Panoramic Nara - Tōdaiji Temple

Tōdaiji Temple (東大寺)
Nara, Kansai
Honshu, Japan
Winter, December 2013

Ringing bells 

Blissful strike 

Traditional chants 

An energizing feel

Lighted lamps 

A pleasing sight 

Devotional songs 

A prayful world 

Vintage structure 

A timeless boon 

Garlanded deity 

Deepening springs 

"My Village Temple" Poem by Ravi Panamanna,

AllPoetry.com

Read More

Panoramic Himeji - Egret's Eye View

Himeji Castle (姫路城)

Himeji (姫路), Hyōgo (兵庫県)

Kansai (関西), Honshū (本州), Japan (日本)

Autumn, December 2013

Towered over the countryside;

stood mighty palace once derived

from mountaintop; almost alive,

envy of all the land.

Beauty conveying such granduer

like none had ever seen afore.

Inhabitants all loving, pure,

singing hand in hand.

Turrets spiralled to the sky,

as glaciers, but twice as high.

Moments before oncoming nigh

t'would glitter with golden light.

Emblazing in the awesome halls,

reflecting from the many walls;

its luminescence never falls

'to the fading dregs of night.

Overlooking mountains, valleys,

with its many quads and galleys,

abundance of windows untallied;

stood casa magnificence.

"Crystal Fortress" Poem by EtherealAlchemy

AllPoetry.com

Read More

Jiuzhaigou - The Fairyland Of Lakes Made From Wind And Clouds

Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟) 

Sichuan (四川), China (中国)

March 2013

Covering 72,000 ha in the northern part of Sichuan Province, Jiuzhaigou preserves a series of important forest ecosystems including old-growth forests which provide important habitat for numerous threatened species of plants and animals, including the giant panda and the Sichuan takin, a subspecies of Tibetan goat-antelope. Attaining heights of 4,752 m in the southern Minshan Mountains, Jiuzhaigou also contains an important number of well-preserved quaternary glacial remnants with great scenic value.

It is listed on the UNESCO website as "a reserve of exceptional natural beauty with spectacular jagged alpine mountains soaring above coniferous forest around a fairyland landscape of crystal clear, strange-coloured blue, green and purplish pools, lakes, waterfalls, limestone terraces, caves and other beautiful features".

That was why Merlion Wayfarer travelled 4.5 hours by plane and 440km by bus to see it. Merlion Wayfarer faced "Treacherous Mountain Roads" and combated "Altitude Sickness" for all this!

Passing Maoxian (茂县), the road from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou takes one full day of bus journey, 

or about 7-10 hours...

(Source : ChinaTrekking)

With a development area of 140 square kilometres, the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area gains its name from its nine Tibetan villages. It is composed of three valleys arranged in a Y shape. The Rize and Zechawa Valleys flow from the south and meet at the centre of the site where they form the Shuzheng Valley, flowing north to the mouth of the valley. The three valleys are 14km, 17km and 18km in length, respectively. 

The paths along these valleys are lined with 55km of roads for shuttle buses, as well as wooden boardwalks and small pavilions. The boardwalks are typically located on the opposite side of the lakes from the road, shielding them from disturbance by passing buses and hordes of tourists.

(Source : TravelGuideChina)

Legend has it that long ago, the mountain deity named Dago had a crush on the goddess Semo. As a token of his love, he gave her a mirror that was made from the wind and the clouds. However, a demon appeared and harrassed Semo. Inadvertently, Semo dropped the mirror in the struggle. The mirror broke into 108 pieces, which fell down to Earth and turned into 108 colorful lakes, called "seas" (海) by the locals.

The ticket to Jiuzhaigou costs RMB 80. This is because Merlion Wayfarer went to Jiuzhaigou on one of the last few days of the off-peak season. From 01 April onwards to 15 November each year, the ticket price goes up to RMB 220.

The ticket comes with a postcard on the right and the ticket stub on the left...

For those deciding between the private bus tour and the public bus service, Merlion Wayfarer gives her two cents' worth in "Jiuzhaigou - The Private Bus Option".

Walking through a souvenir alley first before reaching the entrance of Jiuzhaigou - Good planning!

Today's Forest Fire Risk Level was set to "Danger!". OK, Merlion Wayfarer can swim, and there's lots of water out there...



Fur-clad ticketing attendants scanning the tickets...

RFID boxes along the way to monitor the environment...

Rest pavilions and shopping sites are available at strategic stops along the way...

Some posters about the Jiuzhaigou in a dark tunnel linking a bus parking area from a dining area...

• Rize Valley (日则沟) 
     
• Shuzheng Valley (树正沟)
      
• Zechawa Valley (则查洼沟)

Maybe it was the crowd. Maybe it was because she felt rushed with a limited time at each spot. Maybe it was because she expected fields full of springtime flowers blooming by the waters.  Maybe it was because the waters were just blue and green with only a few other shades. Maybe all the lakes look somewhat similar. And Merlion Wayfarer was indeed disappointed by this "fairyland". But, but, but, the photos look really good!

---

More photos are available on Merlion Wayfarer Goes World's Picasa at :
Sichuan - Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟)

---

  

 Sources 

• "Entrance Fee of Scenic Spots around Jiuzhaigou". Travel Sichuan Guide. Retrieved from http://www.travelsichuanguide.com/tour/entrancefeeofjiuzhaigou.html (19 April 2013).
• "Jiuzhaigou Five-Colour Pond (Wucai Chi)", World Heritage Sites Home. AsiaExplorers.com. Retrieved from http://www.asiaexplorers.com/china/jiuzhaigou_five_colour_pond.htm (21 April 2013).
• "Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve". Wikitravel. Retrieved from http://wikitravel.org/en/Jiuzhaigou_Nature_Reserve (19 April 2013).
• "Jiuzhaigou Valley". Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiuzhaigou_Valley (05 April 2013).
• "Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area". TravelChinaGuide.com. Retrieved from http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/sichuan/jiuzhaigou/page1.htm (21 April 2013).
• "Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area". UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Retrieved from http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/637 (05 April 2013).
• "Jiuzhaigou Valley - Shuzheng Valley". TravelChinaGuide.com. Retrieved from http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/sichuan/jiuzhaigou/page2.htm (18 April 2013).
• "Jiuzhaigou Waterfalls". ChinaCulture.org. Retrieved from http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_travel/2003-09/24/content_35849.htm (05 April 2013).
• "Pearl Shoal Waterfall". Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_Shoal_Waterfall (19 April 2013).

Read More

Jiuzhaigou - Zechawa Valley

Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟) 

Sichuan (四川), China (中国)

March 2013
    

Zechawa Valley (则查洼沟)

The Zechawa Valley (则查洼沟) is the south-eastern branch of Jiuzhaigou. It is approximately the same length as Rize Valley at 18km but climbs to a higher altitude (3150 m at the Long Lake). Going downhill from its highest point, it features the following sites:

Long Lake (长海)

Crescent-shaped Long Lake (长海) is crescent-shaped and is the highest, largest and deepest lake in Jiuzhaigou, measuring 7.5km in length and an average depth of 44m with the its deepest bank at 103m.

It reportedly has no outgoing waterways, getting its water from melted snow and losing it from seepage. There is no visible tributary around the lake but the water source is the melted snow from the South Peak and the waters of surrounding mountain streams and brooks. It is a wonder that the Long Lake neither runs dry in the winter and spring, nor brims over the bank in the rainy summer and autumn. Local Tibetans call the lake "a magic gourd that will never be poured full or dried up".

There is a cypress on the bank of Long Lake with an odd shape. On one side of the tree, the branches and leaves are rich and abundant, but on the opposite side, the trunk is bare. The tree is known as Jiuzhaigou's "one-armed old man" (独臂老人).

According to legend, Jiuzhaigou was once ruled by a ferocious demon. An elderly brave hunter from a remote mountain came here and fought the demon at Long Lake. He succeeded in driving away the demon but lost one arm during the struggle. In order to prevent the demon ever coming back, the old hunter, armed with a sword, stood on the bank of Long Lake day and night. He guards Jiuzhaigou still.

Tibetan prayer flags abound on the shores and trees around Long Lake. 
For RMB 5, one can purchase these to toss on the slopes for good luck...

Photo props and digital photography services are available for rental - 

RMB 20 per person for the costumes and RMB 30 per photo...

The lake is surrounded by imposing mountains on both sides...

Five-Colour Pond (五彩池)

Five-Colour Pond (五彩池) is famous for its crystal clear water in the Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve. Despite its very modest dimensions and depth, it has a richly-coloured underwater landscape in its crystal clear blue water. Covering an area of 5,645 square metres, it is one of the smallest lakes in Jiuzhaigou.

Located a short distance from Long Lake (长海) at an elevation 2,995m above sea level, it gets some of its water from from the lake. Within its depths, there are patches of light green, milky white, bright yellow, deep blue, and turquoise. This is due to the aquatic lifeforms such as plankton,  sponges, algae, and ferns that inhabit the water. The different plant life produces varying percentages of chlorophyll. A high concentration of travertine (CaCO3), a light-coloured porous calcite, is deposited into the water, forming among other deposits, stalactites and stalagmites, resulting in the different colours of the water.

According to legend, the pond was where the love-smitten mountain deity Dage came daily to bring water for the goddess Semo to wash her hair.

Is that why there is a heart in the pond?

|   Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟)   |   Rize Valley (日则沟)   |   Shuzheng Valley (树正沟)   |

---

More photos are available on Merlion Wayfarer Goes World's Picasa at :
Sichuan - Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟)

---

  

Read More

Jiuzhaigou - The Azure Beauty Of The Water Fairyland

Merlion Wayfarer has moved this page to:

http://merlionwayfarergoesworld.blogspot.com/2013/04/jiuzhaigou-fairyland-of-lakes-made-from.html 

See you there  ;)

Read More