[Healing Journey in a Fairytale World | 5-Day 4-Night Guide to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong]

📍Location: Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan

🌈Itinerary Overview
Day 1: Chengdu → Songpan Ancient Town (overnight)
Day 2: Songpan → Chuanzhu Temple → Huanglong Scenic Area (overnight at Chuanzhu Temple)
Day 3: Chuanzhu Temple → Jiuzhaigou (overnight at valley entrance)
Day 4: In-depth tour of Jiuzhaigou (overnight at valley entrance)
Day 5: Jiuzhaigou → Chengdu

💎Must-Visit Highlights

1. Huanglong - Heaven's Pool on Earth
- Travertine pools at 3,558m altitude, like a spilled palette
- Recommended route: Take 800m cable car up + walk down
- Best photo spot: Zhenyan Pool (best lighting 10:00-14:00)

2. Jiuzhaigou - Water Wonderland
- Five-Colored Pool: Best views of blue-green-orange gradients in mid-late October
- Pearl Beach Waterfall: Exclusive views before 8:00 (drone photography allowed)
- Long Lake: Experience Tibetan kora culture (clockwise lake circumambulation for blessings)
- Nuorilang Waterfall: Filming location for "Journey to the West" ending

🍜Taste of Aba
▫️Tibetan hot pot: Yak meat + highland barley pancakes + wild mushrooms
▫️Jiuzhaigou cold-water fish: Recommended stone pot style (CNY 80+ per person)
▫️Qiang-style whole roasted lamb: Advance booking required (recommended for groups of 4+)
▫️Butter tea: Sweet version recommended for tourists (paired with tsampa)

🏨Accommodation Guide
✔️Valley entrance: InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise (forest hot springs), Leeward Hotel (family-friendly)
✔️Chuanzhu Temple: Minjiang Haoting Hotel (oxygen-enriched rooms), Holy Zhuoma Hotel (Tibetan style)
⚠️Warning: Choose hotels with floor heating/oxygen supply in high-altitude areas

📸Photography Tips
① Clothing: Solid-color long dresses + ethnic-style shawls (red/blue most photogenic)
② Equipment: Wide-angle lens for travertine pool panoramas, polarizing filter to enhance water colors
③ Timing: Enter Jiuzhaigou in the morning (avoid tour group peak hours)

💡Useful Tips
✓ Tickets: Jiuzhaigou peak season CNY 169/person (book 1 day in advance)
✓ Transportation: Direct bus from Chengdu Xinnanmen Station (8h journey)
✓ Altitude sickness: Take rhodiola 3 days in advance, bring glucose solution
✓ Eco-friendly: Bring water bottle (drinking water available in scenic area)

📌Travel Bonus
- Zhaxi's Tibetan home visit (experience butter tea making + Guozhuang dance)
- Red Army Long March Monument at Chuanzhu Temple (red tourism education base)
- Option to fly back from Jiuzhaigou Huanglong Airport (saves 6 hours driving)

✨Tips: See alpine rhododendrons in March-May, stunning autumn colors in mid-late October, avoid rainy season in July-August!