賢金像~是世界上最高的金佛，也是第一個十方普賢的藝術造型。金佛系銅鑄鎦金工藝佛像造像，通高48米，總重量達660噸。 乘遊船欣賞舉世著名的《樂山大佛》及《臥波大睡佛》

Jiuzhaigou Part 1: Introduction

During our visit to Hong Kong in July 2010, we took a 6-day package tour to Jiuzhaigou which is located in the Sichuan province of China, close to Tibet.
"The name Jiuzhai means Valley of Nine Villages, derived from the 9 ancient Tibetan villages that still call the region home. It is known for its habitat of giant pandas and for its many stunningly colorful lakes, multi-level waterfalls and mountains." The average height of the region is about 3,000 meters (9,000 feet) with the highest point of 4,700 meters (14,000 feet) above sea level. The water is so beautiful that there is a saying “After visiting Jiuzhai, you don’t want to see other water.”

Our 6-day Jiuzhaigou tour included the Jiuzhaigou National Park, Huanglong National Park, Emei Shan, LeShan, and of course, Chengdu.

This web site http://www.pbase.com/jonbatchelor/jiuzhaigou has a good collection of pictures that will give you a feel of the scenery.

Taishan Part 18: Closing Thoughts

I am so glad that I made the trip to Taishan. The timing was so right - time, companionship, information about the travel from web search - all fell into place that made the trip possible. It is a good place to visit for a very short time.

Taishan is a very laid-back. Living standards have improved. Some factories have been built and people from the villages can work in the factories to earn more money. Work in the rice field, while still hard, is also much improved. Machines are used instead of water buffalos and humans. Instead of doing all the work themselves, many people hire migrant workers from Guangxi and Hunan to work the fields.

Our driver told us that of all people living in Taishan, half are the locals and the half are retirees returning from overseas. He also told us that people in Taishan are laid-back. The retirement age in China is currently 50 years old. People who are in the late 40s are already getting ready for retirement by working very short days (like leaving work at 11:30 AM). What do they do with their time? Play mahjong, of course.

Taishan Part 17: Leaving Taicheng for Hong Kong

After a one-day visit of Taicheng and the village, it was time to return to Hong Kong. The return trip should have taken 4.5 hours but turned out to be 6.5 hours – the bus’ transmission died when we were crossing a bridge in Jungshan. We waited 2 hours, luckily the air was still working, until a rescue bus arrived.

I took some pictures on the return trip that captured the booming development in the area around Shenzhen. Everywhere you look is construction. The last picture shows newly-built condos that has a big sign that boast “low prices” to lure people from Hong Kong and other parts of the world to buy real estate in the Shenzhen vicinity. Condos are outrageously costly in Hong Kong; an average condo with an 850 square-feet of living area costs USD $1,200,000.

Taishan Part 16: A Study of Constrast

Leaving the villages and going back to Taicheng, you can appreciate the huge difference between the old rural villages (picture 1) and the modern development. The second picture is the new luxury mansions built 2 years ago in the suburb of Taicheng. Next to it is a 5-star Taishan Phoenix Hotel (last picture). The room rate for Sunday was CNY1200 (USD$179), not bad for a 5-star hotel.

Taishan Part 15: Buildings in Taicheng

Taicheng is more like YuenLong in the rural areas of Hong Kong. Most of the city is very old with some very old streets (picture 1). Picture 2 shows condos built in the 70s, the next picture the 90s, and the last picture is a modern condo.

Taishan Part 14: Beggar’s Chicken Dinner in Taicheng

Sam’s colleague in Maoming knew of our travel and recommended that we try beggar’s chicken while in Taichan – so, we did. We arranged for a driver to drop off and pick us up because the restaurant is located in a rural area of Taicheng. The first picture shows the restaurant sign; the next is the menu.







We ordered the famous beggar’s chicken, ox-bone soup with lotus root, and stir-fried long beans – all for about $8 USD. Everything was delicious. The beggar’s chicken was originally wrapped with dirt and roast in open fire; now it is wrapped in foiled and wood-roasted. Disposable gloves are provided so diners can eat the chicken with their hands.

While the restaurant is an open-air facility and located in a rural area, it really went out of their way to provide a clean atmosphere. They cleaned “sterilized” the cups, bowls, and chopsticks in a pan of boiling water on your table. They provided a packet of tissues and a whole small wrapped packet of disposable gloves for each table.

Taishan Part 13: Our Hotel Room in Taicheng

The Taishan Garden Hotel is a 3-star hotel but it’s very well maintained. We paid 236 CNY (Chinese Renminbi), about $35 USD. It has a western restaurant in the lobby and a whole separate 2-story Chinese restaurant next door. We had most meals in the hotel. One lunch we had BBQ pork, some dim sum, and stir-fried potato leave, a local seasonal vegetable that tastes similar to Ong-choi but better. The BBQ pork, while very tasty, had too much fat. The next meal we had dim sum and squab which was also excellent. Everything is very cheap by U.S. standards; each meal was about $8 USD.

Our room is clean, comfortable and spacious. What’s most amazing is it even has a computer with free Internet access. I was able to get a lot of work and e-mails done in the room.

Taishan Part 12: Our Hotel in Taicheng

We stayed overnight at the Taishan Garden Hotel. It’s a 3-star hotel. While it is showing its age, the hotel is still very well maintained. The hotel is well located; it has its own lotus pond and it’s also next to a city park. The first picture shows the hotel in the background and in front of it is the hugest lotus pond ever seen. On the edge of the lotus pond is a row of Hong Kong Orchid trees. I can envision the beautiful Hong Kong Orchid blossoming when the lotus goes into hibernation in the winter. Because the area is so beautiful and the air so clear, many people do their morning tai chi there.

Taishan Part 11: The 2nd House – Gnay Sum’s House

These pictures show the realistic household of an occupied house. Gnay Sum’s house (2nd house) is two story. It was a Saturday and her daughter, grandchildren and other visitors were there.

Their Main Room also has an ancestral alter, of course. In the front area, there are two sets of wooden stairs that lead to the bedrooms upstairs.

The last picture shows the living area. As I said, the ancestral alter is in the front center. On the left of the alter is a set of rosewood “sofa.” Gnay Sum's grandchildren were “modeling” in the picture.

They have a refrigerator, a drinking system (home delivered 5-gallon drinking water). Their house is clutter with things; partially because the house is also small, compared to the houses in the States.

Gnay Sum said her daughter now works in the factory in Taicheng; the income is much better now.

Taishan Part 10b: The Yau House Roof – More pictures

Pictures from the roof:
1. Left back corner of the roof shows a old pot.
2. To the left, you can see the edge of the next Li. The first house in the next Li is a whitish building that looks pretty new and modern; it must be a rebuilt by some retiree from the States .
3. To the right is the edge of the pond, rice field, and the twig pile in front of the hongie.

Taishan Part 10: The Yau House Roof

From the Main Room, a set of stairs leads to the roof. The background of the picture shows the door to the roof.

From left to right are: Gnay Sum (2nd House), Ah Sum (1st House), Moi, and the brothers Jung Tai and Jung Wah (the house managers).

Taishan Part 9: The Yau House Water Storage/Shower Area

This is the area behind the wall of the stove. I believe it is a water storage shed and sink area. Behind it looks like a shower area.

I was rushed (felt a lot of pressure from all the people following us.) I never thought of checking the toilet area. Tony told me it is an outhouse, located in the back of the house. The outhouse, according to Tony, is clean and flushes directly into the field.

Taishan Part 8: The Yau House Kitchen

Immediately after entering the main door, the first area is the “kitchen.” On the right is GuanKung shrine on the floor; I took the picture of the little boy with it. Next to it is the stove with two “cook-tops.” On the right hangs a food storage gage.

Taishan Part 7: The Yau House Bedrooms

The picture with the window on the left is the ChungHoi Bedroom; the one with the window on the right is the Dry-Ones’ Bedroom. Both rooms have some furniture. I don’t believe these are the original furnishings. They are perhaps extra furniture that belongs to our “house managers.”

Taishan Part 6: The Yau House Ancestral Alter

The Main Room is the largest living area of the YauHouse. In the center is the Yau Ancestral Alter with a picture of Grandfather. The first thing I did was to pay my respect to our ancestors and especially to our Grandfather. Grandfather left China in 1916. At that time, the Yaus lived in LookGaLi. Grandfather saved enough money to build a new house in JungWoLi in 1921. The house was renovated in 1990 when Dad and Mom visited (spent USD$2000). They also donated money to connect the water line to JungWoLi. Somewhere along the line, the dirt road in JungWoLi was paved.

Mom said that the Main Room was the sleeping quarter of our Grandmother and our Great-grandmother.

The other picture shows the floor tile. They are approximately 12”x12” terra-cotta tiles and look to be in pretty good condition.

Taishan Part 5: The Yau House Diagram

This is a rough diagram of the Yau House. I wish I had spent more time to check the details. But at the time, I was trying to “escape” from the people who were following me everywhere. I did not even have time to check the back and the outhouse.

The house is really small, only one story. The Main Room is about 12x15. It’s hard to imagine how Dad, Mom, Sue and I all fit into Bedroom 1, and all Uncle’s (Ah Bak) family in Bedroom 2. In the Main Room, there is a set of (I think concrete) stairs that goes up to the roof. The roof is enclosed with a 3-foot brick surround.

Taishan Part 4: The Yau House Hongie

The front of the house is known as hongie in Taishanese. There is a pond in front of JungWoLi. Near it are piles of twigs (for burning?) and free-range chicken.