Rize Valley is the south-western branch of Jiuzhaigou National Park, and it contains the largest variety of tourist sites in Jiuzhaigou Valley and is typically visited first. From the Nuorilang to virgin forests which is about 18km totally, visitors may be in a fantastic world all the time.

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What to see?
Here are many colorful lakes like a kaleidoscope, like a fairyland tranquil and abstruse, and like a mystic mirror. It is usually suggested to visit downhill from its highest point by taking shuttle in the scenic area, then visitors will pass and the following sites one by one:

Sword Rock and Suspended Spring
Sword Rock is an isolated peak with a height of more than 500 square meters, shaped like a sword stab into the blue sky. Walked down from the primeval forest people can see Jianyan Rock. The side that Sword Rock face to the Fangcao Sea, there is spring water pour out from the mountainside vertically, such as white silk hangs in the air, and falls down along the rocks. The height is more than one hundred and thirty meters, people called that the Suspension Spring, which is goodness Semo’s tear when she looked for god Dage, according to the legend.

Virgin Forest, About 52% area of Jiuzhaigou Valley is covered by virgin forest and the forest at the top of Rize Valley is part of it. Seeing the luxuriantly green trees, walking on thick and soft lichens, smelling the fragrant and moist air, and listening to the sound of wind and bird-song you will find that you are coming into a new isolated world. In the lower part of the south of mountains, Chinese pines, oaks and spruces grow thickly and in the north Chinese hemlocks, maples, birches and fir trees are flourishing. In the upper part of mountains are alpine shrubs and alpine meadows.
 

Mirror Lake, wrapped by forests, is a narrow and long lake about 1,000 meters (1,094 yards) in length. The mountain on the opposite side is like a huge stone screen. On the right is the lower reach of Mirror Lake, abutting the Nuorilang Lake Cluster and on the left is the upper reach that joins the Mirror Lake Valley. In the rosy dawns, the lake is as smooth as a mirror and blue sky, white clouds, the mountains far away and trees nearby can all be seen reflected in the lake. What is more wonderful is that you can see the conjured images that the fish are swimming in the sky and the birds are flying in the lake! Near the lake there is a tree reaching the sky, which is tightly twisted by a long vine, just like two sweet lovers. Therefore, people gave Mirror Lake another romantic name, Love Park.

Peacock River is 310 meters in length and wends along the deep valley with flowers and trees on its two sides. The water appears in a cacophony of varietous colors: dark green, golden, and sapphire blue. When autumn comes, the forests are covered with hoarfrosts and the fallen leaves are bestrewed all over the lake. When seen from above, the bright and clear water flows in a colorful world and it is like a peacock displaying its fine tail feathers.

Five-Flower Lake (Wuhua Lake), Praised as the pride of Jiuzhai Valley, Five-Flower Lake lies at the end of the upper reach of Peacock River, 2,472 meters (about 8,110 feet) above the sea level and five meters (about 16 feet) in depth. Most of the colorful leaves are gathered in the lakefront and interlaced as brocades. The water that contains calcium carbonate as well as hydrophytes with different colors presents a versicolor sight, azure blue, blackish green and light yellow, etc, so it is named Five-Flower Lake. The local people say that it is a holy lake, and where there is the water, there must be flourishing flowers and trees. When looking down from the mountain, you will find that the lake with hills on three sides is just like a huge upended cucurbit pouring colorful water to the lower place.
Peculiarly, there is a pattern of a deer's leg in the abdomen of the cucurbit, 10 meters (about 33 feet) or so. The whole pattern is light green, while the middle part presents dark green due to the quincunx-shaped pits of the terrain of the lake bed. So the pattern is really like a spotted deer. The legend said that the deity of all mountains hurt the holy deer that belonged to the King of Forest by mistake when he was seeking for water source in the mountain.
The King of Forest was so furious that he chased the deity on the holy deer and wanted to kill him. Other deities cut off one leg of the deer in order to help the deity of all mountains. Then the holy deer fell down and became the colorful lake.

Panda Lake, Pandas are regarded as lucky and endearing animals. It is said that pandas in Jiuzhaigou like to drink water and play in this lake, so the lake is called Panda Lake. It is 2,587 meters (about 8,488 feet) above sea level and 14 meters (about 46 meters) in depth. The water is clear and transparent. Especially on fine days, the blue sky and white cloud are mirrored in the lake. There are inverted images of cliffs with strange textures in the lakesides and the white stones with black lines in the lake, all of them have made the Panda Lake an interesting and beautiful place.

Norilang Waterfalls was badly damaged in the earthquake on August 8, 2017. On the afternoon of August 10, 2017, it collapsed and the once magnificent waterfall no longer exists. The former norilang waterfall, at 2365 meters above sea level, is located near the norilang tourist center. The waterfall is 270 meters wide and 24.5 meters high. It is one of the largest calcified waterfalls in China and also the widest waterfall in China. Many films and TV plays have been shot here, including the end of the 1986 CCTV TV series journey to the west. Nuorilang waterfall means magnificent waterfall in Tibetan. It was a multi-level drop, 140 meters wide curtain of water from the two mountains fly out, straight bai chi cliff, forming a rare forest waterfall. There is a viewing platform across the waterfall, standing on the platform, the panoramic view of the waterfall, autumn, three hundred meters of the waterfall in the autumn, clouds and fog background, into a magnificent scene.

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Travel Tips
Add: Inside Jiuzhaigou National Park, Sichuan Province.
Entrance Fee: CNY 280 ( within Jiuzhaigou Valley)
Opening Hours:07:00-18:00

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