"Explore the Sacred Land of Gannan" — Gannan's Jiuzhaigou: Zhuoni "Dayu Valley"

"Explore the Sacred Land of Gannan" — Gannan's Jiuzhaigou: Zhuoni "Dayu Valley" is a Shangri-La lost in the world!

The filming location of the American movie "The Flintstones," at dawn, with dewdrops trickling and clouds drifting gracefully, this place is known as the "Forest Sea Wonderland." Billions of years of water erosion and continuous tectonic movements have forged this secret valley in the mountain stream. The towering canyon and rushing river compose the curtain of this fairyland. The clear creek flows like bright moonlight from deep within the mountains, while the elegant Picea likiangensis var. balfouriana sways poetically in the wind. They emit the fragrance of pine resin, subtly intertwined with the scent of the forest, a faint aroma that intoxicates like a fairyland. The accumulation of time converges here into paintings that seem otherworldly, presenting the endless mysteries of nature in a poetic manner.

Dayu Valley Scenic Area is divided into two routes:
① Ajiao Valley - Light Hiking Secret Realm (3~4h)
— From the scenic area entrance, take the shuttle directly to the terminal: Stone Ape by the Creek — Yangzhuo Lake — Dawa Lake — Moon Gate — Fairy Bath Basin — Stone Ape by the Creek — scenic area entrance;
② Qibu Valley - Wild Mountain Wonders (5~6h)
— From the scenic area entrance, take the shuttle bus directly to the terminal: One Line Sky — Sister Peaks — Triangle Rock — Qibu Temple — scenic area entrance.

We stayed the night before inside the Dayu Valley Scenic Area at the "Qibu Linka" guesthouse, right next to the ancient Ando Tibetan Qibu Temple, which has a history of over 800 years. So we mainly explored the second route, "Qibu Valley." We caught the early shuttle (8:30) to the main scenic area and first checked in at "Gesang Lake" beside the guesthouse! This valley highlights "wild mountain wonders" (scenic area shuttle — Qibu Temple — Triangle Rock — Sister Peaks — One Line Sky). There is a pure hiking trail between Triangle Rock and Sister Peaks—highly recommended!

P.S. Since we stayed inside the scenic area, we could catch the 8:30 first shuttle at 8:40, enjoying fewer crowds and beautiful scenery, perfect for casual photos!

Here, springs crisscross and converge into the abundant Dayu River flowing through all seasons. The vertical distribution of flora in the scenic area varies greatly, with the saying "One mountain has four seasons, ten miles have different weather." Above the snow line on the mountain slopes is bare rock, followed by alpine meadows, primeval forests, low mountain meadows, shrubs, and farmland, creating vibrant and striking contrasts.

The most breathtaking spot in Qibu Valley is the deepest part of the scenic area, "One Line Sky," the most stunning photo spot. There is a plank road there that climbs to the mountaintop of Die Mountain to view the snow-capped peaks and surrounding mountains. The one-way distance is 3 km, making a 6 km round trip. Don’t underestimate these 3 km: the ascent is a straight 3 km climb, and the descent is a straight 3 km down. It took me 2.5 hours to climb up (my fitness is quite poor; I relied on sheer determination), and 1.5 hours to come down. Normally, it takes about 4 hours for the round trip. The following photos I took on the alpine summit viewing platform show the view. Although tiring, the vegetation along the way is good, so there was no altitude sickness.

From Sister Peaks, take the forest plank road to Triangle Rock to catch the shuttle, then get off at Zhuomalaco and walk to Qibu Temple. If you’re lucky on the way, you might see marmots.

Post by EMILIA MACK | Aug 29, 2025