Jiuzhaigou Valley 九寨沟 ( 5 ) --- Colorful Pool 五彩池

The Five-color Pool is one of the many lakes in valleys of Jiuzhaigou. The water in the lake is crystal clear reflecting images of the surrounding forests. The lake appears to be of different colors and that is the reason for its name.

The level of water in the lake is constant at dry season or wet season, because its source of water are the lakes at higher altitude; water from these lakes flow through the ground to the Five -color lake. The temperature of the water is regulated by the temperature of the ground. Thus the temperature of the water is always above freezing point even in winter when its surroundings are all covered by snow.

Jiuzhaigou Valley 九寨沟 ( 4 ) --- Long lake 长海

The crowd at the car park
getting ready to walk to the
beautiful scenic Long lake

Tibetan woman peddler,
a common sight at the car park

Long lake is the highest, largest and deepest lake in Jiuzhaigou Valley, at 3100 meter above sea level.

The color of the water in the lake changes through the four seasons.
The source of the water in Long lake is the melting ice at the surrounding mountains. As the lake does not have an outlet linking it to any other lake or river, its water seeps out to lower valleys.

However the lake is never overfilled or drained dry at any time of the year. The Tibetan locals refer to it as the precious container that will not overflow and is never empty.

The Long lake

Jiuzhaigou Valley 九寨沟 (3) --- Pearl Shoals Waterfall

The Pearl Shoals waterfall begins from the Pearl shoal which is at 2433 meter above sea level.
The Pearl shoal is part of the stream flowing down from higher ground. The stream spreads out over a wide area like a fan. The uneven levels along the way cause formation of ripples of water which appear like pearls under the sun. That is how the name Pearl shoal is derived.

There is a wooden walking path for visitors to follow the flow of water from the top to where the Pearl shoals waterfall takes place. It is more like a long waterfall starting from the gentle slope which gradually increases to the sharper fall at the lower end.

The upper source of the waterfall

Water flows through scrubs and stones
along the way

The flow of water reaches the
first sharper fall

The first sharper fall

The Pearl shoals waterfall

The flow slows down from here

Jiuzhaigou Valley 九寨溝 (2) --- 5-color lake

Five-color lake

The local people believe that
the 5-color lake is a spiritual lake.
Trees and plants flourish at the
vicinity of the lake

The lake is names the five-color lake because of the different colors of the water in the lake.

A long bridge with a roof is built adjoining the lake and the peacock river. The surface of the lake resembles the tail of a peacock while the meandering river is like the neck of the bird; three old trees in that area are like the sprouting growth on the head of a peacock.

The view of the whole of the lake from higher ground is like a peacock spreading its colorful tail and that is the reason the adjoining river is named the peacock river.

Mirror like shadow

The bridge adjoining the lake and the
peacock river

Crystal clear water surface

Another view of the bridge

A closer view of the bridge

The other edge of the lake

View from higher ground

One of the many local newly wed couples
taking photo shots at the scenic spot

Multi-color

Fairy-land