Did God spill the palette? The magnificent Jiuzhaigou is dyed with a myriad of colors

"In a place close to the sky, there are always a pair of eyes watching over. She dreams of the splendid forest, she shines with the light of the azure sea..." Rong Zhong Er Jia's song "Magical Jiuzhaigou" stirs my longing for that 'heaven on earth'—Jiuzhaigou. Jiuzhaigou Valley is located within Jiuzhaigou County in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, named after the nine Tibetan villages within the valley, including Shuzheng, Zechawa, and He Ye. Situated at the transition zone between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Western Sichuan Plateau, and the mountains leading to the Sichuan Basin, Jiuzhaigou is a deep valley spanning over 50 kilometers, with a total area of 64,297 hectares and a forest coverage rate of over 80%. The forests of Jiuzhaigou cover more than 20,000 hectares, populated with trees such as red pine, spruce, fir, birch, and many others. The forest reserve is home to precious animals like the giant panda, white-lipped deer, Sumen antelope, gnu, tufted deer, and golden cat. There are 74 types of nationally protected rare plants, 18 types of nationally protected animals, as well as rich paleontological fossils and ancient glacial landforms. The lakes are teeming with wild ducks, while swans and mandarin ducks often come to play. Jiuzhaigou boasts 108 lakes, springs, waterfalls, rivers, and shoals, forming numerous colorful fairyland ponds. From top to bottom, it presents six major landscapes: Long Lake, Sword Rock, Nuorilang, Shuzheng, Zharu, and Black Sea. The emerald lakes, layered waterfalls, colorful forests, snow-capped peaks, Tibetan culture, and blue ice are known as the 'Six Wonders.' The magical Jiuzhaigou is acclaimed as a 'fairy-tale world' and known as the 'King of Waterscapes.' The waters of Jiuzhaigou are so unique that there is a saying, 'After visiting Jiuzhaigou, one will not bother with any other waters.' The waters of Mirror Lake in Jiuzhaigou are deep blue and crystal clear, resembling a freshly wiped glass mirror, reflecting the light within. The sky and surrounding mountains and valleys are reflected in it, creating a spectacle where birds seem to fly in the water and fish seem to swim in the sky. The movie 'Hero' was filmed here.