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นิตยสารสารคดี Feature Magazine | ISSN 0857-1538 | |
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Story and Photos: Pariwat Chandra |
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To the North of China's Si Chuan province, by the border of the Tibet Plateau, one can see a tiny red line on the map winding along some brown patches signifying mountains. In reality, the almost 400-KM dirt road leads to Jiu Zhai Gou, one of the most beautiful and famous national parks in China. Jiu Zhai Gou is nestled in an expansive valley on the border of the Tibetan Plateau. The 720-sq km area is mainly shaped by the meeting of two rivers. Among the snow-capped moutains and rows of trees are more than a hundred lakes, whose unusual colours ranging from turquoise blue to yellow and red, rival those of precious gemstones. |
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There is a legend, which explains the striking colours and mirror-like feature of the lakes. Once upon a time, an angel named Da Ge was in love with a fairy named Se Mo. To express his love for her and to let her see how beautiful she was, Da Ge made a huge mirror for his love. Se Mo, however, accidentally dropped the gift down to earth. When she came down to look for it, she found out the mirror broke into 108 pieces, becoming the lakes in Jiu Zhai Gou. Scientists, however, have a much simpler explanation. The remarkable colours of water here is caused by the dissolution of mineral deposits in the soil. Another highlight of Jiu Zhai Gou is the Strings of Pearl Waterfall (Zhen Zhu Tan Pu Bu). It is said that the Tibetans first discovered this fall in winter, when water in the whole stream froze up into a glittering sheet of ice. When touched by the sunlight, the icy waterfall glimmered just like reflexive pearls, thus the name. |
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Not too far from Jiu Zhai Gou is another splendid gem of nature called Huang Long National Park, where visitors can take delight in limpid lakes, snow-covered mountains and deep gorges in the shadow of trees. The parks' exceptional beauty and reputation has attracted an increasing number of tourists, both domestic and international. The rough dirt road is now well-paved. Chartered flights are available on a daily basis. The once deserted route is now crowded with communities. Jiu Zhai Gou and Huang Long National Parks are both reputed as heaven on earth. No-one knows, however, how long will the heavenly gem of nature stay on earth? |