Approximately 1,000,000 people visit annually and there were over 15,000 today. “Jewz” means “9 Stockades Gully.” It is 14k/8+ miles from park gate to center of reserve, then 15k/9.3 miles to the Primeval Forest at the top from the center. Bus stops all along the route and the routes are divided from bottom to middle and middle to top. It took 20 minutes by bus just to get from the middle to top. There is also a guesthouse at the halfway point to spend the night if you want.

Huge visiters center with everything in Chinese and English. A map cost about 50 cents and was an extremely worthwhile investment….View image…and the visitors center had information flashing by, also in Chinese and English…View image…

map of one route in Jiuzhaigou, China

Jiuzhaigou tourists in the park, China 

There were many, many buses with Giant Pandas painted on the sides and Great Panda signs…we were obviously in the “Home of The Giant Panda”…

buses to enter Jiuzhaigou Scenic Reserve, China 

Giant Panda sign, Jiuzhaigou Scenic Reserve, China
You must take a bus into the park unless you are hiking or feel like walking 10+ miles just to the mid-point and that’s only in one gorge. This reserve covers a lot of ground. Wipe the word “polite” or “stand in line” from your vocabulary. You will get trampled getting on and off the buses. It is absolutely every man, woman and child for themself. Use elbows and whatever or forget it…stand on the side of the road…and watch your bus go by. We fought our way on the bus and got off at the first interesting stop – prayer wheels being turned by water. Carried and pushed along by these rude people…most carrying lethal umbrellas that they instantly popped open getting off the bus to shade themselves from the sun, to the next scenic view…an old mill house…

mutliple sets of prayer wheels being turned by the water current in Juizhaigou, China 

old mill house in Juizhaigou, China 

tourists with their “killer” umbrellas in Juizhaigou Scenic Reserve, China
…continued along, still dodging the umbrellas to avoid losing an eye, …View image..until a beautiful set of waterfalls appeared…View image…

Water fall in Juizhaigou Scenic Reserve, China
..the place where the crowds finally started to thin out, most of them waited for the next bus to come along …View image…and bus them to the next scenic spot instead of walking…while we enjoyed some blessed peace and quiet…

Yonten on the boardwalk through Jiuzhiagou, China
We continued walking past Rhinoceros Lake, Rize Gully, Mirror Lake, and there was a map at each scenic location showing “you are here” along with the distance to the next spot…

a map on the Jiuzhaigou route, China
Colorful wildflowers…and lakes so turquoise that this photograph looks impossible…believe me…it is completely untouched, retouched or colorized…turquoise, turquoise blue lakes…with the clearest water I’ve ever seen in a lake.

wildflowers in Juizhaigou, China 

Have you ever seen lakes so turquoise? Juizhaigou Scenic Reserve, China