Jiuzhai Valley - Shuzheng Valley

Tiger Lake  Jiuzhaigou Pictures

Tiger Lake, lying further up towards Shuzheng Waterfall, is 2,298 meters (about 7,539 feet) above the sea level. It is peaceful and tranquil, yet the vigor and enthusiasm cannot be hidden in the silence. The rushing water that is like falling snow of Shuzheng Waterfall is just too reminiscent of the lake's burst. There are three sayings concerning the source of its name. One is that the sound of Shuzheng Waterfall is as the tigers' roaring; the second is that in late autumn, the reflections of Five-Colored Pond forests shine upon the lake which look like the lines of tigers; the third saying is that the tigers in the mountain are fond of this lake and used to drinking the water of the lake.
 

It offers one of the main accommodation centers in Jiuzhai Valley. In front of the village stands a golden dagoba where the Tibetans worship Buddha and incant observances. Hotels of Tibetan style and Prayer Flags can be found all over the village. Meanwhile, you can get a good view of Shuzheng Lake Cluster whilst looking down upon the village.
 

A Tibetan house in Shuzheng Village

It  is the first waterfall you will encounter in the valley. It is 62 meters (about 203 feet) wide and 15 meters (about 49 feet) tall. Though it is the smallest of the four main waterfalls in Jiuzhaigou, it will bring heart quakes to first time visitors. The green forests surround nineteen lakes of different sizes and levels. The lake water in the upper reaches flows slowly along the shoal and is divided into countless streams by the groves in the lake. Then the streams join on the top of Shuzheng Waterfall and suddenly drop down to the lower lakes. The sprays fly in the air, creating an elegant screen.
 

It is 32 meters (about 105 feet) wide and 25 meters (about 82 feet) tall, and it is the widest waterfall in Jiuzhaigou. Nuorilang means 'grand and magnificent' in Tibetan, so it is a gorgeous waterfall. The top of the waterfall is very flat. It is said that originally there was no waterfall but a platform here long ago. Then a monk brought a spinning wheel when he returned to this place. A Tibetan girl learnt the skill of spinning very soon, so she carried the wheel to the platform and showed her sisters how to spin. The cruel man Roza considered that she was doing something evil and kicked her, as well as the spinning wheel off the cliff. In no time, torrents rushed Roza and his accomplices down the mountain, so the platform had turned into the waterfall. When the sun shines in the morning, flowery rainbows can be seen in the sky, which make the waterfall more charming and splendid.

Walking south forward from the Nuorilang Waterfall, Jiuzhai Valley is divided into two main routes: to the due south is Zechawa Valley and to the southwest is Rize Valley.