Though the World Nature Heritage Sites of Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong have made this area an increasing favorite with travelers, the sparsely populated region remains fairly unexplored because of its rough roads and high altitude (most of northern Sichuan lies between 2,000 meters and 3,000 meters above sea level).

Hidden amid towering mountains and deep valleys, there are quite a few spectacular natural and cultural attractions hardly known to the outside world. Among them are Jiudingshan Mountains, Diexi-Songping Valley and Qiang villages in Maoxian County.

Located in eastern Aba prefecture and on the upper reaches of Minjiang River, Maoxian is about 193 kilometers northwest of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province.

The road between Chengdu and the nature reserve of Jiuzhaigou runs through Maoxian county. The Jiudingshan Mountains lie about 8 kilometers southeast of the town.

Spectacular scenery

Covering an area of 340 square kilometers, the Jiudingshan Mountains have nine peaks. With an altitude of 4,984 meters above sea level, the summit, Lion King Peak (Shiwang Feng), is snow-capped all year round.

The mountain range stretches along the border areas between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Sichuan Basin and features numerous alpine lakes, dense alpine forests, sweeping alpine meadows and spectacular waterfalls.

The local Qiang people call these lakes "dragon ponds" (long chi).

Located about 3,200 meters above sea level, White Dragon Pond (Bailong Chi) changes hue according to the time of day as light bounces off its waters and catches the different minerals and algae in the lake.

Turquoise blue, deep green, orange and pink, with reflections of snow-capped mountains and white clouds, it is truly stunning.

A large stretch of azalea trees surrounds the lake and in springtime their pink and white blossoms add to the beauty of the area.

Continuing up from White Dragon Pond and after passing through a lush forest, travelers will find themselves in a gentle highland meadow in the middle of which is a vast blue water lake. It is the largest lake on Jiudingshan and called Black Dragon Pond (Heilong Chi).

The altitude here is 3,800 meters and the air becomes thin and the world much quieter. The lake looks deep and mystical. Only some birds from time to time feeding on its waters disturb the seemingly eternal silence.

If one bivouacs near the lake, he or she may get a chance to see groups of blue sheep and Takins emerge to drink there. But be warned keep your distance. Takins -- a horned, ox-like creature, unique to China and weighing up to 400 kilograms -- can be dangerous when threatened or surprised by humans.

The mountains are often covered by scarf of mist which add a mystical touch to the landscape of Jiudingshan.

For the locals, the mist can be divided into different kinds on the mountains. There are dry mists, wet mists, ground mists and so on.

Some light, some dense. Some hover over lakes and ponds, some cover the forests. But they always appear and disappear suddenly.

The Lion King Peak is often enveloped in mist and hence rarely shows its face to visitors gazing heaven-wards from its foot.

But for those who make the climb to Nine Dragon Pond (Jiulong Chi) at 4,010 meters, however, there is a good chance they will see, not only the snow-capped face of the peak, but also the spectacular sunrise over Jiudingshan.

As the first rays of the sun reach the peak, it appears as a golden hump, but as day breaks so does its splendor.

Another majestic scene is the Heilonggou Waterfall. It hides in the depth of Heilonggou Valley and hangs more than 300 meters from sheer cliffs in three sections.

The first section cascades about 140 meters onto a huge rock; the second section conceals the entrance to a cave, carving out a water gate in the cliff, while the third falls a 100 meters into a roaring river running through the valley.

Facing east, the waterfall is "ignited" by the sun and often "dyed" with the colors of the rainbow. Visitors can usually witness this rainbow spectacle.

Jiudingshan has different landscapes in different seasons.

While the alpine meadows feature green grass and colorful flowers in the spring, the forests are known for their rich autumnal colors. The best autumn scenery can be found in the Multi-Colored Forest (Wucai Lin) of the mountains, a large stretch of alpine forest dotted with meadows and about 2,000 meters above sea level. Here can be found birch, oak, dragon spruce, maple, bamboo and different kinds of shrubs. In autumn, the leaves of the different trees and shrubs transform the forest into a blaze of color.

Captured in time

Diexi was once a thriving town with a history dating back more than 1,000 years. However, on August 25, 1933, a strong earthquake struck the area completely destroying the old town and 21 neighboring villages.

Landslides caused by the earthquake blocked the roaring Minjiang River in three sections and created one of the best preserved earthquake induced relics in the country-the remains of the old town of Diexi, the huge Diexi Lake and a series of barrier lakes in the Songping Valley.

To this day visitors can still see the remnants of the town's watch towers, a temple, stone lions and cliff murals.

At the same time, one will certainly marvel at the awesome power of creation, when faced with the beautiful barrier lakes of the scenic area of Diexi-Songping Valley.

This area can be found about 65 kilometers from the county town and 190 kilometers south of Jiuzhaigou.

Travelers who have been to Jiuzhaigou would have certainly seen Diexi Lake, because the mountain road from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou passes the jade blue barrier lake stretching more than 10 kilometers from the main stream of the Minjiang River and a glimpse of the mystical lake can be caught from the road.

A closer look can be had of the lake, in fact two lakes connected by a stream, without taking much of a detour.

From the lake, visitors can hike into Songping Valley. With eight lakes of differing shapes and often different colors, the valley is a picturesque corridor.

There are lush alpine forests on the slopes of the valley and in the autumn the vista is marvelous!

Qiang ethnic group

One of the country's oldest ethnic minorities, the Qiang people have inhabited the upper reaches of the Minjiang River for centuries. As 90 per cent of the local population (100,000) are Qiang, Maoxian is home to the largest single group of this particular ethnic minority.

Numerous Qiang villages across the county allow visitors to glimpse the unique life style of these people.

The Qiang villages are usually built on the terraces of river valleys, with a dozen families often constituting a village. In most of the Qiang villages, one can find the landmark building of the Qiang village, the Qiang watchtower.

The stone structure, recorded in historical documents from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), is usually 20-30 meters high and can be square, hexagonal or octagonal.

The watch tower can be divided into a dozen stories. At the top is a platform, with wooden stairways connecting the different floors. Small holes can be found in the walls of each floor.

Usually built beside a house or at the entrance of a village, the watch towers were, and are, used to both guard the village and for storing crops.

Visitors to the Qiang villages can sample their locally brewed liquor, enjoy their traditional folk songs, listen to the music of their traditional Qiele, a flute-like instrument made of bamboo, and join in a Qiang dance called the Shalang.

In this way one can begin to know a little more about the place, not only its nature, but also its people.

(China Daily June 6, 2003)